Cigar Geeks News

February Points Contest is Under Way! By: SenorPablo
The points contest is under way for the month of February.  The 26 members with the most points for the month have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Famous Smoke Shop.  You can read the details HERE.  To view the previous month's contest results see here.
Toys for Tots Drive 2024 By: SenorPablo

The 2024 Marine Toys for Tots drive was a great success.  This was the way to earn the Toys for Tots badge for being a contributor.  If you give a kit for auction, win an auction, or donate at least $20 you will be awarded the badge. A special thanks goes out to Emerson (McBryde) for stepping up to run the drive again this year.  

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Today's Smoke February 2025 Last: ElCid1986 (31 Replies)
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Member Geek Critiques  [All Geek Critiques]

RoMa Craft Tobac Maquette La Maestranza January 2025 92
CG Rating

Written by Cigar Geeks Member: (Dave) (Deener27)
A big thank you to Chuck (cfickter) for selecting me for this review. This was a cigar that I really enjoyed smoking. The well-balanced flavor profile was refreshing, where I normally enjoy full and... Read More
RoMa Craft Tobac Maquette La Maestranza January 2025 97
CG Rating

Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Brian (bstessl)
Thanks Chuck for the opportunity to give this one a go! Overall a very solid smoke that performed damn near flawlessly and fulfilled all expectations of a RoMa product. Well balanced and strong, but... Read More
RoMa Craft Tobac Maquette La Maestranza January 2025 90
CG Rating

Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Neal (ntanner)
Shout out to Chuck for sponsoring this critique. Good cigar. I enjoyed the hour and a quarter it took to burn this one. The flavor profile was different from what I'm used to but in a good way. De... Read More
RoMa Craft Tobac Maquette La Maestranza January 2025 91
CG Rating

Written by Cigar Geeks Member: (Murphy223)
Thanks to Chuck and Briesq for allowing me to participate in this month's geek critique. I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar from start to finish. Definitely adding it to my wish list - I know this ... Read More
RoMa Craft Tobac Maquette La Maestranza January 2025 90
CG Rating

Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Jared (The Burn Ward)
Overall a pleasant cigar. The flavor profile didn't wow me but I definitely smoke them again. I'm interested in trying the regular release to compare. This has to be one of the best constructe... Read More

Vendor Geek Critiques  [All Geek Critiques]

Casdagli Cigars Cypher 3311 Line "Enigma" April 2024 73
CG Rating

Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Gary (headfirst)
Thank you to Michael and Casdagli for sponsoring this review. The few Casdagli cigars I’ve tried I’ve really enjoyed. Unfortunately this particular stick suffered from a tight draw and a stubbor... Read More
Casdagli Cigars Cypher 3311 Line "Enigma" April 2024 94
CG Rating

Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Adam (BewareDaPenguin)
Thanks again to Casdagli Cigars & Cigar Geeks for the opportunity to smoke this cigar, it really was a treat. It has opened my eyes to more of the Casdagli lines as I’ve only previously smoked t... Read More
Casdagli Cigars Cypher 3311 Line "Enigma" April 2024 88
CG Rating

Written by Cigar Geeks Member: (Cfickter)
While not overly complex there are some great flavor notes and the transitions between those are smooth, three are some surprising pop ins. This cigar has probably the best back story I have run a... Read More
Casdagli Cigars Cypher 3311 Line "Enigma" April 2024 93
CG Rating

Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Neal (ntanner)
Thanks to Casdagli cigars for sponsoring this critique and for giving me the opportunity to try this cigar. This is a large cigar, almost intimidating when you hold it in your hand but after you get b... Read More
Casdagli Cigars Cypher 3311 Line "Enigma" April 2024 83
CG Rating

Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Jared (The Burn Ward)
A big thank you to Casdagli and Michael for hosting this GC. The presentation was phenomenal. The taste profile for me needs a good scotch pairing that really sets it over the top. I'd be interest... Read More

Member Reviews  [All Cigar Reviews]

Cigar Rating
Raymond Pages The Brand Salamone 4 Star Rating
By: tuck0411 (02/10/2025 06:22 PM)
Humidor time: 115 days
Humidimeter reading: Head - 64, foot - 60
Appearance and construction: A few veins, a light sheen, and a moderately soft pack with no soft spots... Gave it a single clip with the guillotine and PLD was moderately open. (8/10)

