Most of you might assume that "Warlock" means a male version of a witch (and some of you younger folks might associate it with Charlie Sheen on one of his recent rants), but if you dig deeper, in "Old Norse" it actually means "caller of the spirits."

[caption id="attachment_411" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Warlock Cigars at My Discount Cigars"][/caption]

Ranked as the #9 cigar of 2011 by Cigar Aficionado with a 92 rating for their Robusto size, the Warlock was released in 2010 by Altadis U.S.A. Inc.  Specially crafted by hand in Nicaragua's Condega region by cigar-maker Omar Ortez, the super-premium Warlock cigar packs ample boldness and flavor. While the majority of cigar factories in Nicaragua are found in Esteli, the Warlock hails from the Condega region where the tobaccos are just the right balance, not as strong as the tobaccos of Esteli, yet not as creamy as those grown in the Jalapa region. Though it is not classified as a boutique cigar it is a bit of a stretch for Altadis U.S.A. the cigar giant, with its edgy overall appearance, outlaw name, gothic black font on the silver band, and housed in a rustic-looking wooden box.

Image aside, the Warlock is a strong smoke from the first puff and is balanced with leathery, salty flavors, and earthy notes complemented by subtle spices. The leather aroma is not the old-shoe type of leather, but more of a smooth, buttery, soft leather coat. On the finish there is a woody tone reminiscent of white wine oak casks. It is a bit of a firmer cigar to the touch with a well-placed cap and just a few slight veins. You will get a consistent, even burn and an ash that will hold out to about 2". The oily, dark Ecuadorian Cuban-seed wrappers that envelop the Warlock cigar, combined with Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers and a rich Nicaraguan binder make this cigar a complex and robust powerhouse. Though the Warlock is powerful, it is in the same token quite refined. This cigar would be well-paired with a full-bodied cab or a fine Scotch. The medium to full-bodied Warlock cigar was created to be strong, and boy do they deliver! A definite treat for all the senses.

RATED 92 BY CIGAR AFICIONADO AND THE #9 CIGAR OF 2011!

[caption id="attachment_410" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Warlock Cigars at My Discount Cigars"][/caption]

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Flavor: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Cubano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

The Warlock cigars are available for purchase online here at MyDiscountCigar.com.

~ Peace, Love, Cigars ~

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Cigar Review of the Warlock Robusto, by Seth Geise of Seth's Humidor

January 27, 2012

Warlock Robusto

When one thinks of cigars by Altadis, the Warlock line is not your typical line. More often than not one will think of Montecristo or Romeo Y Julieta. There is nothing wrong with those lines, but the Warlock Robusto captures something a little more special. The great aspect of the Warlock Robusto line is that it has always captured those great qualities of a boutique brand while having the backing of a large cigar manufacturing company. When the cigar was initially released in 2010 it captured the eyes of smokers like myself, who is a boutique smoker, and it also caught the eyes of those who loved the lines Altadis had. Unfortunately, like most cigars after several months, I lost attention to newer products, but when the cigar recently got the Number 9 Ranking by Cigar Aficionado, I began to pay some more attention again. I am fortunate enough to be able to be in touch with Altadis, and when they offered me some samples to review, I was more than glad to try them out again and review them.

The Warlock line is made in Nicaragua by Omar Ortez, and is made in their Nicaraguan factory called Agros Tobacos. Omar Ortez has worked with Altadis for many years now, and besides having his own line Omar Ortez Originals, he has worked on other blends of theirs as well, and is the sole creator behind the Warlock line. The Warlock Robusto cigar is made with tobacco of theirs that has been selected because of its rich and bold flavors, and is made from some of the best countries as well. The wrapper is Ecuadorian Cubano seed, and underneath that  is a Nicaraguan binder. With a great binder and wrapper there lies a great filler blend composed of tobacco from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. I should note that all the tobacco from Nicaragua in this cigar is actually tobacco from the Condega region in Nicaragua. The region is known for producing very balanced and flavorful tobacco. It is not as flavorful and refined as tobacco from Jalapa,or as strong as that of tobacco in Esteli, but is a perfect balance between the two.

