Micallef Maduro 96.67 Rating

This is a new cigar at the shop.  There are not a lot of places carrying this cigar yet.  From the other picture there were 5 selections to choose from.  All priced from about $12.50 to $10.00 a stick.  Based on the Maduro, these are well made cigars and I will probably try them all to pick up the differences.   I also found out they have a good facebook page, but you have to be an ambassador to join.  This involves going to their web page at https://www.micallefcigars.com
and signing up for an ambassador coin and unique user number.  It will take 2-3 weeks to get it because of 'high demand'.  Will post the coin when it gets here. :)
Rick, the owner at https://www.facebook.com/leafandcedar/ likes them because for the size of the cigar it has one of the nicest finishes he has tried.   I did enjoy this cigar and it had nice flavors and was suprisingly mild for a maduro.  Plenty of smoke and did not have to relight it once.

Thompson Cigars had this information also:
You’ll want more than just A Maduro after you light up this one by Micallef Cigars. The Gomez Sanchez family with nearly 100 years of experience in the cigar industry partnered with Al Micallef to deliver true classic Cuban inspired blends that are consistent in flavor and balance like the Grande Bold A Maduro. Full-bodied, and full-flavored, Grande Bold A Maduro features Nicaraguan tobaccos underneath an Ecuadorian Broadleaf maduro wrapper. Notes of wood and nut are accompanied by a hint of dark chocolate and are all followed up by a cedar finish for a deliciously satisfying maduro. Grande Bold A Maduro 552 is one you’ll be coming back for.

President U.S. Grant and cigars

I had heard a story about President U.S. Grant that I found fascinating.  He was a pipe smoker and chewed tobacco avidly.  However during the Battle of Fort Donelson  he was handed a cigar and carried it on the battlefield.  The word got out in a news article that said he smoked cigars.  Supposedly he was sent over 10,000 cigars by thankful supporters to his field headquarters.  He gave many to his troops, but became a cigar smoker, smoking as many as 20 a day.  He ended up dying of throat cancer however.  The best article I found that describes the whole history in detail was this one at
http://www.jmarkpowell.com/the-gift-that-killed-general-grant/

Crowned Heads Le Careme 96.84 Rating

I smoked a couple of these to be sure, and then I had to buy a box.  That is 24 in a box at around $12.00 a stick.  I typically do not like to spend that much on one cigar unless I want to be smoking them for a while in my rotation.  They had some torpedo's but it looks like they may not be making those any more, but the flavor was no different for these 52 ring cigars.  They have a great taste from start to finish.  You get earth, pepper, and nutty flavor.

JR Cigars says this on their site:

Le Careme cigars, a new premium handmade offering from Crowned Heads, comes from the Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr.’s factory in the Dominican Republic, the same factory that produces the Four Kicks, Headley Grange and the J.D. Howard Reserve lines. This medium body cigar features an Ecuador Sumatra binder, aged long filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, and an almost black, Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper with hardly any visible seams. If you were to describe a cigar as a dessert flavor, La Careme would be it, because every draw delivers mouthwatering notes of chocolate, sweet spice, leather, toffee, and caramel. The taste is appropriate considering the smoke pays tribute to Marie Antoine Careme, a pioneer in French cuisine during the 1800s. 

Diesel Whiskey Row PX Sherry Cask 97.67 Rating

Tried this cigar today at the "Leaf and Cedar" cigar shop in Louisville.  It is made by aging the binder leafs in a bourbon barrel that was used to make a sherry wine.  This ended up giving it a slight cherry/berry taste, but not overwhelming like an infused cigar.  It had a nice start and finish.  Several of the other guys at the shop felt it was a very mild cigar also.  I highly recommend it, especially at its price point.


 Cigars International has this to say on their site:

Rabbit Hole Bourbon & Diesel Cigars are a match made in heaven. The Diesel Whiskey Row was released in 2018 to a wave of excitement from cigar aficionados everywhere, owing to the fantastic blend and bold flavors from the binder aged in Rabbit Hole bourbon barrels. The follow-up to that fantastic success uses barrels that originally contained 30-year old Pedro Ximenez Sherry which were sent to Rabbit Hole to produce their PX Sherry Finish Bourbon, before finally landing at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua.

The blend consists of a dark Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and Nicaraguan fillers, but the barrel-aged Brazilian Arapiraca binder is the star of the show. The flavors are wonderfully influenced by the sherry casks, without becoming infused or overly sweet. Instead, you’ll find notes of dark fruit, cedar, chocolate, and pepper, for a smooth medium-bodied experience that pairs great with any drinks with naturally sweet characteristics. Diesel crated something truly special & unique with this release, so you won’t want to hesitate to go down the Rabbit Hole. 

Romeo y Julieta Media Noche 96.005 Rating

Medianoche (pronounced [meðjaˈnotʃe]; "midnight" in Spanish) is a type of sandwich which originated in Cuba. It is served in many Cuban communities in the United States. It is so named because of the sandwich's popularity as a staple served in Havana's night clubs right around or after midnight.   
This cigar must have been named to enjoy late at night.  I found it a pleasant cigar typical of this brand.  You cannot go wrong with this one.  I did not pick up any unique flavors like a pepper or fruit, but it smoked very nice and I would buy this again.


Cigar.com says this:
Unlike any other Romeo you’ve experienced before, Romeo y Julieta Media Noche offers a medium-bodied strength and full-flavor profile while retaining a distinguished smoothness this brand is so well known for. Featuring a dark, San Andrés wrapper, a Dominican Olor binder, and a core of smooth Dominican long-fillers, this hearty new blend from Romeo y Julieta offers a plethora of rich tobacco flavors balanced out by sweeter notes of cedar and cocoa.