Good Fellas Cigars

23rd Apr2012

Room101 One Shot One Kill (O.S.O.K) Filero

by GoodFellasCigars

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Honduran Corojo

Filler: Honduran Corojo & Dominican Republic Piloto Ligero

Shape: Filero

Size: 52 x 42 x 4 1/2

Country: Tabacos Rancho Jamastran, Honduras

Strength: Medium-Full

Date Released: January 2012

Production: 1,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)

Price Range: $8.00

Spring is finally here and so is our Cigar of the Month for April! This month we have chosen something from Room101 because we believe this is a cigar everyone has to try. It is called the Room101 One Shot One Kill (O.S.O.K) Filero. Some of you may be wondering how does one come up with the name One Shot One Kill. The story behind this starts directly from who made this cigar which is of course Matt Booth along with collaboration from his friend, a southern California photographer, Edgar Hoill. His nickname is One Shot One Kill due to the fact he can produce amazing photos with one click of the camera. Edgar Hoill is most known for taking very moving photographs of Mexican border towns and slums in Cuba. He is also known for his clothing company as well called O.S.O.K. The One Shot One Kill was debuted at IPCPR 2011 in Las Vegas and was officially released this January in three different sizes that are all a Diadema/Perfecto mix. For the Cigar of the Month we chose the smallest of the three called the Filero.

The Look: The Room101 One Shot One Kill is not your typical cigar, it is not enclosed by cellophane or even a cedar sheath. It’s not enclosed by one protective cover but two! The outermost cover is basically a mini poster once undone. It has a decorative black and white skull on it that fits the tribal theme Matt Booth is always trying to portray in his cigar lines. The next layer of defense is a tissue like paper that’s twisted at the ends like a toostie roll. Once fully unwrapped we see the cigar’s shape which is a mix between a Perfecto and a Diadema. It closely resembles to an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story. The band is matte black with silver along with the abraviation O.S.O.K which is a lot different than what was shown at IPCPR 2011 in Las Vegas. Also we notice on the back is a QR code that upon scanning with a devise that has a QR program or application leads to Room101′s Facebook. I love the idea of this and I could see more people in the industry begin to use this. The pack on this cigar is a little soft and it doesn’t really snap back after releasing. Maybe this will affect the burn or maybe not. There are no veins really present and overall it just has excellent construction from cap to foot.

The Start: I began to smell the foot and wrapper and they both have the same aroma of a sweet yet mild barnyard. From that alone I can tell this is going to be a nice and rich cigar. I gave the pointed cap a straight cut even though this would also go good with a v-cut. The pre-draw has a flavor of sweet tobacco and the draw itself required effort obviously due to the pointed foot. As for the initial draw it was a really rich and creamy cocoa which can also be described as a milk chocolate.

The Beginning: To start off the first section of the O.S.O.K it has a main flavor profile of a smooth pink pepper spice that combines perfectly with the milk chocolate from the initial draw. On the back burner are tones of a dry wood that makes the smoke nice and cooling on the palate. I’m really loving the profile on this cigar right now! It’s just an overall rich smoke that has alot of flavor packed into each puff. The ash is a peppered mix color that is nice and firm. As for the burn it’s wavy to begin with but, after it moved past the foot it evens out a lot; only now it has a very small wave. The draw still requires some effort but after you move past the foot farther into the first third it opens up quite a bit more. Also when getting past the foot a flavor of a rich wheat begins to appear that makes a nice full smoke. I’m loving this smoke!

The Middle: As I move into the second third the flavors and smoke just kept becoming more and more creamy. It’s wonderful! I also picked up a small hint of anise and some sort of milk, like an eggnog, but not quite. Can’t seem to put my finger on it though. Maybe a RumChata? The profile for the most part is still keeping what is was before with the milk chocolate, pink pepper, and the smokey wood along with the hints of other flavors here and there. These flavors start to become alot richer after moving past the halfway point when the cigar begins to narrow again. The burn here is almost nearly perfect and the draw keeps becoming easier as more time passes. The ash was still remaining firm and was now transitioning to all white with a little bit of grey. At this point in the O.S.O.K the smoke is very smooth and creamy which makes the palate water like a good dessert!

