Once again, a busy schedule has gotten in the way of a proper in depth review. And you know what that means: It’s time again for another issue of Brian’s The Week In Smoke. In case this is your first Week in Smoke, be advised that it covers many (though not necessarily all) of the cigars I’ve smoked in the past week (or the past month, or however long it has been since the last issue), along with a couple of quick thoughts that came to me at the time. These are not full reviews, but quick blurbs based on a single smoking experience. As such, they may be influenced by the natural variations that occur from one cigar to another. Your mileage may vary. (If I know the cigar well enough to comment, I may mention if an experience strays from what understand to be the norm.)

An appearance in The Week in Smoke does not preclude nor guarantee a future in-depth review. Whenever possible, I’ve linked to more a thoughtful and thorough review of the cigar in question. (Or maybe I’ve linked to a photo of Jerry The ‘Stache. You won’t know until you click.) Enjoy!

Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 Toro **
Ordinarily I prefer the Liga Privada T52 to a No. 9, but this situation is a little different. This No. 9 comes from a box that was accidentally set aside in a shop humidor for several years. And the years have done wonderful things to it. The slightly mellowed cigar is full of flavor, earth (of course), sweet pepper, woody aromatics, cinnamon, coffee and lingering chocolate. I don’t know why I didn’t buy the whole box.

El Primer Mundo Clase Reserva
I’ve spent so much time gushing over the La Hermandad that I basically let the Clase Reserva slip by. Though this limited edition was released last year, I still see it around some places. The cigar is rich, chocolaty and earthy right off the bat, but vanilla-like sweetness, leather, cedar, sweet earth and spices join the profile quickly. The Clase Reserva is great right now, grab one while you can!

Esteban Carreras Chupacabra Sixty *
A friend in a cigar shop recently asked me if I’d had a Chupacabra. Not sure what he was talking about, I told him no, I’d never crossed paths the the infamous goat sucker of latino lore. He insisted that I try one, and produced this 6 x 60 cigar with an unfinished foot and a pigtail cap from Esteban Carreras. It turned out to be an interesting cigar, with ample flavor, but with much less body than you might expect. I picked up a good deal of leather, cedar and a sweet peppery bite. Further along it developed a molasses-like sweetness, and a smoky, jerky-like spice. Though it did have a persistent lopsided burn, and the ring gauge was a little large for my tastes, it’s a cigar I’d like to smoke again.

La Flor Dominicana Mysterio Oscuro **
This came from a box of five I bought years ago, and I was pleased to see seamless, shiny, beautiful cigars when I cracked it open. And arguably, the cigar tasted even better than it looked. Earth, syrupy honey, black coffee, leather, chocolate and pepper with later smoke, peat, candy and vanilla notes. My description really doesn’t do it justice, it was a heckuva ride and everything about it was immaculate. The best part is, I have four more where this came from.

Toraño Master Churchill
It’s been a few years since the Master by Carlos Toraño made my top 10 list, and I still enjoy them. I think this was my first experience with the Churchill vitola, it seemed a good choice for the Super Bowl event at a local cigar shop. The flavors didn’t disappoint, raisin sweetness, creamy caramel, a general “roastiness” (sometimes roasted malt) and lingering pepper, wood and spices. Not my preferred vitola, but a good choice for an event or an outing.

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* Big Brother would have you know these cigars were gifts or free samples, and that my opinions on them is suspect. My opinions are my own, your response to them is your own. No amount of comment trolling will change that.

** I have too many smokes, and this denotes that the smoke in question has been sitting in one of my humidors for at least a year, and thus qualifies as “aged”. If my collection continues to grow, the chances are good I’ll be on that Discovery Channel show about people who hoard stuff and face eviction.

Some of the pictures in Brian’s The Week In Smoke first appeared on twitter. If you’d like to see these lists constructed in real time, follow Brian on twitter. If you don’t, you’ll make the Fail Whale cry.