JR's Alternatives Calidad Suprema

I bought this one at JR's in D.C. while I was there last time. I don't know much about the cigar and info on line is limited. I thought I paid about $5.00 for it. It was a pretty big cigar, basically a Churchill size.

I lit this one up midday while waiting to play Broom ball 2011. It was a very nice cigar with a lot of smoke and good flavor and strength. I had to throw it in the snow with close to a couple inches left because the game had started and it was too hard to run around on ice with a cigar in my mouth.

H. Upmann Special Seleccion

This was a beautiful cigar beautifully packaged. I straight cut it and the trial puff was tight so then I V cut it. Paired it with Wild Turkey. Smoked on the deck in 25 degrees weather. Good thing I was sitting in front of the propane heater. There was a little bit of an uneven burn at first. After the v cut the draw was medium to tight but acceptable. Nice mellow flavor with a short finish. About half way through and strength was mild but hard to tell because I feel a little sick from a cold.

From the packaging:

World famous since 1844, these rich, smooth cigars exhibit flawless construction. Their nut-like flavor and cool-burning qualities have made this brand an enduring favorite with smokers of medium bodied cigars.

Hoyo de Monterrey - Double Corona

This is the second of this batch of 5 that I have smoked. The first one had some serious wrapper issues so I decided to let the rest sit in the humidor for a few weeks to see if that would help.

The cigar has a very tight and hard construction. No soft spots. A bit of a barnyard smell.

I straight cut it and smoked it on the deck in front of the heater. I paired it with a Framboise Lambic (Belgian Framboise Beer) and then a Great Lakes Christmas blend.

From the moment it lit it thru the first third there was plenty of smoke. I did notice a slight pepper bite at the back of my throat but nothing too annoying.

At the end of the first third the wrapper burst. The flavor is mild but nice, and the strength was mild to medium.

During the last third there were no wrapper issues and the strength picked up a bit and I would call it medium to full overall.

Overall I do like this cigar. It was a finger burner.

From JRcigars.com:

Origin: Honduras
Length: 6.75
Ring: 48
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper Color: Medium Brown (E)
Wrapper Type: Ecuador Sumatran
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: DR/HON/NIC

From Cigar.com:

Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the oldest cigar brands in the world, making its start in Cuba before expanding production to their factory in Honduras. Today it is one of the most famous brands on the Market.

Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the most recognized names in cigars. With deep roots in Cuba, this brand has consistently been one of the best cigars to ever come off the island. In 1969, after the trade embargo, production moved to Honduras and was first harvested from a Cuban seed smuggled out of Cuba in a diplomatic pouch.

The unique multi country blend used to make Hoyo de Monterrey is medium bodied with a solid creamy flavor and great balance. The cigar is currently made under the supervision of Estello Padron at the Villizon Factory where other big names such as Punch are made today. Estello's commitment to quality and perfection ensures that each Hoyo de Monterrey is worthy of the name. Hoyo de Monterrey is and always has been a classic. Smoked by new enthusiasts and aficionados alike, it has a versatile flavor that appeals to many palates.

Hoyo de Monterrey - Double Corona

This cigar was purchased in a 5 pack that I bought at JR Cigars in D.C..

It was Matt's birthday. We went to Black Finns after all day meetings on Eye street. Had some finger food and a couple Bud Lights. Later in the evening I went to Shelly's Backroom and smoked this cigar. I paired it first with a Rum and Coke and then a nice sipping rum. I think it was Zacapa 23.

The cigar started off pretty mellow, not much flavor. The wrapper was splitting right away and continued for the first two thirds of the cigar. There was a little bit of bite at the back of the throat. The draw was nice and easy.

In the last third it turned into a great cigar. More smoke and less wrapper issues. Still a bit of a bite but not bad. I am interested in seeing how some time in the humidor will affect these.

Overall I enjoyed this cigar.

From JRcigars.com:

Origin: Honduras
Length: 6.75
Ring: 48
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper Color: Medium Brown (E)
Wrapper Type: Ecuador Sumatran
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: DR/HON/NIC

From Cigar.com:

Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the oldest cigar brands in the world, making its start in Cuba before expanding production to their factory in Honduras. Today it is one of the most famous brands on the Market.

Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the most recognized names in cigars. With deep roots in Cuba, this brand has consistently been one of the best cigars to ever come off the island. In 1969, after the trade embargo, production moved to Honduras and was first harvested from a Cuban seed smuggled out of Cuba in a diplomatic pouch.

The unique multi country blend used to make Hoyo de Monterrey is medium bodied with a solid creamy flavor and great balance. The cigar is currently made under the supervision of Estello Padron at the Villizon Factory where other big names such as Punch are made today. Estello's commitment to quality and perfection ensures that each Hoyo de Monterrey is worthy of the name. Hoyo de Monterrey is and always has been a classic. Smoked by new enthusiasts and aficionados alike, it has a versatile flavor that appeals to many palates.

Montecristo '93 Club Cabinet

I smoked this on the deck on a warm night, no space heater needed. I V cut it and paired it with Bud Light. It had a mild taste with thin smoke and just an okay draw.

The first third was a lot of work to smoke. It took many puffs each draw to get smoke. The flavor stayed mellow with no bite.

The middle third stayed mild and still just thin smoke and still lots of work to smoke.

The last third was the best third. The amount of smoke picked up and the flavor was more full. No real burn issues and it burned cool.

The strength was perfect. Not to strong and not too weak.

Not my favorite from this sampler but still enjoyable.