The End: It’s sad to say that this cigar is coming to an end because now I am into the last third of the Room101 One Shot One Kill. I just didn’t want it to end. The profile is still remaining consistent and rich all the way. One of the only things that changed in this part of the cigar is that a toasted almond came into play which further complimented the overall flavor profile. This baby, I smoked all the way to the nub. It was that creamy and smooth. The finish consisted of a mild spice along with a creamy and smokey wood.

Final Thoughts: All in all this cigar took me about an hour and 15 minutes and it was simply amazing being packed with so much creamy flavor it felt like I just had a meal. My biggest suggestion with this stick is to just have a water to truly enjoy all the flavors. I have also smoked the larger size which is called the Trucha. That one took me about two to two and half hours. It’s flavor was still the same as this little guy but if your looking for a longer smoke of the One Shot One Kill I suggest that but if your looking for a lot more flavor then stick with the Filero. I just can’t keep stating how much I enjoy this stick. Matt Booth along with Edgar Hoill did it on this one, from the cigar to the way it was presented, all of it was just spot on. If you haven’t really heard of Room101 I suggest you check out their other sticks too because Matt is doing a great job these days on the lines he has been releasing from the Room101 Connecticut 615c to the Room101 LTD Namakubi Papi Chulo. Happy smoking people and don’t over look this one, go out and give it a try!

Special thanks to MansonPhoto from MansonPhoto.com for the photos.

Category : Room101

Tags : 101, booth, cigars, Edgar Hoill, Filero, full, hoill, IPCPR, Las, manson, Matt Booth, month, O.S.O.K, One Shot One Kill, osok, photo, photography, reivews, review, Room, room101, Room101 One Shot One Kill (O.S.O.K) Filero, Vegas

1 Comm

01st Mar2012

Viaje Satori Zen 2011

by GoodFellasCigars

Wrapper: San Andrés – Mexico

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Shape: Box-Pressed Double Torpedo

Size: 6 3/4 x 52

Country: Honduras

Strength: Full

Production: 150 Boxes of 25 Cigars; 3,750 Total Cigars

Price Range: $11.75

“Satori is the Japanese word for enlightenment, used to refer to a deep or lasting realization of the nature of existence. Experience has shown there are many paths to enlightenment. Cigars have often been the catalyst for achieving heightened awareness and a greater understanding of our complex world. I have had the good fortune to meet many interesting people with whom I have spent countless hours deep in conversation with a fine cigar in hand. This cigar is a tribute to the enlightenment one can achieve while indulging in one of life’s great luxuries.”

Those are some very bold words to describe a cigar. It is true that relaxing and enjoying a cigar can put one in a meditative state. Maybe this cigar is better getting a cigar aficionado to enlightenment but, I’ll leave that to you to find out for yourself. The 2011 line of Satori cigars has changed slightly from 2010 as seen the the Viaje Satori Zen. The Zen retained its striking 6 3/4 x 52 Box-Pressed Double Torpedo shape but dropped the oscuro wrapper in favor for a lighter Mexican San Andrés wrapper. This change was due in part to complaints of how strong the original Satori blend was. Now many people did not particularly like the old blend but I for one really enjoyed it. So, I was somewhat sad to see the oscuro wrapper discontinued for the Satori line of cigars. But, switching to a San Andrés wrapper will broaden the appeal and I for one even though miss the original Satori line I love what the new wrapper has added this cigar and that is why the Viaje Satori Zen 2011 is our March Cigar of the month.

The Look: The Viaje Satori Zen is a Box-Pressed 6 3/4 x 52 Double Torpedo with a dark brown wrapper dotted with darker brown spots with dark veins to match. Compared with the original Viaje Satori Zen it is still quite sticking in appearance but the nearly perfect black oscuro wrapper from before made it even more striking. The pack was of the box-press was firm with a little bit of give. But, appearances are not that all important as compared to the flavor and how the cigar smokes. So, let’s get to it.

The Start: The foot of the Viaje Satori Zen had aromas of spice, and light black liquorish. The wrapper gave off none of these aromas and instead gave off scents of leather, caramel, and a nuttiness of almond. The pre-light displayed a more pronounced essence of black liquorish then its aroma coming from the wrapper. Once lighting the Viaje Satori Zen with the soft flame of a match I took some initial draws and found it comprised of spiciness, leather, and walnut.

