Cigar Weekly 2008 Blind Review #7
Cuban Crafters Medina 1959 - Miami (Torpedo)
Published December 26, 2008
Compiled by Doug McGuire (Mad Dawg)
Compiled by Doug McGuire (Mad Dawg)
Cuban Crafters is well known in the cigar world for producing a wide array of proprietary blends. When their newest line, the Medina 1959 - Miami, was released earlier this year, Cigar Weekly contacted National Sales Director Alberto Noguera about doing a blind review. Mr. Noguera graciously provided a box of the torpedoes for the review, and gave the following background:
The wrapper is aged for 5 years and binder and filler for 6 years. The blend is first-generation Cuban seed tobacco grown in Nicaragua (in a special section of our farms).
The cigar is made under the supervision of Manuel Medina in our Miami Factory and the Churchills are made by him. In Cuba he was the Head Cigar Maker at H. Upmann and then at Davidoff before he left for Miami. He is considered one of the best rollers in the world. The cigar is the Medina 1959 Miami Edition. This cigar was blended by Medina to be as close as possible to the cigars that were made in Cuba in 1959, before Castro took over.
It is only made in our Miami, Florida factory. All the cigar rollers in the factory are Cuban born cigar makers that came over, some very recently. There are a few that worked for Medina in the H. Upmann factory in Cuba.
An interesting twist to the story of these cigars is that vitola we reviewed is produced by a single roller, Sonia Oliva Rodriguez. Short of custom-rolled cigars, it's not often you can ascribe the cigar you're smoking to the craft of a single roller, and our reviewers were most impressed by Ms. Rodriguez's work! For more information, see: http://www.cubancrafters.com/products.php/item_id/4891
Pre-Smoke Comments
Fishin' Phil: Subtle, slightly floral aroma. Beautiful claro wrapper with very light veining. Nice even bunch, and a well finished head. This was a beautiful cigar.
AnejoMoFo: This cigar looked like the Eiroa produced house brands that you find in brick and mortar cigar shops. The pre-light draw yielded nothing of interest, and was quite faint. A loose bunch was responsible for a too-easy draw that caused a tendency for the cigar to overheat, producing bitter smoke.
TommyBB: Both samples were quite handsome belicosos with near perfectly formed heads, made from a really nice Connecticut shade capa.
ronin: A very nice looking torpedo. Nicely rolled with no tight spots. A light brown wrapper with a nice toothy feel. Overall appearance was very nice with light veins in my sample. After I clipped it, the draw was easy. The overall aroma of the cigar pre-lighting was very nice.
SLR: Excellent wrapper. Thin veins and a smooth cap. Well constructed, with a perfect draw and burn. Overall, a nice looking cigar
Elk Twin: These were large, well-formed torpedoes with velvety, light-colored Connecticut wrappers. Smooth to the touch and faintly dusted with sparkly crystals. A nice springy roll, and a perfect pre-light draw that tasted of orange zest and rich, fertile soil.
Smoke Comments
Fishin' Phil: I would have liked to see the volume on the flavor kicked up just a little.
AnejoMoFo: The opening showed some promise, bearing faint grassy and herbal notes. The rest of the cigar, however, was so mild as to be almost tasteless. Some very light tea-like notes reminded me that I was smoking a cigar.
TommyBB: Both samples were tantalizingly pretty. And they started off with a mild, pleasant flavor. However, after the ash fell the first time, both cigars changed, and for the worse. Both acquired a sweet character of overripe fruit, trailing off to a bitterness on the tongue. I had hoped the first one was an anomaly. But when the second performed in a similar manner, there was nothing I could do to save it.
ronin: Nice even light with a soft flame. My sample exhibited a nice medium flavor. The overall balance was nice, with medium strength and body. It exhibited modest flavor with a light sweetness. It showed no bitterness or sharpness. But I did notice a light saltiness as I smoked it. It produced nice volumes of smoke and burned very nicely, producing a white/gray ash. No touch-ups were needed, and the ash was fairly firm with a flat burn. The cigar had a very light aroma.
