I’ve been trying to do this series in order and sort of on time but things just got away from me. I couldn’t tell which order the last three were supposed to be in because the number was blurry on all three of them. This happens to be the last release in the 2013 series, released in December. It is a Nicaraguan puro with a Habano wrapper from Esteli. They come packed in 20 count boxes and the production was limited to 500 boxes.
Last year, word broke in September about a new size of FdlA, called the “MAM-13.” Standing for “Mid-Atlantic Mafia,” this vitola would ship to only 5 stores, all in the general “Mid-Atlantic” region. There would be 500 boxes made (20 cigars in a box), so each store would get 100 boxes. I was happy to see my hope shop–Burns Tobacconist–on the list.
La Palina is a company that came out of nowhere several years ago and now is a very respected manufacturer whose output seems to have surpassed the somewhat arbitrary numbers we call “boutique” but they still are not what anyone could call “big”…at least not big in the way that General, Altadis or Davidoff are big. Overall, I would say they are in a good place right now, producing a varied lineup that appeals to a wide variety of smokers with different levels of money to spend on the habit.
If you’ve been to the last couple Chattanooga Tweet-Ups, you might know Byrdman. He’s usually at the center of the B&B group when they come in the room and yell out their tag-line/slogan/motto/mating call: “We all we got! Shiiiiiiiiiiiit!”
Using a carefully selected blend of tobaccos, Rogue is a bold, box-pressed cigar with crafted unfinished foot. The blend features a Ecuadorian, Habano wrapper, combining a rare Ecuadorian binder with a specially chosen blend of 3-year aged Ligero’s from Nicaragua, Honduras and Dominican Republic. This full-flavored cigar has complex tasting notes of spice, rich tobacco and roasted chestnuts.
This cigar was released at the the 2013 IPCPR show and was only available to the retailers that placed orders at the show. These cigars are a limited production however I can’t really find out what that means as far as total numbers. The cigar is comprised of Nicaraguan fillers and binder with a Nicaraguan sungrown Criollo wrapper from 1998. The cigars come packed 20 to a box. I smoked two previous cigars to the one I smoked for for review.
100% Nicaraguan Puro utilizing a variety of Authentic Cuban seeds and ‘AA’ Tobacco leaf from Aganorsa. The cigar’s blend is comprised of Medio Tiempo Maduro, Ligero, and Viso from specific Aganorsa Tobacco farms in Jalapa Valley, Condega Valley and Estelí in Nicaragua
Just after Christmas, I found myself visiting my local B&M to pick up cigars for friends that were visiting that evening. What was unique about this these friends had never smoked a cigar before. Wanting to be a good host, I picked up a variety of cigars to give them a choice. They both ultimately selected a flavored cigar (Java), leaving us with a few extras to smoke with one of those being the Don Diego Robusto I am reviewing for you now.
I met Frank at the first Chattanooa Tweetup after missing him a couple times on his trips out to the LA area. I was able to try La Caridad del Cobre at that event. At this year’s tweetup I was very excited to see the “new to me” biography as one of the cigars Frank sent us to give away. Dave did a review on it here. I was only able to smoke one cigar for this review.
Is this the best-looking band to ever adorn a Tatuaje? Yes, I think so.