The Beginning: Into the first third of the Viaje Satori Zen the flavors comprised of cinnamon, hazelnut, and a hint of ginger. The finish was simply a pleasant toasted hazelnut. The draw was fabulous producing an abundant amount of smoke. Being a double torpedo both ends must be cut the foot does not have to be as far cut as the head. Due to the shape it would not be uncommon that during the first minute or two the cigar could have a somewhat difficult draw. This should rapidly improve as the foot of the cigar burns and opens a wider area for air flow. The burn was slightly uneven and the ash was shaded light gray to darker gray and held well.

The Middle: In the second third the Viaje Satori Zen mellowed. The flavor profile featured a creamy dark chocolate. On the retrohale a nice spice that could be described as cinnamon came into play along with nice nuttiness. The finish switched from a roasted hazelnut to a light hazelnut favor. The draw remained excellent and produced a good amount of smoke. The burn improved over the first third but was still slightly uneven. The smoke wafting from the cigar carried with it a great aroma of hazelnut. Over all the second third was slightly simple yet had a good balance of flavors. The smooth taste of 12 year Canadian Club Whiskey would complement the Viaje Satori Zen nicely. Perhaps the next time I smoke this cigar with a snifter of 12 Year Canadian Club Whiskey warmed to 55 degrees by soapstone whiskey stones. And perhaps this combination with help me achieve enlightenment… maybe. If not at least it will be tasty.

The End: The final third was surprisingly more complex than the previous third. Here the flavor profile consisted of a nice toastiness, hazelnut, and dark chocolate. The finish really shined with the wonderful taste of a whiskey barrel that of charred white oak, also complementing the whiskey barrel flavor was dark chocolate, and a very slight hint of the fruitiness of dark cheery. The Draw like both of the previous thirds was still excellent and the burn by now was pretty even.

Final Thoughts: Over all the Viaje Satori Zen was a pretty constant smoke with a pleasing flavor profile. The highlights of this cigar came in the forms of a constant excellent draw and a flavorful dominate nutty-hazelnut taste. Pairing the Viaje Satori Zen with a good smooth whiskey such as 12 Year Canadian Club Whiskey would make smoking this cigar a great pleasure. As compared with with the original Satori line which I enjoyed very much this updated Satori Zen did not go wrong. Frankly, I would love to smoke these quite a bit more often when I have the chance. If your local brick and mortar store has these in stock give them try along with a smooth spirit may bring you some enlightenment.

Category : viaje

Tags : 2011, andres, band, cigars, fella, fellas, good, month, new, review, reviews, San, satori, viaje, zen

0 Comm

02nd Oct2011

Kristoff Kristania (5.5×60)

by GoodFellasCigars

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo Habano

Binder: Dominican Habano

Filler: Dominican Habano

Shape: Unnamed

Size: 5.5×60

Country: Dominican Republic

Strength: Medium

Welcome back to our 3rd edition of Good Fellas Cigar of the Month. To start lets just say the Kristoff Kristania is unique. Not in a bad way, in a really good way that is why we chose it for this month’s pick. To begin lets start with a little history about this stick, it was first debuted at the 2011 IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. Kristoff made this stick to help created a new budget cigar that would be a hit and in our minds over here at Good Fellas they did a damn good job! The two unique things we found in this cigar is first the look and then the flavor profile. Right after the bat the wrapper of the Kristania catches your eye for the simple fact it doesn’t look like your standard cigar. It is a standard brown wrapper but, with pretty much black veins all over it, kind of reminded us of Halloween but, more so it looked like a warn piece of leather. The band of this stick also had a pretty cool layout as well besides the fact it sort of blends in with the wrapper. Overall we loved the look of this cigar.

The pack was firm, it had a smell of a sweet and light tobacco, and the pre-light draw was very smooth and with a little sweetness we picked up with nothing else being to noticeable. The other thing we found very unique is the flavor profile of this cigar, it had things you don’t often find in many sticks out there. To start with the initial light flavors which was a spice that tingled the tongue along with a sweet hint that was comparable to a lite cream.

