Its been excruciatingly hot this week with the temperatures in the high 90s and the heat index around 106-107, so my cigar smoking has, understandably, been reduced. Still, even with my cut back in smoking, I was able to smoke some pretty interesting cigars. Here is a good sampling of some of the cigars I was able to smoke this past week.

Jericho Hill Willy Lee

The Jericho Hill is a new line from The Crowned Heads that pays tribute to Johnny Cash.  There are four different sizes, but I chose the Willy Lee size to try first.  I bought this cigar at Harbor Cigar in Destin, FL on my vacation on a recommendation from my good friend, Barry Stein of The Cigar Authority, as he said this was his favorite size in the line.  Its such a rich smoke with notes of leather, wood, bitter chocolate and molasses.  Watch for an upcoming review on this line soon.

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 (Cuban, 2010)

I’ve been on quite a Cuban cigar kick lately and the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 is one of my all time favorites.  This cigar always hits the mark and, being well aged from 2010, was an excellent smoke.  It has flavors of wood, cinnamon, leather, spice and nice floral flavor.  One of the best buys in Cuban cigars.

The Crowned Heads Angel’s Anvil TAA 2014

One of the great perks of visiting Harbor Cigars in Destin, FL is that they are a TAA (Tobacconists Association of America) which means that they carry the exclusive cigars made for TAA shops.  The Angel’s Anvil is The Crowned Heads edition to the TAA exclusives.  The cigar has notes of pepper, cedar and citrus.  I didn’t particularly care for this TAA release.  It wasn’t that it was bad, just underwhelmed me.  I will revisit it again soon.

Tatuaje Verocu No. 5

I’m not a fan of the Verocu line from Tatuaje, but these are the darling of the line for Jerry Cruz.  These are actually pretty hard to find for me as a lot of shops don’t carry these.  Luckily, Harbor Cigars in Destin, FL had these out to buy so I snagged a fiver to try again.  I really love the size, but again, I just couldn’t get into these.  They have a pleasent profile, but there is a sharpness to it that I just can’t get into.

The Crowned Heads Four Kicks Robusto

These are just a classic to me now.  Such an easy cigar to smoke with a tasty flavor profile.  It goes amazingly any time of the day, but I prefer these early in the morning with my morning coffee.  They have a nice spicy, nutty, creaminess that goes great with coffee.  Highly recommend these.

Nat Sherman Epoca

I have to admit, when I saw these at Harbor Cigars, I didn’t know much about them.  I knew that they were from Nat Sherman, but that’s about it.  Its a new line from Nat Sherman that is actually an re-introduction of a brand Nat Sherman acquired in the late 1920s.  I really like this cigar.  It has a medium body with notes of oak, pepper, leather and nuts.  Definitely something I want to try again.