Hello everyone.

A friend of Straight Up Cigars, Darren, has written several great reviews and will now be contributing to the SUC reviews as often as he can!  His reviews will be filed under the “Darren’s Cigar Reviews” category.  His first review is the Hoyo De Monterrey Dark Knight Excalibur III.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to try one of these after reading the review!

Don’t forget to check out the forums when you get a chance.  There is a trading section where you can post your “want list” and “to trade list”.

Straight Up Cigars is now also on twitter.  Follow us for quick updates of new posts!

A new free cigar giveaway is in the works, so don’t forget to check back soon!

Thanks for coming everyone!

-Matt

Cigar Review: Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight III

Maker: Hoyo De Monterrey
Size: 4.5×50

Pre-light Inspection:
Very dark wrapper with a nice oily sheen. Some very distinct veins but they don’t detract from the overall appearance. Nice medium/firm pack, just slightly spongy to the touch. Looks like a double cap that is attached very well. Only a slight cedar aroma coming from the wrapper and foot. After a small slice with the xikar reveals an easy draw with just a very slight amount of restriction. This baby has one of the best bands out there, all gold and black. All and all it is a very attractive cigar…..hopefully the burn and flavor will follow in suit.

1st Third
A Lot of different things are happening all at once. Right when the smoke hits my tongue I am greeted with a shot of pepper. Then on the exhale there is some leather and wood. After about a half inch I detect a hint of espresso and what seems like a little butter. Flavors continue to tease the palate rotating through the leather, wood, and espresso going into the second third.

2nd Third
WOW, my taste buds are now thanking me! It has now mellowed out a lot. I still get the initial pepper on the tongue but immediately after I am soothed with a thick creaminess. It’s not overly sweet but it is rich and very tasty. I still get hints of espresso, leather, and wood. I am also getting some nuts mixed in now that just keeps adding to the complexity. Burn is great and the ash is very strong. I had to tap it off after about 2 inches.

Last Third
The cigar is starting to burn a little hot. Because the flavor is so good, I am having to time my draws so that I don’t overdo it. All the flavors are still there though. The burn has been great on this one. It has been a very enjoyable cigar and I can only imagine what a little more aging will do. So now you will have to excuse me while I finish this…….down to the nub!

Conclusion
Please try this one!! This cigar has it all. The construction is excellent, the burn is good, and the flavor is amazing. To put it plainly, it is a full flavored cigar with a medium strength that anyone can enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, you will be blasted with pepper but that is only the beginning. The creaminess really gives it a lot of depth. Not to mention all the other flavors packed in there. I’m sure if you try one you will find some flavors that I could not, so please do!

Rating
Flavor: 19/20
Construction: 10/10
Wrapper: 5/5
Price point: 8/10
Get a box: 4/5
Total: 46/50

La Aurora Maduro Robusto Review

I am happy to get my first La Aurora review out there.

I picked up this cigar in the reliable robusto size several months ago.  It has been aging in my humidor ever since then.

When I pulled it out of the humidor I was quickly reminded why I chose to purchase and review one of these.

The construction was firm and consistent.  The wrapper had one large vein running vertical down it’s length.  Overall, the wrapper was very nice looking despite this flaw.

The cigar smelled very woody, mostly oak with some cedar from the aging.

I went ahead and cut it and found the draw to be just right.  After lighting, it was off to a good start.

The flavor was initially very oaky with a spicy sweet finish.  The draw continued to be nice and easy the whole length of the smoke.  The second third of the cigar revealed a slightly bitter aftertaste with the same dominant flavors as the first third.  I went ahead and purged the cigar and found that the bitter aftertaste continued to worsen as I entered the final third.  This was unfortunate because the cigar had started off so well.

Overall this mild/medium bodied stogie got off to a great start, but then fizzled.  The construction was very solid and it burned evenly all the way down.  The maduro wrapper did also provide a nice sweet finish for the first third.  I may have gotten a dud, but until this is proven my review will stand!

Flavor and Taste:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12 13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20

Construction:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10

Wrapper:  1  2  3  4  5

Was it Worth the Price?  1  2  3  4 5  6  7  8  9  10

Would I Buy an Entire Box?  1 2  3  4  5

Total Score:  31 out of 50

H Upmann 1844 Toro Review

I have been looking forward to adding this world famous brand to the list of reviews on Straight Up Cigars.

