Cigar Weekly

shrink · 01-22-2006, 06:11 PM

It was just a brilliant day in the High Sierra, with crisp, clear skies and light winds. The snowcapped mountains circle the valley where I live, and long snow banners were blowing off their peaks. Almost warm enough to sit outside without a jacket, but not quite.

A good day, I thought, to enjoy a few cigars. Since I like the taste of caramel, in both my candy and my cigars, I thought it might be fun to compare several of my favorite “caramel” flavored habanos .

After a breakfast of café au lait, with croissants and marmalade, I went out on the deck and lit up an ‘01 Vegas Robaina Clasico. What a beautiful cigar, I thought, admiring the golden caramel brown wrapper, and the gleaming black and golden band. It smelled of sweet gingerbread and spice; the kind of cigar you could almost eat. It ignited easily, and drew well, rendering mouthfuls of very creamy, tangy and delicately spicy smoke.

Beauty is as beauty does, and my Clasico delivered. It was perfectly constructed, the burn was razor-sharp, and it stayed lit between long, slow draws. The dominant flavor was, of course, a lightly sweetened caramel, with hints of citrus and cinnamon spice. It was very smooth and medium-bodied, and had a mouth-watering caramel candy finish. A perfect breakfast smoke!

After a lunch of toasted sourdough bread and cheese, I was back out on the porch enjoying the warm afternoon sun. And to suit the occasion, I chose an ’04 Upmann Magnum 46. I cannot praise the “Mag” enough, and today’s cigar was a first-class example. Although it burned a little unevenly, it drew perfectly and excelled in the flavor department, with a tangy caramel opening, slowly progressing to a deep, spicy butterscotch finish. Both the cigar and the view were awesome.

My final smoke was an ’04 Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2, taken in the bubbling waters of the hot tub, after a dinner of home-made beef stew and garlic bread. Compared to the first two, the No. 2 was a more common-looking cigar, with a rough medium brown wrapper. It burned unevenly, but drew well enough, and produced a smoke that was sharper and spicier than either the Classico or the Mag. There was nothing sophisticated about this cigar, but its flavors were strong and complex, revealing (surprise!) caramel, tart citrus, and hints of maple. It had an intensely tangy, spicy finish with just a little bitterness at the end.

So, how did my Sunday caramel trio stack up? For creamy smoothness and subtle complexity, it’s the Vegas Robaina. The most balanced and flavorful? I’ve just got to go with the Mag. And the strongest and most spicy? Easily the Juan Lopez.

Tell me what you think… what are your favorite “caramel” delights?

01-22-2006, 06:11 PM	#1
shrink Club Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The High Sierra Posts: 1,673	A Triple Caramel Sunday: Vegas Robaina, Upmann, & Juan L It was just a brilliant day in the High Sierra, with crisp, clear skies and light winds. The snowcapped mountains circle the valley where I live, and long snow banners were blowing off their peaks. Almost warm enough to sit outside without a jacket, but not quite. A good day, I thought, to enjoy a few cigars. Since I like the taste of caramel, in both my candy and my cigars, I thought it might be fun to compare several of my favorite “caramel” flavored habanos . After a breakfast of café au lait, with croissants and marmalade, I went out on the deck and lit up an ‘01 Vegas Robaina Clasico. What a beautiful cigar, I thought, admiring the golden caramel brown wrapper, and the gleaming black and golden band. It smelled of sweet gingerbread and spice; the kind of cigar you could almost eat. It ignited easily, and drew well, rendering mouthfuls of very creamy, tangy and delicately spicy smoke. Beauty is as beauty does, and my Clasico delivered. It was perfectly constructed, the burn was razor-sharp, and it stayed lit between long, slow draws. The dominant flavor was, of course, a lightly sweetened caramel, with hints of citrus and cinnamon spice. It was very smooth and medium-bodied, and had a mouth-watering caramel candy finish. A perfect breakfast smoke! After a lunch of toasted sourdough bread and cheese, I was back out on the porch enjoying the warm afternoon sun. And to suit the occasion, I chose an ’04 Upmann Magnum 46. I cannot praise the “Mag” enough, and today’s cigar was a first-class example. Although it burned a little unevenly, it drew perfectly and excelled in the flavor department, with a tangy caramel opening, slowly progressing to a deep, spicy butterscotch finish. Both the cigar and the view were awesome. My final smoke was an ’04 Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2, taken in the bubbling waters of the hot tub, after a dinner of home-made beef stew and garlic bread. Compared to the first two, the No. 2 was a more common-looking cigar, with a rough medium brown wrapper. It burned unevenly, but drew well enough, and produced a smoke that was sharper and spicier than either the Classico or the Mag. There was nothing sophisticated about this cigar, but its flavors were strong and complex, revealing (surprise!) caramel, tart citrus, and hints of maple. It had an intensely tangy, spicy finish with just a little bitterness at the end. So, how did my Sunday caramel trio stack up? For creamy smoothness and subtle complexity, it’s the Vegas Robaina. The most balanced and flavorful? I’ve just got to go with the Mag. And the strongest and most spicy? Easily the Juan Lopez. Tell me what you think… what are your favorite “caramel” delights? __________________ "You smell that? Do you smell that? A Partagas, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of Partagas in the morning."