Flavor: PLA gave a faint whiff of tobacco. The light gave a medium/full profile with a spicy retro and notes of rich wood, coffee, and spice. The spice in the nose faded after a few puffs with the other flavors mellowing a bit through the first third and the body receding towards medium+. No other transitions to note but this was very flavorful with plenty of spice in the mix to keep things interesting throughout. Strength was about medium. (31/35)



Smoking characteristics: The light produced an easy draw, good smoke volume, and an even burn to start. The burn stayed even through the first third with the ash falling at 1 1/4" leaving a cone. The burn continued slightly wavily through the 2nd third and things were otherwise uneventful down to the nub. Draw and smoke output remained optimal throughout. (19/20)

Overall impression: This one came in an RP salamon sampler from Cigar Page awhile back and this was the sixth vitola I've had from the blend. My reviews of the other sticks show a similar experience to this one and it's another rich Nicaraguan habano blend with plenty of flavor and very good construction. Will definitely be smoking more of these. (31/35)

Burn time: 1:39
Rating: 89
Raymond Pages Record Bond Salamone 4.5 Star Rating
By: tuck0411 (02/09/2025 05:58 PM)
Humidor time: 114 days
Humidimeter reading: Head - 60, foot - 58
Appearance and construction: A few veins, a light sheen, and a moderately soft pack with no soft spots... Gave it a single clip with the guillotine and PLD was moderately open. (8/10)

Flavor: PLA gave a whiff of tobacco. The light gave a medium+ profile with a spicy retro and notes of wood, coffee, and spice. The spice in the nose faded after a few puffs with the other flavors staying consistent throughout. No transitions to note but this was quite flavorful with plenty of spice in the mix to keep things interesting throughout. Strength was about medium. (31/35)

Band removed and repositioned for the pic...


Smoking characteristics: My early-onset kicked in with this one... The light produced a moderately tight draw, thin smoke volume, and an even burn to start. I quickly gave it a 2nd clip off the *foot* and this helped to bring smoke output to optimal shortly into the first third. After making this cut, I realized what I'd done - I'd lit the head instead of the foot.  Oh well, nothing for it at this point but to keep puffing... The burn stayed even through the first third with the ash falling at 1 1/4" leaving a cone. Things were then uneventful through the remainder and down to the nub. Draw and smoke output remained optimal from the first third on. All's well that ends well... (20/20)

Overall impression: This one came in an RP salamon sampler from Cigar Page awhile back and this was the 8th vitola I've had from this blend with my reviews of the others showing a similar experience with the flavors. Operator error aside, this was a fine smoke with both flavors and construction getting the job done very satisfyingly. And I guess we can consider this smoke in hindsight to be a successful science experiment - salamons smoke just as well in reverse as they do the normal way... Yeah, we'll go with that. (32/35)

Burn time: 1:32
Rating: 91
Raymond Pages Hoofty Salamone 4 Star Rating
By: tuck0411 (02/08/2025 06:32 PM)
Humidor time: 113 days
Humidimeter reading: Head - 61, foot - 58
Appearance and construction: A few veins, a light sheen, and a moderately firm pack with no soft spots... Gave it a single clip with the guillotine and PLD was moderately open. (8/10)

Flavor: Got nothing from PLA. The light produced a medium/full profile with a spicy retro and notes of rich wood, coffee, and spice. The spice in the nose faded after a few puffs with the other flavors staying consistent throughout. No transitions to note but this was very flavorful with just enough spice in the mix to keep things interesting throughout. Strength was about medium. (31/35)



Smoking characteristics: The light produced a moderately easy draw, good smoke volume, and an even burn to start. The burn stayed even through the first third with the ash falling at 1 1/4" leaving a cone. The burn was slightly wavy but self-correcting in the 2nd third and things were otherwise uneventful down to the nub. Draw and smoke output remained mostly optimal throughout. (19/20)

Overall impression: This one came in an RP salomon sampler from Cigar Page awhile back. This was the fourth vitola I've had from this blend and my reviews of the previous ones show a very similar experience with the flavors. It's another rich Nicaraguan habano blend and one I'll be smoking more of. (31/35)

Burn time: 1:38
Rating: 89
Joya de Nicaragua Antano CT Toro 4.5 Star Rating
By: tuck0411 (02/07/2025 04:14 PM)
Humidor time: 112 days
Humidimeter reading: Head - 61, foot - 55
Appearance and construction: A few veins, a light sheen, and a moderately firm pack with no soft spots... Gave it a double shallow V-cut and PLD was moderately open. (8/10)

