Miami Cigars

Now most cigar snobs lift their noses at Mexican cigars. But these are guys not following the huge forward moves being made in the cultivation of Mexican tobacco.
If anyone checked this month’s Cigar Aficionado, they would discover that this stick came in at #14 of the Top 25 Cigars of 2010. Very Impressive! And it was rated a 93. This cigar competes with some of the greatest cigars being made and holds its head up high.

We landed in Tel Aviv. When I exited the plane, via the movable stairs, the humidity hit me like a Mike Tyson punch. My chin dropped to my chest and I gasped for air. Oh my God! No one told me about this. I would speak to my travel agent upon return.

We made the drive to Jerusalem and checked in at the King David Hotel. I had been there once before in 1965 when my beloved grandfather took me to Israel. It was a different time.
I remember being rocked out of my bed by a minor terrorist attack. For a 15 year old, that’s pretty scary stuff.

I went to the room, with my wife, and then we headed down to the bar. I brought the Turrents with me. There was a special area for cigar smokers. That was a big relief.
Unfortunately, it was outside. So sweat was the clothing of the day.

We immediately met some tourists from South Africa. Issy Meyers and his wife, Renee… lovely people.
I brought out my first Turrent and handed one to Issy. He tells me he’s never heard of it but after sniffing it and getting a lovely espresso bean and cedar whiff, he tells me he loves me.

We snip the ends with my Xikar back stop cutter. I hand him my Blazer lighter and we toast the foot. Sweat is pouring off my forehead.
My wife, Charlotte and Renee are speaking in German to each other. My wife is from Germany. And they are sipping cocktails. My wife likes to smoke the Acid cigarillos and convinces Renee to try one. Renee approves.

While this term is horrifyingly over used, the first taste, after light up is pure butter cream. Wow!
Issy’s eyes light up. He compliments me on choosing the perfect cigar for the moment.
Issy examines the stick. It has a very oily sheen. It’s firm in the hand. No soft spots. It appears to be packed perfectly.

Into the first third, we get a a sweet cedar flavor profile. And just the right touch of spiciness.
These flavors dominate the first third. It is difficult not to smoke it too quickly.

We get a couple more Israeli beers and just settle into our chairs. Smoke is billowing everywhere from our vitolas. A couple of Swiss tourists stop and ask what we are smoking? I explain and tell them I brought them from home. A fallen look upon their faces as their hopes for finding one in Israel seems dicey.

The second third ramps up the power. It starts out as a medium body cigar but is quickly becoming a full body, full flavored complex cigar.
The taste of dark coffee mixes with the sweetness.

The cigar takes 90 minutes to smoke and every second is enjoyed. The flavors of sweet cedar, coffee, butter cream, are maintained throughout the smoke. I don’t taste other flavors but that’s just fine because this lollipop of flavors is perfect the way it is.

We decide to meet for dinner as we get up from the table. Issy grabs my forearm and asks if I have anymore A Turrents? I just smile. And then so does he.

The Bottom Line:
A. Turrent Triple Play
Country of Manufacturer: Honduras
Size: 6 x 54 Toro
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Filler & Binder: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Mexican

Flavor characteristics summary: Creamy, mild spices, well-balanced, notes of coffee and cocoa on the finish.

First Impressions: Immediately you notice the beautiful pigtail end, which is constructed perfectly. The wrapper is a velvety, dark brown and smells of cocoa. The double band is striking and almost feels regal.

First Third: There was more spice than I was expecting from this Maduro however it complimented the nice toasty nuances to the cigar. Definitely lots of smoke when the cigar is at rest. I normally don’t care for that but it was really aromatic. You are rewarded with lots of smoke while smoking too, but even though there is an abundance, I found it unusually thin. The spice of the cigar calmed quickly and the flavors became much more tame. A bit of sweetness emerged with a nice earthiness.

Second Third: Here’s where the cigar really began to open up. It settled into a milder body, which was a little disappointing, but the flavors were still fantastic. You could detect a tinge of spice but nothing like the beginning. Still pretty earthy with flecks of dark chocolate. Very mellow.

Final Third: A nice surprise, the final third offered a bit of cedar. The dark chocolate became stronger which made for a really interesting ending to the cigar. The chocolate became more sweet and the spice re-emerged just a touch. This was my favorite part PDR 1878. In fact, I would have liked to have seen these changes earlier.

Overall Impression: A definite roller coaster of flavors, but if you’re open to it, strap in and enjoy the ride. A great cigar for halftime to test out with your favorite group of cigar smokers.