When I pulled it out of the humidor I immediately noticed the relaxing smell of buttery cedar.

It felt very evenly packed throughout its’ length and the wrapper looked great in the light!

So I cut it and lit it up with very high expectations.  The smoke was initially very light on the sinuses and earthy in taste.  The flavor remained very mild, but pleasant, with strong notes of toast and almonds.  The final third of the cigar was mild/medium in body and primarily nutty with a light peppery finish.

It burned so incredibly evenly all the way down to the nub!  I mean this was basically a perfect burn.  The draw was also a huge positive, just slightly open but not too much.

This was one of the most pleasant cigars I have had.  I smoked it at night with a cup of hazelnut coffee (this made a perfect pairing by the way), but I see this as an excellent morning smoke.  The flavor was not complex, but was very enjoyable.  It was actually such an easy smoke I ended up getting a strong buzz from it… primarily because I was drawing in more smoke than I typically would.  They are a bit pricey, but if you need a go to smoke with unmatched construction give this H Upmann cigar a try.

Flavor and Taste:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15 16  17  18  19  20

Construction:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Wrapper:  1  2  3  4  5

Was it Worth the Price?  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 9  10

Would I Buy an Entire Box?  1  2  3 4 5

Total Score:  42 out of 50

Graycliff G2 torpedo review

This cigar smells and looks great!

It has a very pungent cedary smell and the construction is quite firm throughout.

The Equadorian wrapper is flawless with only very small veins.

I cut and lit this torpedo and discovered that it had a nice even draw with just a little resistance.

The first third provided a slightly sweet and mellow smoke that was primarily creamy with a slightly sour woody finish.  The second third was also creamy and introduced a peppery finish.  The sour note increased in the final third, but never became bitter – that’s a good thing

The mild G2 was very easy on the palette which was both a good and bad thing.  It was a bit boring overall.  The construction was great – it burned perfectly all the way down.  I would recommend this only if you are a fan of mild cigars, or if you like the milder smokes as morning cigars.

Flavor and Taste:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13 14 15  16  17  18  19  20

Construction:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10

Wrapper:  1  2  3  4 5

Was it Worth the Price?  1  2  3  4  5  6 7 8  9  10

Would I Buy an Entire Box?  1  2 3  4  5

Total Score:  34 out of 50

Gurkha G5 Avenger Box Pressed Torpedo Review

The G5 is very impressive looking.  The wrapper is really flawless and the construction is solid and consistent to the touch.

I also really like how it smells.  The smell is primarily woody (oak and cedar) w/ very intriguing and strong floral hint (I think it is jasmine).

I cut the cigar and found the draw to be a bit difficult, so with a light squeezing and a slightly deeper cut I was able to open up the draw a little bit.

Once I lit it up I was happy with the initial flavor.  I picked up on woody flavor with a tad of coffee coming and going.  I could also just barely taste the jasmine.  The burn got off track almost immediately with one side of this box pressed smoke refusing to burn!  After a few corrections I was in the second third and it showed no signs of improving.  The second third did introduce a bit of butter and almond, but this was overpowered by bitter aftertaste.  By the time the last third came around this cigar was in shambles.  The wrapper was a mess and it still would not burn properly.  This must have contributed to the strong sour flavor.

I was very surprised that this thing burned so terribly.  It felt evenly packed before I lit it.  At this price point, I cannot recommend a cigar that is constructed as poorly as this one was.  The flavor was interesting, but I was very distracted by the burn.  One more thing to note, the G5 is advertised as a very full bodied cigar… I found it to be medium for the first half of the smoke and increasing to full once the bitter flavor took hold.

Flavor and Taste:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12 13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20

Construction:  1 2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Wrapper:  1  2  3  4  5

Was it Worth the Price?  1  2 3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

Would I Buy an Entire Box?  1 2  3  4  5

Total Score:  21 out of 50

Free Cigar Giveaway!

3 Premium handmades for free.

Sound too good to be true?  It’s not!

All you have to do is enter (post in the comment section here) and if your name is drawn randomly on January 5 you will receive all 3 of these cigars:

El Mejor Emerald

Padilla Achilles

Rocky Patel Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Maduro

All entrants must live in the United States for shipping purposes.  Make sure to include your correct email address in the comment form so I can contact the winner!  Do not enter more than once.  I will know if you have entered more than once by looking at the IP address, so please don’t waste my time and yours!  You must be 21 years of age to participate.  Please don’t forget to check out the Straight Up Cigars partners and sponsors which made this contest happen!