The vitola I smoked was the robusto vitola, which was the smoke that recently received the very high ranking, and it measures 4 3/4" with a 54 ring gauge. The Warlock Robusto cigar is beautiful in hand, and has that dark coloring and fonts associated with the world surrounding a "warlock." It has a dark chocolate brown wrapper, Colorado Maduro, and it has some veins present here and there. It is a very firm cigar, and the cap is placed on perfectly. Feeling all the oils that are present in the wrapper I am getting wonderful aromas of barnyard, rich earth, leather and damp wood from the foot and wrapper of the cigar. As I cut the cigar the cold draw is great, and producing some great flavors with it. I am really looking forward to this smoke, and so I am lighting it up.

Beautiful and Oily Ecuadorian Cubano Wrapper

From the get go the Warlock Robusto cigar shows those rich earth flavors that I got from the pre-light aroma. It is a very pleasant smoke that is producing a huge amount of smoke. As I get further into the first third I begin to pick up a lot more flavors, and some really unique qualities to it. There is a nice bit of salted wood, rich earth and leather, along with this caramel mocha finish. It's really an enjoyable smoke, and it reminds me of Cuban cigars that are very rich. Not that Cuban cigars aren't rich, but it is reminiscent in some ways of a Bolivar, Partagas, or even a Ramon Allones. It is just a lovely cigar that has great qualities. I would say the Warlock Robusto cigar is smoking at a solid medium for me, and it is leaving a solid ash that is charcoal gray in coloring. The cigar is burning incredibly even and slow. I feel that the oils from the wrapper are cooling off the heat so it burns slowly, it is very nice. 

As I get into the second third of the Warlock cigar, it is still showing those awesome flavors from the first third, and is staying at a solid medium in terms of strength. I am really digging the flavors that this cigar is giving off, and it is really a cigar that I find to be one of a kind. It captures two different flavor profiles while being one cigar. It's like drinking a Shiraz and Chardonnay at once, and having it be great. Those flavors of salted wood, caramel and leather you typically find in one cigar, and then the rich earth, mocha, and barnyard flavors you find in another. A very enjoyable cigar. The burn line is still perfect in the second third, and I am holding on to the ash from the first third. The coloring is still that of charcoal gray, and the cigar is producing tons of rich smoke.

I am the final third of the Warlock Robusto cigar now, and this great experience is coming to a close. The cigar is still burning perfectly in this third, and leaving a beautiful ash and burn line, and the smoke is still very thick and aromatic. As I get close to the nub the cigar is still burning cool, and even when I get into the nub the cigar never got hot and was great all the way to the end. In terms of flavor the cigar stayed very same in the final third to what it was in the first two thirds, but it was so great I did not want it to change. Those unique flavors were very complex, and I am sure I have been something when trying to pick out the flavors. As I have been saying the combination of caramel, mocha, wood, salt, leather, rich earth, and barnyard have been phenomenal throughout, and I can see how this cigar kept on capturing the attention and palates of the Cigar Aficionado Tasting Panel.

These Warlock Robusto cigars were so entertaining to smoke. I felt that they really captured these qualities that you typically find in a rich Cuban cigar, and that made them so great for me. They were always flavorful from beginning to end, and they performed very well as cigars. They were not powerful or soft, solid medium in body, but the flavors were damn great. I really love that Altadis is attempting to make some boutique smokes no matter the size of the company, and try and captivate those cigar snobs out there who love boutique smokes. I think they are taking some right steps in reaching out to a lot of smokers, and this is a prime example of that. This was a great cigar in that sense, and is a great cigar in general. I give the Warlock Robusto cigar a 92, and really look forward to smoking more of these down the road. I have smoked them before, but this is the first time that I really sat down and analyzed them, and because of that I picked up those wonderful qualities it had to offer. This is one of the best brands that Altadis makes, and it is also one of their brands that is in actuality boutique. Quite simply,  a wonderful cigar by Omar Ortez and Altadis, and congratulation on the great ranking you all got in Cigar Aficionado Top 25 Cigars of 2011!

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Seth, thanks for yet another amazing and detailed review!

Today we honor the legendary Excalibur blends by Hoyo de Monterrey.  Hoyo de Monterrey has always been a consistent, well made, reasonably priced brand. We will highlight the flavor characters of each of the following blends:  Excalibur Legend, Excalibur Dark Knight, the Excalibur Cameroon blend and Excalibur (as well as Excalibur Maduro).

