Don Fernando’s cigarblog

Little over a year ago I was browsing the internet for information about cigars and I stumbled across the website of Don Ursulo, a cigar maker from Costa Rica and after a few mails he decided to send me a sampler of his cigars in exchange for reviews. When I got the cigars they were very young and had a clear ammonia aroma to them so I decided to let them rest and today I am keeping my end of the deal for this blend and vitola, the Costa Rica Sublime, made with the secret C blend. Don Ursulo also has a Nicaraguan puro, which I will review soon. You can tell the blends apart by the different color cigar band.

Well, back to the cigar, the C-blend Costa Rica one, the Sublime, 6.33 inch and a 54 ring. The cigar has a nice soft silky feel and the construction seems fine, no hard or soft spots in the construction. I like the simple band. The wrapper is pretty and the cigar has a barnyard aroma to it. The predraw is good.

After lighting I could taste cedar with a slight hint of coffee. The structure is quite dry and so I need a drink with this cigar. Because I am reviewing and want a clear palate I have a glass of water. The flavor is pretty full but quite one dimensional; there isn’t much depth in it. The same flavor all over the cigar, a nice flavor though.

The draw is fine, the burn is better than average. The dark ash is firm and this full flavored medium bodied produces the right amount of smoke.

Would I buy this cigar again? Maybe, depends on the price

Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 8 / 10
Appearance: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Burn: 8 / 10
Aroma (first part) 7 / 10
Aroma (middle part) 7 / 10
Aroma (last part) 7 / 10

This Costa Rican puro, size Churchill, by the old Dutch brand G. de Graaff has a pretty light colored smooth wrapper and it feels just has firm everywhere, no weak spots in the construction. The predraw is somewhat tough and gives hints of pepper and raisin. I could taste the pepper on my lips. Too bad that the band is way too simple; a nicer band would make it more appealing in the presentation. The aroma is full, manure combined with hay.

After lighting the cigar I can taste pepper with some light leather on the background. While the pepper disappears the leather grows in strength. The pepper doesn’t disappear completely and is slightly noticeable on the background. The leather reminds me a lot of the leather that is so typical for Cuban cigars.

After about an inch and a half there is the aroma of chocolate with something spicy, an inch later its pepper with some leather. There cigar doesn’t grow in strength though. Halfway it is leather with some chocolate, a bit creamy. The cream has a warm feeling to it and grows in strength. The grand finale is a salty flavor.

The draw is good; it surprised me as the predraw was a bit tough. The smoke is full & white, the ash is white too and the burn is even and the cigar doesn’t die quickly.

Would I buy this cigar again? Maybe someday, won’t be a regular in my collection even though it is a good cigar

Construction: 16 / 20
Draw: 16 / 20
Appearance: 14 / 20
Smoke & ash: 8 / 10
Burn: 16 / 20
Aroma (first part) 7 / 10
Aroma (middle part) 6 / 10
Aroma (last part) 7 / 10