The first third, around only an inch or so into the Kristania it had a spice of roasted cedar which had main stage along with the underlying cream that wasn’t showing it’s true flavor just quite yet. As progressing past an inch or getting close to the second third we noticed the ash is white with a small amount of grey peppered in and it is holding strong with the draw still smooth. The flavors finally begin to really pop here with the spice subduing and a bitterness of a roasted coffee bean or an espresso coming through and along with the cream part we were trying to pin point which at this point were noticing a vanilla bean. Not that much though, it’s comparable to having a dark roast coffee with a small amount of cream in it. Overall at this point a great profile which only seems like it’s going to get better. The smoke produce by the cigar is thick on the draw but, not when resting and also this is the kind of stick which you can let sit a while without going out in you.

Transitioning in to the second third and going through it too the vanilla bean is finally up there more with where one can really notice it. The vanilla takes the main flavor at this point the espresso following close making a nice bitterness right after the sweet you get from the vanilla which is awesome! Then on the finish is just a tad bit of the spice from the beginning that’s still around. The burn at this point is doing alright it is just a little jagged most likely due to the larger ring gauge of this cigar.

Now to the final third of this cigar which becomes more bitter due to that warm coffee flavor and the rich vanilla bean is still there too. Another sweetness that came into play at this part of the cigar too, which was anise. You could taste it after every finish of a draw which went excellent with the bitterness from the coffee. And as for the finish of the Kristania it was a bitterness of anise and the vanilla bean.

We overall here at Good Fellas thought this would be perfect here for our Cigar of the Month due to the fact this was a pretty unique cigar from the look to the taste of it, along with something new and lower price range from Kristoff which isn’t seen too often. So we suggest the Kristoff Kristania to anyone from a beginner to an aficionado.

We would also love to thank MansonPhoto from MansonPhoto.com again for these great pictures!

Home » Kristoff Kristania (5.5×60) » Kristoff Kristania

Comparision size

Band

Cutting the cap

Foot

Toasting the foot

Initial light

Staring at the glow

First third

The ash

Category : Kristoff

Tags : 60, anise, bean, cheap, cigars, criollo, dominican, fella, fellas, gauge, good, Habano, IPCPR, Kristania, Kristoff, Las, manson, Matt, month, new, october, photo, photography, review, reviews, vanilla, Vegas

3 Comm

05th Sep2011

AVO Heritage Robusto

by GoodFellasCigars

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun-grown Hybrid

Binder: Dominican Vincente

Filler: Dominican Ligero, Dominican Seco, & Peruvian Seco

Shape: Robusto

Size: 4.9″ x 50

Country: Dominican Republic

Come one come all to Septembers best cigar of all. Were back again with our second installment of our Cigar of the Month series. We had our share of cigars in August, and probably your share too, but we nailed our vote down to a 2×4 and it was the Avo Heritage. Avo Uvezian worked very closely with Hendrik Kelner to snag some of the best Cuban seed, Ecuadorian sun-grown wrappers you can get your hands on. The Avo Heritage has been talked about for a while and was set for its first major release at the 2011 IPCPR. The price on this line of Avo’s was more affordable compared to some of the other cigars they have put out which was what caught my eye at first. Once I asked about them a little and was told that they were a little fuller than the average Avo I knew I had to have one. The look of the stick was a gorgeous lighter brown, Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper that drew me right in. On the initial light I noticed a nice warm spice that reminded me of the fall and the changing leaves, but maybe that’s just me. There was a slight nuttiness to the flavor profile as well that was extremely pleasant with my coffee. The construction on the cigar was flawless with a perfect draw that not only had a nice resistance, but also put out a lot of smoke. While I ventured into the second third of the stick, the flavors remained almost the same but there was a slight addition of a light roasted, full flavored coffee. These flavors stayed consistent throughout the whole smoke. The final third had a little more prominent spice to it with a nice finish. While the smoke may not have been all that complex, I feel like that it was meant to be as consistently phenomenal as it was. There is a reason that this cigar was picked as cigar of the month, it comes to you with a very reasonable price, especially with the history of Avo’s super-premium cigars. It also had consistent flavors that fit a Minnesotan September perfectly. Make sure to stop in to your local Brick & Mortar and pick one of these up, or a box. If they don’t have them, make sure to demand them; they are that good.

Once again special thanks to MansonPhoto from MansonPhoto.com for all these wonderful pictures!

Home » AVO Heritage Robusto » Avo Heritage Robusto