J.Fuego 'Americana' Petit Corona. 5x44. Dark Maduro wrap. Nice rugged construction, almost cheroot. Mostly smooth lines with a couple of pronounced veins. Double tapered shape lies somewhere between a presidente and a perfecto, with an open crown. Easy draw pre- and post-light. Lit well.

First half tastes of dark herbal, toasted hard wood, walnut shell, earthy spice notes over a distant pepper exhale. Second half is well cured roasty leaf, dark wood, with more of a pepper/spice expression that is balanced well. Medium-full body. Creamy, toasty, nutty sustain. Ash is well marbled, holding over an inch with ease. Mostly even burn all across with little maintenance.

This is an excellent cigar, a leisurely smoke that I managed to enjoy on my lunch hour. The taste is creamy, roasty, with herbal notes and a well balanced background pepper all across. A full-bodied smoke to be sure, one with plenty to maduro qualities, yet balanced enough for those who enjoy milder sticks. Would be a great bridge to darker, more robust cigars.

Lastly, this cigar is one of those precious few stogies that has no "turning point," no point at which the taste becomes bitter or over-the-cliff peppery. The flavor is pleasurable and fairly consistent from end to end, and I tend to smoke my sticks down to the nub. A wonderful lunch-hour smoke. Highly recommended.

Special thanks to Gary of Perfect Blend for providing this excellent new cigar. They're one of my regular cigar lounges in the heart of the Tower District, and this cigar was featured at their recent CigarFest event.

From the company:

"Jesus Fuego, owner of J. Fuego cigars stopped by not too long ago and luckily he was not empty handed. He was packing his newest creation, the J. Fuego Americana. This cigar is a super premium blend made in small batches featuring a Pennsylvania Sun Grown Broadleaf wrapper paired with a Corojo binder from Costa Rica and a filler blend of Honduran Corojo and Nicaraguan Criollo. The J. Fuego Americana is a bold, full-bodied cigar, featuring a perfect dose of pepper spice from the Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, while the filler blend rounds out the strength from this powerhouse wrapper giving the cigar wonderful balance. The J. Fuego Americana will be released in four sizes: 5 x 50 Robusto, 6 x 54 Toro, 7 x 58 Grande and the popular 5 x 44 Originals size that come in the paper-wrapped five-packs. All sizes besides the Originals come in twelve-count boxes. For those of you who like bold full bodied smokes, don't sleep on this cigar."

[source: atlanticcigar.com]

"True Americana wrapped to order. With the history that Jesus Fuego has under his belt, it’s safe to say he has tobacco coursing through his veins. Boasting a lineage running back to 1876, the Fuego family has been knee deep in the leaf since Mark Twain was riding steamboats down the Mississippi. Today, J. Fuego continues to shell out one tremendous blend after another. And the cigar on the chopping block in front of us is described by J. Fuego as being satisfyingly rich and full-bodied (a statement not to be taken lightly coming from the man himself), enter J. Fuego Americana. Gently wrapped in a Pennsylvania Sun Grown wrapper leaf, and housing a sturdy Costa Rican binder, Americana play host to a bevy of potent long-fillers including Nicaraguan and Honduran Corojos. A dual band design scheme accents the gorgeous wrapper leaf perfectly, giving Americana a unique look all its own. Its flavor profile is showcased by hearty notes of sweet spice, oak, and leather, with a hint of black cherry hitting the tip of the tongue. A true winner for ‘Merica and every other country that has the privilege of enjoying this gem, J. Fuego Americana is a must try."

[source: cigarsinternational.com]

Montecristo Fer de Lance. 5x44. Petit Corona. Solid build from the box press construction. Medium brown wrap was smooth and perfectly straight with flush veins and leaf ends. Cut well. Light took a minute with a flame lighter. Draw was fine pre-light, more relaxed across the burn. Burn was even from start to finish. Intake taste on the first half was woodsy, earthy, with strong pepper notes. Toward the mid point the flavor turned to deep tobacco, leather, bitter spice. Exhale taste had more strong wood, bitter herbal, peppery to the edge. Ash was a marbled light gray that hung nearly two inches. Had to relight halfway down, despite consistent puffs of the stick, but it wasn't a deal breaker. No harsh flavors from the second light. Medium-full body. Ample smoke, particularly in the first half. This is a solid little stogie, not in the same league as Montecristo's main line, but still worthy of your time. And at 5x44, it's a good quick break for tobacco purists. Recommended.

From the company:

"With its rich history and reputation, Montecristo has become one of the most popular cigars in the world and the standard by which all other cigars are judged. Meticulously hand-crafted at the Tabacalera de Garcia factory in the Dominican Republic, Montecristo cigars are available in a variety of premium blends for all different tastes."