SLR: It was a really good cigar, a bit overpowering and one dimensional, with some earthy flavors evidencing a metallic finish. It was very strong, with some good tobacco flavors coming through. This cigar would only appeal to those who love really strong cigars. The aroma could prove a bit overpowering in a crowd.
Elk Twin: The honeymoon was over. Early on, the cigar had a green, astringent quality that was especially evident on the finish. The burn started out slightly uneven, but corrected itself within an inch. The smoke tasted of green elm leaves and milkweed sap. Each puff was uncomfortable, and created a slight burning sensation on my inner cheeks and tongue. The medium gray ash was solid, and extended to way over an inch long before it cracked off cleanly, revealing a curious tan-colored inner core.
By the one-third mark, a sensation of an oily coating had formed on my tongue, giving the impression that my taste was impaired. But I still felt a slight stinging sensation at the back of my mouth. The flavors began to crystallize at the halfway mark, with slight traces of coffee, chalk and ginger appearing. But there was still a harsh, papery quality to the blend that shouldered its way to the front. The aroma of the cigar was deceptively pleasant, light and sweet.
Summary Comments
Fishin' Phil: Beautifully made cigar with a nice mild flavor. A very nice choice when you are in a 'mild mood'.
AnejoMoFo: By way of full disclosure, I'll admit that this cigar was way too mild for my liking. And so my response may be biased. That said, I found this torpedo to be wholly uninspiring, one-dimensional and frustratingly tasteless. Minor construction issues, as they appeared, would not have been much of a concern in the context of a more flavorful cigar. However, a cigar such as this, with a total paucity of flavor, simply cannot afford to have other than perfect construction. While not a 'dog-rocket', I would reserve this smoke only for uninvited guests and in-laws (excuse the redundancy).
TommyBB: These cigars held such promise from the time I received the package. A supremely well-constructed cigar, and a beautiful belicoso with a near-perfectly executed cap. Both samples burned straight and true, with a razor thin burn line and tight ash, as evidenced by the firmness of the bunch. Sadly, even though the flavor of the two cigars developed over the course of the smoke, that flavor worsened from right after the first drops of the ashes until I finished each of the samples.
ronin: A very nice torpedo. It burned nicely, and was a very pleasant smoke. It would be a very nice cigar for early morning with coffee, or even as a mid day cigar. I would not consider it for an after-dinner cigar, as I found it to be very light tasting. I also think that if one were use to a heavier cigar and chose to smoke this one throughout the day, one would tire of it quickly. If you enjoy light body cigars with a touch of sweetness, this is one you will likely really enjoy.
SLR: A good cigar with strong tobacco flavors, perfect for golfing or other outdoor activities. Stays lit, and is well constructed.
Elk Twin: This cigar was like a gorgeous and sexy woman with no intelligence and a nasty disposition. The appearance made me want to embrace 'her', but 'she' left a bad taste in my mouth. I'd likely not subject myself to these again.
Scores
|
Reviewer
|
Appearance and
|
Burn
|
Draw
|
Aroma
|
Flavor
|
Taste and
|
Overall
|
Total
|
|
Fishin' Phil
|
5
|
4
|
5
|
4
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
39
|
|
AnejoMoFo
|
2
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
24
|
|
TommyBB
|
4
|
4
|
3.5
|
3
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
29.5
|
|
ronin
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
3
|
7
|
6
|
6
|
36
|
|
SLR
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
3
|
6
|
7
|
6
|
37
|
|
Elk Twin
|
5
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
5
|
28
|
|
Averages
|
4.17
|
4.33
|
4.25
|
3.5
|
5.33
|
5.17
|
5.5
|
32.25
|
|
To achieve the final score we throw out the high and low total scores then average the
| ||||||||
Review Results
Final Score: 32.63 out of 50 - 3 " Stars - Above Average 
The Cuban Crafters Medina 1959 line is available in 5 sizes:
Torpedo (6" x 54 RG)
Churchill (7" x 50 RG)
Corona Gorda (6" x 64 RG)
Robusto (5" x 50 RG)
Lancero (7 ½" x 38 RG)
Box prices range from $174.99 to $224.99.
Available exclusively from Cuban Crafters: http://www.cubancrafters.com/
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