March 11, 2004

Beverly Hills Manure Co.

Beverly Hills Manure Co. Robertson Blvd. (5 x 50)

Let's get one thing straight and out of the way - yes, that's the name of the brand. I honestly don't know if they're still around; the website doesn't exist anymore, and other than one article in Cigar Aficionado plus mentions at a couple of Los Angeles cigar events, I can't find any information on them. It may be that I received a few of the last sticks from a now-defunct company, or I may just not be looking hard enough. In any case, the company was formed in 1983, but only started producing cigars in 2003 (in Costa Rica) due to the founder and president's enthusiasm for smoking them.


These cigars are extremely mild, probably in an attempt to fit in with the in-joke on the band. That has a picture of the front of a luxury car and the back half of a cow, in two adjacent parking places in front of an expensive-looking establishment. On the pavement in between the two is a pile of the cow's, uh, product. Yeah. Byiproduct. The founder had indicated (according to CA) that he named the company this (and gave it this logo) to spoof the notion in Beverly Hills that their manure just didn't stink.


Well, it's a cigar, so it does stink, of course. However, it does so with remarkably little force on the smoker; in fact (although it may be due to my having recently had a number of very strong maduros) I was hard-pressed to find much flavor or nose in the smoke at all. Getting a mouthful of actual flavor that was strong enough to overcome the nose of the unburnt wrapper tobacco meant puffing hard enough that the nastier taste of tobacco that is being burnt too hot began to appear. After a bit, I realized that this might be deliberate; the smoke did have a small amount of bite, and did in fact taste like Generic Smoke. I deduce that this cigar is meant to be smoked when one needs to smoke as opposed to when one wants to revel in the experience of a cigar.


As a smoke, it was fine. The nicotine levels were low enough that I finished a robusto without getting light in the dome. The smoke was inoffensive enough that only my moustache, really, whiffed noticeably afterwards of smoke. A medium draw produced a mouthful of smoke with a hint of acetyls and other 'creamy' tastes; the construction was fine, and the burn was relatively consistent (with one canoe moment that nevertheless corrected itself). The ash was quite resilient, and hung on until I gave in and tapped it off.


Probably because I didn't pay for these, I'm happy to call them 'fine smokes and inoffensive cigars.' If one didn't pay too much, they'd be a good companion to a meal with more delicate tastes, or a spirit of refined flavor - perhaps a good wine rather than a scotch or port. They're also probably quite good at simply relieving nicotine cravings without requiring the commitment or attention of a well-flavored stick.

Posted by jbz at 06:24 PM | Comments (0)

March 10, 2004

Hoya de Monterrey Dark Sumatra

Hoya de Monterrey Dark Sumatra Media Noche (5 1/2 x 54)

This cigar, at 54 ring, is almost too big to smoke lazily (i.e. leaving it hanging out yer chops). The taste is a pleasant surprise; given the dark maduro color I expected harsher overtones, but the draw was strong and creamy instead. The taste is smooth, with the long age of the wrapper toning down the otherwise powerful dark Sumatran tobacco. The Dominican ligero in the filler is discernable for its creamy taste, while the spiciness of the Honduran and the stronger smoke of the Nicaraguan blend wonderfully in. The burn was somewhat inconsistent, but the cigar didn't suffer any 'canoe-ing' or burnthroughs, providing a superior smokin' experience. As the stick shortened, the buildup of oils and aromatics lent an increasingly powerful musk to the smoke, which changed the flavor as it went, but never became overbearing. It's quite a strong stick, and I regretfully consigned the final third to the bin rather than go lightheaded at work - but this would be an excellent after-dinner cigar. The strength is such that it would work well opposite a sweeter drink, perhaps a port; it doesn't seem quite spicy enough to hold up to a scotch.

Posted by jbz at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)

March 09, 2004

El Rico Habano (Maduro Club)

Maduro Rico Club (5 1/2 x 54)

This is a large cigar; 54 ring gauge. It's from the makers of the El Credito line, and was on hiatus in the late 1990s due to a shortage of its filler, which is Nicaraguan Ligero tobacco - strong in both bite and flavor. This version, as per its name, is wrapped in Maduro tobacco, in this case an Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf.


The one I smoked was individually wrapped in cellophane - in the box, they come wrapped in cedar. Still, it was a powerful smoke. The cap was slightly dry, impeding the V-cut and causing a bit of crumbling, but the burn was even and the draw was excellent. From the first, this is a powerful cigar. The taste is quite strong, and is deep wood and smoke, with few of the aromatic oils that can be discerned in mellower smokes. The main hit is the dark tobacco. As a result, I wasn't totally into it; I'm into the more accessible sticks, myself.


The smoke was quite consistent, all the way through. The initial sharp taste mellowed slightly as the residues built up in the stick, but never really got down below 'harsh.' I have a couple friends who swear by Maduros who say it has a smooth and consistent taste for a dark cigar. I can vouch for the consistency, and it did have a nice woody base to it. Still, I personally would reserve these for smoking with a strong Scotch, or perhaps after a very spicy curry.

Posted by jbz at 12:18 AM | Comments (0)