It’s once 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!

Davidoff Nicaragua Toro
This is a Nicaraguan cigar the way only Davidoff could do it. Not in-your-face power and pepper, but reserved and subtle. Creamy, coffee, chocolate, subtle nut and earth flavors and a touch of honey and cinnamon. I enjoyed Davidoff’s foray into Nicaraguan tobacco a great deal, and bought one of their slick four packs as a result.

Drew Estate Liga Privada T52 Toro
Going back through my prior Week In Smokes, I’m surprised to not find the T52 mentioned more often. It’s long been a favorite of mine, and it’s hard to count how many I’ve gone through since Cigar Safari. (For those keeping track, this is from a box I bought since then.) I just can’t get enough of that rich, smoky-sweet earthiness.

Headley Grange Corona Gorda
For the most part, I’ve only been smoking the Estupendos vitola from a box I bought of the original release, but I thought I’d branch out. The profile is the familiar earthy, woody, dark chocolate and dense spices with a touch of sweetness, but the draw was a bit too firm for my preferences. It was a good smoke, but I think I’ll stick with my nicely aged Estupendos.

Kings Cigars King of Kings Cuadrado *
Amusing story with this one. I was at an anniversary event in a local cigar shop and Pete Tyndale of Kings Cigars walks in unannounced. It just so happens I’m wearing one of their t-shirts under my guayabera, which probably made his day. After we talk a bit, he hands me this large box-pressed smoke. I lit it up a few days later. The cigar’s a bit too large for my tastes, even with the box press, and the draw was a little on the loose side, but flavor-wise it was really enjoyable. It was largely a combination of roasted nuts and woody flavors, with a touches of sweet cream and cinnamon on the way to a more chocolatey conclusion.

La Palina Goldie Laguito No. 5
The Goldie Laguito had about as perfect and smooth an appearance as is possible for a cigar. It looked like one of those heavily photoshopped sticks you seen in glossy catalogs. But it wasn’t all looks, it delivered in the flavor department. I noted raisin-like sweetness, bread and cinnamon, followed later by fuller flavors of chocolate, wood, tobacco and an earthy funkiness. This cigar scores highly all around.

San Cristobal Revelation Mystic (IPCPR Sample) *
Yep, I’m still have IPCPR samples I haven’t gotten to yet. (Besides, it never hurts to give a sample a little time to rest in a stable environment before you smoke it.) What struck me first about the box-pressed Revelation is the rustic, toothy appearance of the wrapper under all that golden banded finery. It was rich, syrupy and leathery from the start with hints of cedar and orange peel. The spice appeared quickly and there was plenty of it, but a nice citrusy sweetness to go with it. As the smoke progressed there was a nice spicy ginger bite and the leather was joined by wood. I liked this cigar a lot, and I think this will be a winner with anyone who enjoys Ecuadoran Sumatra tobacco.

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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 (and this bottle of bourbon) are my own, your response to them is your own. The nearly empty bottle of Mezcal belongs to me and I’m not sharing it.

** 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.