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!

1907 By Dunhill *
These new Dunhills have only just been released, but they’re already making the rounds online. I’ve had a Dunhill or two in my time, and I had some expectations as to what this one might be like. I wasn’t too far off. The smoke was creamy, bready and cedary with a little coffee and vanilla in there at times. I enjoyed it, but I made a point to smoke it on a fresh palate. This one might not stand up to strong food and drink, but is a fine companion to an afternoon coffee.

262 Revere **
This 262 Revere is another smoke that comes from the Humidor of Forgotten Cigars™. That means it has had all the opportunity (and disadvantage) quiet time can afford a cigar. The results seem positive and dramatic. Leather, roasted nuts, a fruit sweetness that peaks in the middle third and a touch of tannins and wood. Easily the best 262 I’ve ever smoked.

Casa Fernandez Lancero
Five years ago this blend (but not this vitola) put Casa Fernandez solidly on my radar. I hadn’t had anything like it, and I was impressed. Now it has some solid competition in the market, but it’s still a worthy smoke. I compared my notes to my review back then, and I see a lot of similarities. Roasted nuts, caramel, coffee, syrup, cedar and pepper is what I picked up this time around. Not as potent or as peppery as many of the Casa Fernandez lines that followed it, but still a very good cigar.

Joya De Nicaragua Cuatro Cinco *
The time this Cuatro Cinco sample has had to rest doesn’t seems to have altered this cigar pretty significantly. It toned down the pepperiness of the blend allowing other more subtle flavors to shine through. Flavors like sweet leather, savory pepper, earth, meat and cedar with nice hints of anise, vanilla and cinnamon. It’s still very distinctly a Joya De Nicaragua cigar, it’s just a better, more interesting one now that it was to start.

Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro Robusto *
General appears to be capitalizing on the success of the original Partagas 1845, with a couple new lines under that umbrella. The Extra Oscuro is one of them, and I think I like it more than the original 1845. It’s not that it’s more complex or anything, I’m just a sucker for big, rich, chocolaty smoke. The Extra Oscuro has it in spades, along with coffee, wood, pepper, a good deal of sweetness and even a little meatiness. I could see myself smoking more of these, but I wonder what they’ll be like with a little time.

Rock-A-Feller Connecticut Robusto
This amusingly named cigar is another one that’s done it’s time in the Humidor of Forgotten Cigars. This time, I can’t compare it to previous experiences, as this is the only one I’ve had. Once lit I found it provided a pleasing profile of cream, nuts, cedar, leather and a flavor I don’t get very often, mushroom. Not bad, I’d smoke it again.

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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 rye) are my own, your response to them is your own. If there’s such a thing as a tactical Krispy Kreme, Ben probably owns 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. And he’s ugly when he cries.