[caption id="attachment_393" align="alignleft" width="134" caption="Excalibur Legends at My Discount Cigar"][/caption]

Excalibur Legend:
As one of the most well-known brands to come from Honduras it is only fitting that the Hoyo de Monterrey's Excalibur Legend would pay homage to this brand's pedigree with such a regal title and its rich flavors that just command such attention. The Excalibur Legend is blended with proprietary tobacco cultivated exclusively for the company on the remote volcanic island of Ometepe and combines it with a potent Dominican ligero tobacco. All the tobaccos used to make this blend give it a complex combination  with a spicy and rich finish. General Cigar Company took the same wrapper for the Excalibur Legend that it used on the Excalibur Dark Knight blend, which should give you an idea of the boldness of your smoking experience. The Excalibur Legend is clearly designed to appeal to a more "seasoned" smoker who demands a full-flavored stogie.  With its well-earned 91 rating by Cigar Insider (of Cigar Aficionado) they describe it with the following terms "This thick cigar is rich with leather from the the first puff, developing to show tea and toast flavors. A balanced smoke with a profoundly leathery core."  We couldn't have said it better! So jump on the Excalibur Legend bandwagon and prepare for a smooth and intense ride.

Country of Origin: Honduras
Flavor: Full
Wrapper: Honduran Claro
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler, Nicaragua, Dominican, Honduras
Cigars in the Legend line: Excalibur Challenger (5 1/4 x 50), Excalibur Conquerer (6 1/4 x 54), Excalibur Crusader (5 3/4 x 45)

[caption id="attachment_395" align="alignleft" width="198" caption="Excalibur Dark Knight at My Discount Cigar"][/caption]

Excalibur Dark Knight:
The Excalibur Dark Knight line, the cream of the Hoyo de Monterrey crop, is wrapped in a beautiful Cuban Havana seed wrapper, complex filler and binder, giving them a robust but exquisitely smooth taste. This line was originally part of the Excalibur 1066 line (phased out by the General Cigar Company in 2010), the Excalibur Dark Knight now has its own platform to highlight the incredible taste of its unique and rich wrapper. Even though with a name like "Dark Knight" it does not come with a bat logo, experienced cigar smokers will vouch that since its introduction in 2004 it does however pack a punch with its rich, dark and complex flavors and is housed in a stained dark wooden box that resembles a treasure chest. The Hoyo de Monterrey's Excalibur Dark Knight blend expertly balances a rich, full flavor with full body. The consistent and beautiful burn make this cigar a dream to smoke. The Excalibur Dark Knight has just the right draw and exudes hints of wood, leather and sweetness. Stick after stick the Excalibur Dark Knight  will give you a very fulfilling smoking experience that makes it worth your money and your while.

Country of Origin: Honduras
Flavor: Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican Republic
Cigars in the Excalibur Dark Knight line: Excalibur Dark Knight I (5 3/4 x 54), Excalibur Dark Knight II (6 1/2 x 52), Excalibur Dark Knight III (4 1/2 x 50), Excalibur Dark Knight IV Tubo (5 x 52)

Excalibur Cameroon:

After Hoyo de Monterrey phased out the 1066 line in 2010, the Excalibur Cameroon line was introduced. The Excalibur Cameroon cigar is a full-bodied Honduran cigar that is highlighted by its rich Cameroon wrapper and its flavorful Connecticut Broadleaf binder.  Its unique story is that the Excalibur Cameroon cigar was named "The People's Choice Cigar" because its blend was selected by cigar smokers who have a deep passion for cigars. The Cameroon series features a shiny Cameroon wrapper which enhances this collection with its uniquely spicy tone. The Excalibur Cameroon is a blend that combines Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. Its character is enhanced by a select Connecticut Broadleaf binder which is grown in the Connecticut River Valley.  Because the tobaccos of the Excalibur Cameroon are cured over a lengthy period of time, the flavors become richer with some spicy overtones, pleasing the most discriminating smoker. With an 88 rating by Cigar Insider (of Cigar Aficionado), the Excalibur Cameroon is undoubtedly a well-made cigar with a great draw and burn, a well-placed cap, silky smooth and balanced smoke, and flavors that range from pepper, ginger, floral, toasty, buttery, creamy with some chalky and vanilla notes throughout.

