Sobremesa Torpedo Tiempo. 6x54. Nice build with smooth veins and leaf end. Dark brown leaf, nearly Maduro, with some darker shades. Cut and lit well. I went with a slanted cut on the torpedo tip and the crown held perfectly. This aggressive cut often reveals the craftsmanship of a torpedo wrap. Draw was easy pre- and post-light.

First half taste has a strong hard wood impression. Dark earthy spice and bitter nuts coat the tongue through a roasty, almost charred wood aroma. Second half began with a mild pepper tone, earthy herbal notes, wood taste throughout. 

Ash was mostly clean, flaky, with dark spots, delicately holding nearly two inches before a prompt drop. Burn was uneven at the start, corrected by the first third with a bit of flame, only to stray again at the midpoint. 

This is a fine cigar, one that starts and ends with a continual wood expression over dark spice and flat herb flavors. The draw was mostly smooth all across, needing more frequent puffs at the end. The aroma was consistently roasty wood, but the burn needed cradling down to the band. It's otherwise a well constructed smoke that provided a pleasing hour session.

Special Thanks to CigarsCity.com for providing this cigar for review. This was my first Sobremesa, prompting me to seek out more them.

From the company:

"Sobremesa's Torpedo Tiempo cigar has roots from a familiar name that's known by most cigar lovers all over the world. Steve Saka, once of Drew Estate, has re-emerged with his very own brand: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust and one of the most luxuriously rich and savory cigars to be unveiled in recent memory: the Sombremesa Torpedo Tiempo. Loaded with seven different tobaccos, the Sombremesa Torpedo Tiempo is a cigar aficionado’s delight and an exercise in blending mastery. The Sobremesa Torpedo Tiempo is built around a filler blend of Viso, Seco and Ligero tobaccos from Nicaragua, as well as a Pennsylvania Broadleaf from Lancaster County. These tobaccos are tucked into a Matacapan Negro de Temporal binder leaf from San Andres, Mexico and then surrounded by a La Meca Habano Rosado wrapper leaf from Ecuador developed by the Oliva family. The result is a truly magnificent 6.0x54 gem. The hour or so Sobremesa Torpedo Tiempo experience begins with a thick woody undertone that ties together lively spice, earth and coffee notes. The medium-to-full bodied journey grows ever more complex as dark fruit nuances expand the broadly textured strokes painted with each lasting puff. Crafted by the experts at Joya de Nicaragua using the finest tobaccos available that have been blended to maximize taste and minimize harshness, the Sobremesa Torpedo Tiempo is a must-have treasure for anyone in search of big taste without a bite."

[source: cigarscity.com]

Rocky Patel 'Fire' Torpedo. 6x52. Nice construction. Darker brown wrap, straight lines, some pronounced leaf ends. Cut and lit very well. Hard-medium draw pre-light, a touch easier into the first third. First half tastes of black pepper, dark wood, emerging herbal notes, particularly in the exhale. Second half is strong leaf, bready, pungent spice, bitter herbal. 

Ash is clean, light gray, grainy. First drop was promptly at an inch. Second and third drops were a good two inches, suggesting an inconsistent packing. Burn was mostly even but did need my attention at a few points.

Draw closed slightly toward the mid point, becoming an effort to smoke. I found myself straining each puff despite the wide angled cut I made on the torpedo crown. A slight bite made for an easy draw, suggesting a packing that was a bit too tight. Not a deal breaker, but noteworthy.

This is a good cigar with some build issues. The first half was fine, with several good points, but the second half was a struggle. Two recuts was not enough, forcing me to chomp down on it if I had any hopes of smoking the second half. That was the bad news. The good news is that the chomping worked, and the flavor was pleasing, even if a little more bitter than I'd like. I'm going to try this cigar again, crediting the midpoint issues to a fluke in construction. Rocky Patel normally crafts quality at every price point, so I'm focusing here on the strengths over the weakness. Recommended.

From the company:

"Blended by the legendary cigar master Rocky Patel, Fire has a triple-fermented Ecuador Habano wrapper leaf covering the finest aged long-filler tobaccos. Immediately upon lighting, a blast of strong pepper offers quite the wake up call before quickly giving way to the most enjoyable notes of toast, cinnamon, exotic spice, and sweet molasses. Not for the faint of heart (or palate), the Rocky Patel Fire is an awesome, full-bodied smoke and a noteworthy edition to this Patel's ever-expanding portfolio of high-rated cigars."

[source: jrcigars.com]

Olivia 'Serie V' Ligero Especial Torpedo. 6x56. Medium brown wrap. Excellent construction with straight lines and smoothed veins. Medium draw pre-light. Slightly harder draw post-light during the first third, a medium draw from there. Cut well. Lighting took a few minutes of roasting. First half taste is roasty herbal leaf, earthy spice, leather. Second half is hard wood, ground coffee notes, earthy herbal in the exhale, background spice. Burn was uneven during the first third, but was easily corrected. Ash was clean, light gray with mild marbling. Ash held over two inches with ease. Medium-full body. Aroma was mild tobacco with faint cocoa powder.

This is an excellent cigar. The tobacco blend offers a small variety of tastes, including mild and medium leaf, coffee, herbal, and hints of spice. The build quality is superb and the execution was excellent, save for the brief uneven burn.

I've long been a fan of the entirety of Oliva's lineup, starting long ago with their value line Flor de Oliva, and though my palate has grown over the past 20 years I still consider Oliva smokes a treat. Their 'Serie V' cigars are considered among their top shelf offerings, and it's clear as to why. Most of you cigar aficionados have surely had this classic stick, but I still urge you to go out and enjoy one nonetheless. Highly recommended.

