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!

Casa Fernandez Miami Aniversario Serie 2014
The Miami Aniversario Serie 2014 was one of a number of cigars I revisited at the end of the year when contemplating my top ten list. It didn’t make the ten cigar cut, but it’s still a fine smoke. This one had few burn hiccups, some peninsula action and touch ups, but it didn’t significantly detract from the experience. I noted a lot dark chocolate, coffee, pepper and meaty flavors along with pleasant notes of caramel, raisins and anise. It’s definitely worth trying if you haven’t.

D’Crossier Lancero Selection 512
I didn’t actually take notes as I smoked this Lancero with the ingenious vented cellophane, but it made an good impression paired with a popular local IPA called Creature Comforts Tropicaliá. The cigar itself was creamy with a growing cedar as it progressed, the intended effect of the aforementioned vented cellophane. I’ve found it can can be difficult to pair cigars with the IPA style effectively, but this combo really worked.

La Flor Dominicana La Nox
A month or two ago I lit up a La Nox and thought it was an alright smoke. But after seeing it appear on a few top ten lists, I figured it was a cigar worth revisiting. The initial impression was big pepper and dark chocolate. About an inch in, the pepper backed off considerably revealing a lot of rich flavor including coffee, earth and pepper and a good amount of a creamy, sweet note somewhere between nougat and honey roasted nuts. The cigar was better than I remembered, I’d definitely smoke it again, most likely with a good cask strength bourbon.

Macanudo Estate Reserve 2015 #9*
This Macanudo Estate Reserve is one of those trade show samples I just never got to. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s a bias against Macanudos- even though I’m still a fan of the Cru Royale. Who knows. I can tell you this cigar had a very dark, mottled wrapper and really interesting profile. I picked up cream, leather, pepper, and syrupy sweet notes that struck me as a little like strawberry early on. I liked it. It’s one I’ll have to light up again sometime soon.

Warped La Hacienda
I’ve been working through a small assortment of Warped Cigars I picked up on a trip out of town. The most recent was this La Hacienda. I’m glad I picked it up, it had a lot going on. Graham, pepper, berry notes that varied, but seemed to settle mostly on raspberry, chocolate and sourdough bread. My only beef with the cigar was how determined it was to go out, which ultimately meant smoking it a little faster (and hotter) than I’d prefer. Still, it was a positive experience.

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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 mild sleep deprivation) 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.