From the packaging:

Composed of select 1993 Dominican and Brazilian tobaccos rolled in a chocolate-brown 1996 Connecticut Valley wrapper. A rich, round, luxurious, and satisfying cigar if ere there was one.

Romeo Y Julieta Reserva Real

I brought this cigar with me on a trip to Seattle, WA and smoked it at the Cabana bar in the Muckleshoot casino. This was one of the cigars that was in the sampler that I bought from JR Cigars in D.C.

It had a great, but mellow, taste The draw was perfect. I paired with a double of "The Glenlivet" with a water on the side.

I really enjoyed this cigar and would definitely buy it again.

From the packaging:

A carefully balanced recipe of Dominican leaf spiced with Nicaraguan ligeros and finished in a hand selected Connecticut shade wrapper grown in Ecuador. Slightly swet in flavor, it is an expertyly crafted cigar with a woodsy flavor and a tender aroma.

Montecristo White

I smoked this one out on the deck in front of the space heater. Straight cut it and paired with a Golden Pheasant Slovak beer.

It had a nice mellow pre light smell. The foot was a bit soft and spongy. Other wise construction was good.

The first 3rd had a very dark, almost black, ash medium draw but okay. Lots of great smoke with a smooth taste.

End of the first third and the burn started to get uneven and did start to have a very tight draw that made it tough to smoke.

The last two thirds was work to smoke. The draw was very tight. Again I wonder if it was over humidified.

Overall I liked the cigar. It had a pleasant taste and the strength was medium. If it were not for the draw it would have been perfect. I'd like to try another.

From the packaging:

Wrapped in a golder Ecuadorian Connecticut shade leaf and blended with select Dominican and Nicaraguan long leaf fillers. These medium to full bodied Whites are the current rage of cigar smokers everywhere.

Montecristo Original

Smoked this one during the afternoon. Straight cut and paired with a Bud Light on the patio. A very well made cigar with no soft spots. It had a great mellow to medium flavor. It was a little peppery and and had a bit of a bite during the last third. It was medium strength with a good buzz and plenty of smoke with an easy draw.

A very pleasurable cigar that I would like to smoke again.


From JR's packaging:

The world's best-know and best-loved brand. This mild to medium masterpiece is meticulously handmade by the former Cuban firm of Menendez y Garcia in La Romana, Doninican Republid. Slow burning and rich tasting - a cigar to be savored.

Hoyo de Monterrey - Double Corona

I bought this cigar from JR's in D.C., it was their cigar of the week and on special for $3.00 so I picked up 2 of them.

I smoked this one on a Thursday night at Club LaSalle. I straight cut it and lit it with my butane lighter. It was very mellow at first and gave off a ton of smoke. I paired it with Goose Island beer.

This was a fantastic cigar that gave me 2 hours of smoking pleasure. I have nothing bad to say about this cigar and would buy more. It was in the low side of medium flavor for me and the strength was perfect.

From Cigar.com:

Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the oldest cigar brands in the world, making its start in Cuba before expanding production to their factory in Honduras. Today it is one of the most famous brands on the Market.

Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the most recognized names in cigars. With deep roots in Cuba, this brand has consistently been one of the best cigars to ever come off the island. In 1969, after the trade embargo, production moved to Honduras and was first harvested from a Cuban seed smuggled out of Cuba in a diplomatic pouch.

The unique multi country blend used to make Hoyo de Monterrey is medium bodied with a solid creamy flavor and great balance. The cigar is currently made under the supervision of Estello Padron at the Villizon Factory where other big names such as Punch are made today. Estello's commitment to quality and perfection ensures that each Hoyo de Monterrey is worthy of the name. Hoyo de Monterrey is and always has been a classic. Smoked by new enthusiasts and aficionados alike, it has a versatile flavor that appeals to many palates.

TTT Trinidad

This cigar came in a toro sampler pack that I bought at JR Cigars in DC, supposedly the World's largest cigar store. This was a 10 cigar Toro size sampler from the Dominican. The cigars were all 6 in with a 50 ring gauge.

I smoked this cigar at "Shelly's back room" in DC while hangin out with Paul Russell and the #tatuaje DC crew - @DaByrdman33 @thisisnotevan etc..

I straight cut it and paired with 10 yr old scotch on ice with a side of water. It started off seeming very mellow and it stayed pretty mellow which surprised me because this was a darker looking cigar. It never had any bite to it but the draw was very tight for the first two thirds. I had to fight for every draw, taking 3 pre puffs per draw. and it did not produce a lot of smoke.

I had to fix the burn on this cigar many, many times.

Last third the draw became a bit easier and it produced more smoke. I would put this cigar in the medium strength category.

I put it out with about an inch long nub.

Overall I enjoyed it but it was a lot of work to keep it going and to keep it burning right. The company was great so that added to the enjoyment of the cigar.


From JR Cigars:

TTT TRINIDAD CIGARS
Handmade DR
Wrapper: ECSU/CTBL
Binder: CTBL/ECSU
Filler: NIC/DR/PER
Full Bodied

Expertly handcrafted in the Dominican Republic's southern city of La Romana, the TTT Trinidad is a full-bodied gem of a cigar. At its core is a robust recipe of aged Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Peruvian long-filler tobaccos secured by a stout broadleaf binder and finished with either a choice Ecuadorian Sumatran sun-grown or dark Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper. The result is a lush, dense smoke for the seasoned cigar connoisseur. The hearty, boisterous flavors and more than ample body of the Trinidad are certain to assure your smoking satisfaction.