From the company:

"Serie V is a complex blend of Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos. Blended with specially fermented Jalapa Valley ligero, and finished with a high priming Habano Sun Grown Wrapper. This cigar is blended to deliver full body taste while maintaining an unparalleled smoothness. This flavorful blend exhibits complex tobacco with rich coffee and dark chocolate tones."

[source: olivascigar.com]

The burn was slightly uneven in the first third but was easily corrected.

Over two inches of ash clung easily as I approached the band.

Sierra Nevada 'Torpedo' Extra IPA. 7.2% abv. 65 IBU. Amber color. Two fingers of bubbly tan head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of ample herbal-floral hops, pine, faint citrus rind on the back. Front taste of bright bitter herbal hops, grassy grain, bittersweet malt. Aftertaste of bitter hop resin, citrus rind, herbal sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, bubbly, thick on the end.

This is an excellent beer. The hop profile is bright and fresh with a bitter-over-sweet taste running underneath. There's a nice botanical flavor from the first sip that feels like a fresh bouquet of hop cones. Very good, particularly if you are a lover of hoppy IPA's. A modern classic. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Whole hops, the whole time.  Sierra Nevada and hops go hand in hand. What began as a crazy idea scribbled in a pub eventually became our newest year-round hop bomb, Torpedo Extra IPA. The first beer to feature our 'Hop Torpedo'—a revolutionary dry-hopping device that controls how much hop aroma is imparted into beer without adding additional bitterness. Torpedo Extra IPA is an aggressive yet balanced beer with massive hop aromas of citrus, pine, and tropical fruit."

[source: sierranevada.com]

Gurkha 'Nautilus' Torpedo. 6.5x53. Medium brown wrap. Good build with perfect lines and minimal veins. Questionable cut with some fraying of the torpedo tip. Good light. Strained draw pre-light. Moderate draw post-light. First half taste of rich spiced leaf, herbal, earthy. Second half is roasted leaf, dark wood. Draw closed slightly during the second half. Burn was even throughout. Ash was very clean and held near two inches.

This is a good cigar with moments of rich flavor in the first half, a good burn and ash. However, the cut was less than ideal, not a deal-breaker but worth noting. Also, the draw was too strained for my taste, starting tough, opening up just a bit, and then proving harsh to the band. A few missteps, but still a good cigar that I enjoyed. Recommended.

From the company:

"Steeped in legend and history, the Gurkha cigars, created more than a century ago has been reborn and today is one of the most famous brands of luxury cigars in the world. Having extraordinary quality and premium blends of tobacco, Gurkha is known for limited release and rare tobacco products with outstanding and artistically-oriented packaging. Gurkha is also known as the 'Rolls Royce' of cigars and is enjoyed by many of the world's elite including members of Royalty, Military, leading government officials, and celebrities."
[source: gurkhacigars.com]

Project 805 'Andullo Figurado' Torpedo. 6.25x52. Light brown wrap with some spots and darkened veins. Good build, mostly straight lines. Nice cut on the torpedo crown. Good light, quick roast. Medium draw pre- and post-flame. First half taste is smooth mild tobacco with cedar notes, herbal aromatic on the exhale. Second half is creamy, with a stronger cured wood flavor, light coffee, bright herb notes.

Aroma is more present in the second, herbal, slightly sweet. Even burn throughout. Ash was perfectly marbled light and medium gray layers, holding at a good two inches.

This is a very good, pleasant mild cigar. A creamy wrap, nice draw, cedar and herb notes that gradually rise moving toward the band, but never venturing into any harsh bitter tastes. Aroma is pleasant but not over the cliff like most aromatics. It doesn't stand tall against other similar sticks, but it is well crafted, consistent, and has a nice evolving taste. Well recommended.

From the company:

"Andullo, the exclusive tobacco in Project805, bound in a balanced blend of the finest Dominican leaf for an incredibly aromatic and complex smoke. Hand-finished boxes, each one unique, manufactured by a network of underground craftsmen. Project805 is the cigar they tried to keep from you, this is the disruption they tried to suppress, yet here it is, in your hands – you are now part of the disruption. You are part of the disruption, the first wave of underground trendsetters prepared to experience Project805's secret ingredient, Andullo. What is Andullo? Andullo is a unique tobacco never before used in cigars. Naturally flavored, aromatic, and so utterly different it is a disruption to the Industry. Expertly blended and hand-rolled at La Aurora under the supervision of Ventura Cigar Company."

[source: venturacigar.com]

Tatuaje Tattoo Torpedo. Ecuador Habano wrap with Nicaraguan filler. Cut ok, at a slant on the torpedo tip. Decent build quality. Even dark color, slightly oily. A few pronounced veins. Good draw pre-light and during the first half. Flavors of bitter dark cocoa and black pepper on the intake. Woodsy earthy exhale. Marbled, mostly clean ash that falls quick at an inch, suggesting a short-leaf fill. The taste mellows a third the way in, becoming more herbal, losing its touch of sweet. A decent value smoke that encourages me to try the wider gauges in this line.

From the company:

"This is one tattoo you certainly won’t regret. The buzz has been flying over the reintroduction of the Tatuaje Tattoo series, which originally appeared in 2011 in a limited edition version. The cigar was massively popular, and for good reason, a great blend without the boutique price tag. There is no question why the new Tattoo should be any different, seeing as how it comes with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and an enticing mix of Nicaraguan filler leaves. Medium bodied and bursting with notes of cocoa, leather, pepper and a slight sweetness. To Tatuaje, all we have to say is this: welcome back."