mjolnir01
El Cañón de Latón
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2008
- Messages
- 2,658
Apologies up front for the lack of pictures; I didn't intend to do a review when I first lit up this evening, but we haven't had many posted lately, so I figured I'd post some thoughts on a cigar I think deserves some attention.
I've been on a big San Andreas kick lately, gravitating towards Illusione Maduros, Illusione Rothchildes, Undercrowns and the like. The Ortega Serie D Maduro stands out even above this exceptional company. It's a 5 x 52 Robusto sporting a dark brown Mexican wrapper. There isn't a lot of give when pinched, but the cigar doesn't feel overly heavy or too densely packed. I clipped it with my Palio and paired it with a Kentish English Bitter--Shepherd's Neame Bishop's Finger. Not too bad of a choice for the O-Club at my deployed location, a cushy staff-base in Southwest Asia where we're allowed three beers a day.
The cold draw yielded barnyard flavors and a slight sweetness. I lit up with a Bic-style lighter via a cedar spill; I've been unable to procure any more matches or a torch since I arrived out here a month and a half ago. The first draw provided a blast of pepper, but I set the cigar down for a while to let it settle. Once I began smoking in earnest, the flavors of the Ortega's first two-thirds were predominantly earthy with a touch of pepper and a really tasty floral finish. There's some sweetness there tying it all together. The draw and burn are both excellent from the start, and remain so for the duration of the smoke.
The flavor of the final third was what really caught me by surprise. The cigar took a sweeter turn while maintaining the slight pepperiness. It took me a few minutes to figure out what it reminded me of: barbecue potato chips. I'm not kidding. It was lip-smackingly good through the nubby end.
All in all, the Ortega Serie D Maduro was a great smoking experience. I know there's been some discussion/comparison of this smoke lately with Eddie Ortega's old Murcielago. I haven't smoked one, although I think I may have to seek it out given the favorable comparisons. The Serie D stands pretty well on its own however, so if you haven't, give it a try already.
I've been on a big San Andreas kick lately, gravitating towards Illusione Maduros, Illusione Rothchildes, Undercrowns and the like. The Ortega Serie D Maduro stands out even above this exceptional company. It's a 5 x 52 Robusto sporting a dark brown Mexican wrapper. There isn't a lot of give when pinched, but the cigar doesn't feel overly heavy or too densely packed. I clipped it with my Palio and paired it with a Kentish English Bitter--Shepherd's Neame Bishop's Finger. Not too bad of a choice for the O-Club at my deployed location, a cushy staff-base in Southwest Asia where we're allowed three beers a day.
The cold draw yielded barnyard flavors and a slight sweetness. I lit up with a Bic-style lighter via a cedar spill; I've been unable to procure any more matches or a torch since I arrived out here a month and a half ago. The first draw provided a blast of pepper, but I set the cigar down for a while to let it settle. Once I began smoking in earnest, the flavors of the Ortega's first two-thirds were predominantly earthy with a touch of pepper and a really tasty floral finish. There's some sweetness there tying it all together. The draw and burn are both excellent from the start, and remain so for the duration of the smoke.
The flavor of the final third was what really caught me by surprise. The cigar took a sweeter turn while maintaining the slight pepperiness. It took me a few minutes to figure out what it reminded me of: barbecue potato chips. I'm not kidding. It was lip-smackingly good through the nubby end.
All in all, the Ortega Serie D Maduro was a great smoking experience. I know there's been some discussion/comparison of this smoke lately with Eddie Ortega's old Murcielago. I haven't smoked one, although I think I may have to seek it out given the favorable comparisons. The Serie D stands pretty well on its own however, so if you haven't, give it a try already.
