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 cigar 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 Millennium Blend Lancero
It wasn’t until recently that I realized Davidoff had discontinued the Millennium Blend Lancero, but when I did, I took advantage of the lingering stock at the local cigar shop. I enjoy the blend, and I love the vitola, the fact that it was both nicely aged and discounted was just icing on the cake. It’s a fine cigar that produced creamy, bready and cedary flavors with a little acidity, honey and sour cream mixed in to keep things interesting. It’ll be a shame to see them go.

EP Carrillo La Historia El Senador
I smoked one of these when they first came out and forgot about them for a while. If history is any indicator, I knew they would improve significantly in the coming months. About four months later now, it seems that was a good call. There was nothing wrong the first one, but this latest one was considerably better. The flavor notes were similar, but it seemed the profile opened up and offered more subtly. I noted cocoa, espresso, leather, earthy spices, pepper and cedar. It’s a fine smoke, and I think it’s time for me to try on the other vitolas.

Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve 2011
It’s easy to focus on the negative when it comes to the continual introduction of new lines, blends and sizes of cigars. It’s impossible to try them all, and good cigars are frequently lost in the shuffle. But on the bright side, good cigars are frequently lost in the shuffle. That gives them them the chance to age into great cigars. Not all will, but that is the case with original Nestor Miranda Grand Reserve. I didn’t think they were box-worthy when I first tried them, but they certainly are now and it just so happens I found a box of them this week. The smoke was full of rich chocolate, nuts, pepper, aromatic cedar, raisin and spices. If it had been released this year tasting like it does now, it would have been on my top ten list.

Nub Cafe Cappuccino *
I haven’t had a Nub in ages, and I lit this sample up without knowing what I was in for. I don’t hate flavored or infused cigars, but I generally find the additives too strong and synthetic tasting. That was my experience here. The cigar tasted like a cappuccino flavored Jelly Belly, with a interesting orange touch at the beginning and a little underlying tobacco flavor peeking through. Not terrible (I like cappuccino-flavored Jelly Bellys), but not what I’m looking for when I light up a cigar. Perhaps if it were paired with a hot barrel-proof whiskey, it might not be a bad.

Perdomo Double Aged 12 Year Vintage Maduro Robusto
Shortly after finishing the last week in smoke, I lit up this 12 Year Vintage Maduro. I had been lingering in my humidor since I fired up its Sungrown-wrapped brother. And my thoughts on it are nearly the same. It’s a good cigar, but there isn’t much of an evolution of flavor. If you enjoy the profile of chocolate, wood, caramel and pepper it offers up front, you’re going to enjoy the entire cigar. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

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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 glass of a one-off cask ale) are my own, your response to them is your own. All your base are belong to us.

** 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 or instagram. If you’d like to see these lists constructed in real time, follow Brian on twitter or instagram. If you don’t, you’ll make the Fail Whale cry. And he’s ugly when he cries.