History: Originally a Cuban release, El Triunfador was re-released in September, 2008 by Pete Johnson in small quantities at limited retailers merely to preserve the trademark. That medium to full strength original non-Cuban El Triunfador is still available—just look for the Connecticut Broadleaf Wrapper.

It features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper rather than the Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro of that first limited release, and is available in 6 sizes.  All except the No. 6 are box-pressed. Mike of Stogie Review reports that the first 100 boxes of each vitola (size) will have a seal on them.

The following description is for the latest release of  El Triunfador.

Appearance: Box-pressed, El Triunfador’s chocolaty brown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is nearly perfect example of a fine cigar. Glistening with oil, the cigar is silky and firm to the touch. It features a pigtail triple cap and a wonderfully austere yet classic band. The aroma and taste of chocolate and sweet cedar notes assail your senses during the pre-light sniff and draw.

Draw/Burn/Ash: The El Triunfador has smooth draw with just a bit of resistance both pre- and post-lighting. Along with its steady burn, the cigar’s ash holds on for at least an inch.

Flavor: With just enough pepper to say Pete Johnson and Don Pepin Garcia, the flavors of the El Triunfador are its highlight. Chocolate, coffee, and sweet cedar notes are the nucleus of flavor around which gentle strands of spice wisp into the mix. Steadily burning its way into the second third, the cigar becomes creamy, even as the spices mellow slightly. In the final third of the cigar, the flavor sweetens first into creamy, delectably spicy chocolaty coffee, then with augments wood and leather notes for an incredible prolonged finish.

Recommendation: Smoking the El Triunfador is comparable to drinking a gourmet spiced mocha latte–creamy and delicious–almost like smoking a mocha cappuccino. With its mild to medium strength and delicious flavor, this cigar is certainly a “Winner,” and sure to please a wide variety of palates, from casual smokers to connoisseurs. Restock your humidor with these or other fine Tatuaje cigars available from our online cigar store.

Cigar: Rocky Patel Vintage 1992	Origin: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra	Binder:Nicaragua
Filler ominican & Nicaraguan	Strength: Mild to Medium
Flavor: Full

History: The Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 is a premium cigar that is justly famed as a full-flavored extravaganza. 7-year aged Dominican and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos and a 10-year-old sun-grown Ecuadorian Sumatra seed wrapper combine to give the Vintage 1992 the smooth and creamy character for which it is known.

Appearance: Box-pressed, the Vintage 1992 Torpedo is wrapped in a smooth, oily dark brown Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Distinctively banded with the classic burgundy and gold Rocky Patel bands, the Vintage 1992 is firm to the touch. Though the tobacco is firmly packed, the pre-light draw is easy with a hint of the flavors to come, while a cursory sniff gives just a hint of its fine earthy tobacco.

Draw/Burn/Ash: After lighting, the draw remains effortless and nicely balanced. The burn is excellent, while the light ash holds tight for at least 2”. Despite the easy draw, each puff produced relatively small tufts of smoke which came off and clung to the cigar with a nutty aroma that even non-cigar smokers find pleasant.

Flavor: Early on, rich earthy notes of oak and sweet almond make their presence known along with a tinge of the earthy undertones. The first third of the Vintage 1992 cigar is highlighted by will-o-the-wisp hits of sweet spiciness, but it isn’t until the second third of the smoke that the oak and almond flavors are joined by complex notes of creamy-textured, rich dark roasted coffee, pepper, and spice. On inhaling, the Vintage 1992 lights up the tip of the tongue with spice until the flavors mellow towards an earth-toned finish.

Recommendation: At a price of around $8.75 each, this is obviously not an everyday cigar for most enthusiasts. However, considering the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 cigars’ quality, balance of complexity and full flavor, and their well-aged smooth creaminess, these cigars are a must-have for the serious aficionado. 

History: First-generation tobacconists, Litto Gomez and his wife, Ines Lorenzo-Gomez, released their first full-bodied offerings with their La Flor Dominicana Ligero cigars. The sunned and well-nourished ligero leaves near the top of the tobacco plant lend their name to this renowned cigar line. When combined with a proprietary method of trabajando (working) applied to the mature ligero tobacco leaves, these leaves acquire their dark Oscuro coloring and robust, pepper-spiced flavor. 

Though there are three different styles of the full-bodied ligero cigars offered by the Gomez’s La Flor Dominicana—Ligero, Cabinet Ligero, and what may be the strongest, fullest-flavored cigars on the market, the Double Ligero–par for the course for the La Flor Dominicana company which was started by a man who wouldn’t say die. Representing this legendary line of cigars for the purposes of introduction is the Ligero 400.

Appearance: Composed of Dominican filler and binder leaf grown on the Gomez farms, the Ligero 400 is wrapped in a smooth Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf with a Cuban-style flat cap. The aroma, similar to Corojo, is evocative of a sweet cedar and roasted almonds. The wrapper spices up the Ligero blend and is delightfully balanced by the Dominican filler—preventing the cigar from becoming too potent for enjoyment.  

Draw/Burn/Ash: From beginning to end, the draw is perfect–firm, but easy. Effortlessly even is the burn of this fine cigar which exudes a remarkably creamy smoke with a peppery aftertaste. The Ligero is a well-constructed cigar that smolders to a pure white ash. 

Flavor: A burst of predominantly spice and pepper flavor with sweet undertones heralds the character of this potent cigar. Halfway through the second the onslaught of a sharp pepperiness is renewed after which the flavors take on a creamy smoothness, though this cigar never relinquishes its complex spectrum of tastes.