Oliva Serie O Robusto Review

After being impressed with other Oliva smokes I cannot wait to try this one!

I did wait for a couple of weeks for it to stabilize in the humidor after I bought it.

It smells slightly sweet and mostly earthy before lighting.

After I cut it I was happy to find that the draw was just right… not too firm or too loose.  The construction is very firm throughout leaving me to believe this will be a long lasting robusto!

Once lit, the flavors were mostly toasty and cedary initially.  In the second third, it began to a develop a sweet peppery finish that was accompanied by a strong nutty flavor.  The last portion remained the same as the second third.

The mild-medium Oliva O made a great early evening smoke.  Very pleasant flavors that matched up well a Nut Brown Ale.  One interesting thing to note is that it parched me quite a bit, but the beer helped take care of that problem.  I would highly recommend this cigar to fans of milder smokes.  There have been some great deals online for these also.

Flavor and Taste:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16 17  18  19  20

Construction:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10

Wrapper:  1  2  3  4 5

Was it Worth the Price?  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 9  10

Would I Buy an Entire Box?  1  2  3  4 5

Total Score:  42 out of 50

Free Cigar Giveaway!

3 Premium handmades for free.

Sound too good to be true?  It’s not!

All you have to do is guess (in the comment section here) what cigar I am reviewing in this mystery

review (look below) and you will receive all 3 of these cigars:

El Mejor Emerald Toro

Padilla Achilles Robusto

Rocky Patel Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Maduro Toro

All entrants must live in the United States for shipping purposes.  Make sure to include your correct email address in the comment form so I can contact the winner!  Do not enter more than once.  I will know if you have entered more than once by looking at the IP address, so please don’t waste my time and yours!  You must be 21 years of age to participate.  Please don’t forget to check out the Straight Up Cigars partners and sponsors which made this contest happen!

—————————————————————————————————————————————————

Mystery Review:  XXX

This cigar smells and looks great!

It has a very pungent cedary smell and the construction is quite firm throughout.

The Equadorian wrapper is flawless with only very small veins.

I cut and lit this torpedo and discovered that it had a nice even draw with just a little resistance.

The first third provided a slightly sweet and mellow smoke that was primarily creamy with a slightly sour woody finish.  The second third was also creamy and introduced a peppery finish.  The sour note increased in the final third, but never became bitter – that’s a good thing

The mild XXX cigar was very easy on the palette which was both a good and bad thing.  It was a bit boring overall.  The construction was great – it burned perfectly all the way down.  I would recommend this only if you are a fan of mild cigars, or if you like the milder smokes as morning cigars.

Flavor and Taste:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13 14 15  16  17  18  19  20

Construction:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10

Wrapper:  1  2  3  4 5

Was it Worth the Price?  1  2  3  4  5  6 7 8  9  10

Would I Buy an Entire Box?  1  2 3  4  5

Total Score:  34 out of 50

NUB Habano 460 Review

I liked the other NUBs I’ve had, so I’m looking forward to trying this one.

It has a slightly sweet woody smell to it.

Nice solid construction with no detectable flaws and the wrapper also looks excellent!

The pre-light draw is smooth and easy, just how I like it!

One interesting thing to note: I usually put my tongue to the filler where I cut it to gather some tastes before I light it.  This thing kind of burnt my tongue!  The filler was so spicy… it really numbed my tongue.  It reminded me of Redman chew, or something of that nature.

I lit it up and found full flavored smoke pretty much right off the bat.  The flavors were initially almondy that eventually developed into buttery and earthy w/ a strong pepper finish and bits of toasty spice.  Not incredibly complex, but interesting nonetheless.

Overall I liked the Habano.  Like all NUBs, the Habano is a real kick in the teeth.  Unfortunately they don’t last long (I got 40 minutes out of this one).  The last third is hard to smoke because there is not much to hold and the heat kills your taste buds.  I would still buy another because sometimes I like that shorter smoke.

Flavor and Taste:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15 16  17  18  19  20

Construction:  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 9  10

Wrapper:  1  2  3  4 5

Was it Worth the Price?  1  2  3  4  5  6 7 8  9  10

Would I Buy an Entire Box?  1  2  3 4  5

Total Score:  37 out of 50