Flavor: PLA gave a whiff of mild tobacco. The light gave a mild/medium profile with a spicy retro and notes of light wood, spice, and hints of cream and butter. The spice in the nose faded after a few puffs with the other flavors staying consistent through the first half or so after which the creamy, buttery hints faded through the remainder. Very tasty, overall, with a sense of quality tobacco being present. Strength was about medium at best. (32/35)



Smoking characteristics: The light produced an easy draw, good smoke volume, and an even burn to start. The burn stayed mostly even through the first third with the ash falling at 1 1/4" leaving a small cone. Things were then uneventful down to the nub with draw and smoke output remaining optimal throughout. (20/20)

Overall impression: This one came from Small Batch as one of their COTM selections awhile back. A very tasty Nicaraguan conny blend with excellent construction and one of the better JdN sticks I've had. Would definitely smoke it again. (32/35)

Burn time: 1:21
Rating: 92
El Titan de Bronze Hyperion 2024 Toro (Small Batch Cigar Exclusive) 4 Star Rating
By: tuck0411 (02/06/2025 05:20 PM)
Humidor time: 111 days
Humidimeter reading: Head - 66, foot - 61
Appearance and construction: A few veins, a light sheen, a green cloth foot-band, and a moderately firm pack with no soft spots... Gave it a single shallow V-cut and PLD was moderately open. (8/10)

Flavor: PLA gave a whiff of tobacco. The light gave a medium+ profile with a spicy retro and notes of wood, spice, and a hint of mint. The spice in the nose faded after a few puffs with the other flavors staying consistent through the first third after which a hint of butter crept in and stuck around through the remainder with the other flavors staying consistent throughout. Very tasty, overall with just enough spice and those minty/buttery hints to keep things interesting throughout. Strength was about medium or a bit better. (32/35)



Smoking characteristics: The light produced a moderately easy draw, good smoke volume, and an even burn to start. The burn was slightly wavy but self-correcting through the first third with the ash falling at 1 1/2" leaving a small cone. The burn continued wavily through the 2nd third, then got lopsided going into the last third and a touch-up was needed. Things were then uneventful down to the nub with draw and smoke output remaining mostly optimal throughout. (17/20)

Overall impression: This one came from Small Batch as one of their COTM selections awhile back. A very tasty smoke it was with construction being pretty good, the one touch-up aside. I don't get mint as a flavor very often, but it's always a welcome twist on the usual wood/spice combo from this sort of habano blend. Definitely would smoke this one again. (30/35)

Burn time: 1:19
Rating: 87
Buena Vista Edicion Limitada Gordito by Raymond Pages 3.5 Star Rating
By: tuck0411 (02/05/2025 06:12 PM)
Humidor time: 110 days
Humidimeter reading: Head - 60, foot - 52
Appearance and construction: A few veins, a light sheen, and a moderately firm pack with no soft spots... Gave it a single shallow V-cut and PLD was moderately open. (8/10)

Flavor: PLA gave a whiff of tobacco. The light gave a medium+ profile with a slightly spicy retro and notes of wood, coffee, and a hint of spice. The spice in the nose faded quickly with the other flavors staying consistent throughout. No transitions to note and this was mildly flavorful but missed my wheelhouse by a fair bit. Strength was about medium. (27/35)



Smoking characteristics: The light produced an easy draw, good smoke volume, and a wavy burn to start. The burn continued wavily and almost lopsided through the first third with the ash falling at 2" on the low side of the burn line leaving no cone behind. I thought a touch-up would be necessary post-ashing but it managed to self-correct itself through the 2nd third and things then continued more or less uneventfully down to the nub. Draw and smoke output remained optimal throughout. It was a fast-burning stick, clocking in at just under 3/4's of an hour from light to nub. (17/20)

Overall impression: This was the last vitola from this blend sampler that arrived from Cigar Page awhile back. Pretty much the least impressive stick from the bunch with both flavors and construction failing to match the other vitolas. Not one I'd buy more of. (28/35)

Burn time: 0:44
Rating: 80
Room 101 14th Anniversary Toro 4.5 Star Rating
By: tuck0411 (02/04/2025 05:50 PM)
Humidor time: 109 days
Humidimeter reading: Head - 66, foot - 59
Appearance and construction: A few veins, a light sheen, and a moderately firm pack with no soft spots... Gave it a single shallow V-cut and PLD was moderately open. (8/10)