Recommendation: A strong and full-flavored cigar, La Flor Dominicana Ligero is a favorite of cigar lovers who appreciate the rich, creamy, full-bodied spiciness for which the Ligero is justifiably famous. These cigars are best enjoyed after a filling meal by those with excitement-craving mature palates—and are NOT recommended for most beginners. Get your favorite La Flor Domincana cigars today from our convenient and economical online cigar shop!

Appearance: The G.A.R.  White Label cigar is the deep rich brown hue with auburn highlights and the oily sheen of a Corojo wrapper.  The band, located at the foot, has black stenciled lettering on it, and a crest of some kind on the back. Pre-light, a very slight semi-sweet cedar smell is noticeable, while the foot gives off the aroma of floral accents with just a hint of cumin.

Draw/Burn/Ash: Although the ash isn’t particularly strong, the G.A.R. White Label releases a cloud of smoke, potent, yet sweet and aromatic even at rest. Most superlative, the burn was marred only briefly twice in the final stretch.

Flavor: Upon lighting with one of my traditional wooden matches, the first draw produces an encompassing cloud of profuse, yet flavorful smoke, with faint maple sweetness. Becoming more toffee or caramel flavored through the first third of the cigar as the G.A.R. White Label surprises as a piquancy with hints of cedar comes forth and tarries with the pleasant aroma and smooth creaminess of this cigar.

The toffee and understated floral tones are joined by the familiar flavors of cedar and leather at the end of the second third of this cigar. The full-bodied grandeur becomes evident with a slight roil of the stomach and an exhilarating head rush, until the cedar and leathery notes become ascendant, with the tang of spiciness becoming more of a gingered pears flavor in the final third stretch. The finish is unmarred by harshness or bitterness of any kind.

Recommendation: The G.A.R. White Label suitably impresses; George Rico has maintained his reputation as a premiere third generation tobacconist with this initial release. The strength of this cigar a little deceptive, however; it is not for the inexperienced beginner, an early morning, nor an empty stomach. George A. Rico has entered the fray with a fine cigar in the G.A.R. White Label cigar–enough so as to make his next release an anticipated pleasure. Make room for these in your humidor: order yours today from our online cigar shop.

History: Introduced in 2008 by Jaime Garcia, a gifted blender in his own right, My Father cigars honor his renowned father, Don Pepin Garcia. The famous #3 of the line was named 2009 Best Cigar of the Year. Don Pepin has produced some very fine cigars including Cuban Classic, Series JJ, Tatuaje, and 5 Vegas Miami in a very short period of time, and it looks as if his son is following in Don Pepin Garcia’s footsteps.

My Father blend is made of specially chosen tobacco binders and cigar fillers  grown at their own farms in Esteli, Nicaragua and is the first cigar they make which uses a Habano-Criollo wrapper grown in Ecuador by the Oliva Tobacco Co. of Tampa, FL.

Appearance: The cigar wrapper is a rose-tinted deep milk chocolate color with an oily patina, but no soft spots on the cigar.  The band has an elaborate cursive “MF” (for My Father!) on it with the family name of Garcia & Garcia under it.

Draw/Burn/Ash: Pre-light, the draw is full of complex flavors—and the aroma of this cigar is phenomenal. The free-flowing draw is top notch all the way through, and My Father produces a nice cloud of smoke.

Flavor: Not as peppery as the elders’ offerings, My Father has an earthiness highlighted with a subtle spice that deepens into a rich mocha interestingly layered with wood, leather, and espresso. Midway Unusual for a full strength cigar, though, is the smooth creaminess that, combined with the sensational aroma, makes the My Father cigar so popular

Recommendation: The Garcias’ company has been renamed “My Father Cigars.” That says it all when it comes to the talent, hard work, and excellence of both Don Pepin Garcia and his son, Jaime. The My Father cigar is recommended for those who like a moderate to full-bodied smoke. The complex flavors and aromatic creaminess make this cigar nearly universally well-liked. Order yours today from our convenient online cigar shop.

History: The Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 line is comprised of  mild cigars whose mild strength and creamy flavors are sure to give it a home in the humidors of cigar enthusiasts from rank beginners to the most hard-to-please devotees.

Appearance: Seamlessly rolled and slightly box-pressed, the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 cigar has only a trace of veins on the silky dark chestnut brown Honduran wrapper. The cigar feels firm to the touch because of its tight packing, but the texture of the wrapper is smooth and oily. It is double banded with classic bands of maroon and gold.

Draw/Burn/Ash: Before lighting, the draw is a tad tight, but after lighting, the draw exhibits the perfect amount of resistance. Though some smokers seem to have difficulties with uneven burn and even some harsh flavors, much, if not all of it may be attributed to the smokers’ expectation of a stronger cigar causing them to draw too hard and smoke this cigar too quickly. The Vintage 1990 is meant to be slowly and reflectively savored.

The burn–slow, even, and long, generates a whitish gray-colored ash that seems to hold on forever. The Vintage 1990 by Rocky Patel produces wonderfully aromatic smoke that even non-smokers seem to enjoy: the aromas one senses when inhaling the foot of the Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 are delectably sweet cherry and caramel notes that continue on to the please the palate with the pre-light draw.

Flavor: Cedar, roasted nuts, a hint of caramel, sporadically appearing earthy notes all complimenting a slight peppery spice set the stage. Notes of cherry and a creamy mild espresso enter the mix in the second third while the roasted nuts fade into the background. The delightfully slow burn of the Vintage 1990 finally comes to a delicious caramel finish with nutty undertones.

Recommendation: Patel’s Vintage 1990 cigars are not for those who prefer brawny smokes that, “puts hair on your chest.” Like creamy Belgian chocolates which outclass even the finest of American chocolates, the Vintage 1990 is sure to satisfy. Visit our online cigar store to purchase one of these fine Rocky Patel cigars for yourself.