Flavor: PLA gave a whiff of rich tobacco. The light gave a full-bodied profile with a spicy retro and notes of black pepper, black coffee, leather, spice, and just a hint of something a bit bread-like. The spice in the nose faded after a few puffs with the other flavors mellowing a bit through the first third and the body receding towards medium/full but the flavors otherwise stayed consistent throughout. Very tasty, overall, and pretty close to my wheelhouse for this type of rich Nicaraguan blend with plenty of spice and that very pleasant bready hint to keep things interesting throughout. Strength was about medium or a bit better. (33/35)



Smoking characteristics: The light produced an easy draw, good smoke volume, and an even burn to start. The burn stayed even through the first third with the ash falling at 1 1/4" leaving a small cone. Things were then uneventful down to the nub with draw and smoke output remaining optimal throughout. (20/20)

Overall impression: This one came from Small Batch as one of their COTM selections awhile back. A very tasty Nicaraguan puro with both flavor and construction knocking it out of the park.  I'd definitely smoke this one again and would buy more if they were affordable ($70 for a pack of five at SB - ouch!). (33/35)

Burn time: 1:26
Rating: 94
Buena Vista Edicion Limitada Gran Vista by Raymond Pages 4 Star Rating
By: tuck0411 (02/03/2025 04:47 PM)
Humidor time: 108 days
Humidimeter reading: Head - 67, foot - 47
Appearance and construction: A few veins, a light sheen, and a firm pack with no soft spots... Gave it a single shallow V-cut and PLD was moderately open. (8/10)

Flavor: PLA gave a faint whiff of tobacco. The light gave a medium/full profile with a spicy retro and notes of rich wood, coffee, and spice. The spice in the nose faded after a few puffs with the other flavors staying consistent throughout. No transitions to note but this was quite flavorful with just enough spice in the mix to keep things interesting throughout. Strength was about medium. (30/35)



Smoking characteristics: The light produced an easy draw, good smoke volume, and an even burn to start. The burn stayed even through the first third with the ash falling at 1 1/2" leaving a small cone. The burn continued a bit wavily but self-correcting through the last two thirds and down to the nub. Draw and smoke output remained optimal throughout. It was a bit of a fast-burner for its size, clocking in at just shy of an hour and a quarter from light to nub. (18/20)

Overall impression: This one came in a blend sampler from Cigar Page awhile back. A more or less similar smoke to the previous vitolas I've had from this blend, although again, as with the last one, it was mostly lacking the creamy quality I was getting from some of the previous vitolas. On the bright side, it had more spice than some of those. A good smoke, in any case, and I'll definitely be smoking more of these. (30/35)

Burn time: 1:13
Rating: 86
Paul Stulac White Blinding Light Torpedo 4 Star Rating
By: ElCid1986 (02/03/2025 04:11 PM)
I had this right after lunch and was glad I ate beforehand. Used my V cutter as I prefer that with shaped vitola sticks, but had to go two cuts as flow was restricted with one. On prelight draw got more of a sweeter note. Once combustion kicked in it was spice forward. Some notes of burned caramel and spice. Draw was perfect and combustion spot on. Long finish and lots of creamy smoke. I enjoy Paul Stulac cigars and this was a really good one.
Buena Vista Edicion Limitada Toro Larga by Raymond Pages 4 Star Rating
By: tuck0411 (02/02/2025 06:10 PM)
Humidor time: 107 days
Humidimeter reading: Head - 67, foot - 54
Appearance and construction: A few veins, a light sheen, and a moderately firm pack with no soft spots... Gave it a single shallow V-cut and PLD was moderately open. (8/10)

Flavor: PLA gave a whiff of rich tobacco. The light gave a medium/full profile with a spicy retro and notes of rich wood, coffee, spice, and a hint of creaminess. The spice in the nose faded after a few puffs with the other flavors staying consistent throughout. No transitions to note but this was quite flavorful with just enough spice in the mix to keep things interesting throughout. Strength was about medium. (30/35)



Smoking characteristics: The light produced a moderately easy draw, good smoke volume, and an even burn to start. The burn stayed even through the first third with the ash falling at 1 1/4" leaving a cone. Things were then uneventful down to the nub with draw and smoke output remaining optimal throughout. (20/20)

Overall impression: This one came in a blend sampler from Cigar Page awhile back. Very similar smoke to the previous vitolas I've had from this blend although it didn't have quite as much of the creaminess I was getting from those. A good smoke, though, and I'd definitely smoke it again. (31/35)

Burn time: 1:24
Rating: 89

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Raymond Pages The Brand Salamone 7.1" x 58
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Raymond Pages Record Bond Salamone 7.1" x 58
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Raymond Pages Hoofty Salamone 7.1" x 58

   
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