Country of Origin: Honduras
Flavor: Medium
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic
Cigars in the Excalibur Cameroon line:  Excalibur Cameroon Galahad (6 3/4 x 47), the Excalibur Cameroon King Arthur (6 1/4 x 45), the Excalibur Cameroon Lancelot (7 1/4 x 54) and the Excalibur Cameroon Merlin (5 1/4 x 50)

Excalibur (Excalibur Maduro):

The Excalibur cigar is the perfect example of Honduran craftsmanship that combines a golden USA Connecticut Shade wrapper with a rich binder and filler, exuding a creamy aroma and a long finish. A superb cigar with great detail to construction, Hoyo de Monterrey's Excalibur is lighter in color than a Cuban cigar due to its fine Connecticut Shade wrapper and the excellent quality using the top 10% of the factory's tobacco from Nicaragua and Honduras.  Once these fine cigars are rolled by master cigar makers in tradition that dates back to 1865, they are then carefully packaged in lovely Spanish cedar boxes to enhance their character and bouquet. The Excalibur is aged in cedar, is mild to medium-bodied and complex. Seasoned smokers favor the Excalibur cigar's complexity.  This golden brown Excalibur cigar tantalizes the palate with toasty smoke and an array of flavors ranging from cedar, spice, earth, wood, nuts and slight sweet notes. It is mild to medium in body, but if you prefer a bolder and fuller flavor try the Excalibur Maduro blend with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. The Excalibur Maduro is a dark and attractive cigar enveloped in an oily, and toothy Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and a second layer of dark Connecticut Broadleaf for the binder. Not only did Cigar Insider (of Cigar Aficionado) rate the Excalibur Epicure Maduro as the #8 cigar of 2007 as "The 25 Best Cigars of the Year", Cigar Cyclopedia gave the collection an "A" rating as well. Excalibur, the cigar that was inspired by the legendary sword of King Arthur, strikes a perfect balance between the smooth flavors of its blonde wrapper and the straightforward taste of its rich filler tobaccos. With over 12 sizes and shapes to select from you have no excuse not to find one Excalibur to your liking.

Country of Origin: Honduras
Flavor: Mild to Medium
Wrapper: USA Connecticut Shade (Connecticut Broadleaf - Maduro)
Binder: Connecticut Shade (Connecticut Broadleaf - Maduro)
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Honduras
Cigars in the Excalibur (Maduro) line:  Excalibur #1 (Maduro #1) (7 1/4 x 54), Excalibur #2 (Maduro #2) (6 3/4 x 47), Excalibur #3 (Maduro #3) (6 1/8 x 48), Excalibur #4 (Maduro #4) (5 5/8 x 46), Excalibur #5 (Maduro #5) (6 1/4 x 45), Excalibur #6 (Maduro #6) (5 1/2 x 38), Excalibur #7 (Maduro #7) (5 x 43), Excalibur Cigarillos 20-Ct Tin (4 x 25), Excalibur Emperor (8 1/2 x 52), Excalibur Epicure (Epicure Maduro) (5 1/4 x 50), Excalibur Miniatures 20-Ct. Tin (3 x 22), Excalibur Prensado (6 1/8 x 48)

For the true test we suggest you try one of each of the Excalibur blends, starting with the Excalibur, followed by an Excalibur Cameroon, then sampling an Excalibur Legend and finishing off with an after-dinner smoke of an Excalibur Dark Knight blend.

The Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur blends are all available for purchase online at MyDiscountCigar.com.

To read more about Hoyo de Monterrey's Excalibur blends please visit their official site at CigarWorld.com.

~ Peace, Love, Cigars ~

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Seth Geise, of Seth's Humidor, Shares His Review of the Hoyo De Monterrey's Excalibur Epicure Maduro

The other day I was smoking an Illusione ~4/2g~ and a Ramon Allones Gigantes side by side when I was asked by a customer what my opinion was on the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Epicure Maduro. I immediately told him that I loved that cigar, and though I hadn’t smoke one in some time it was time to light one up. The cigar for me has always delivered wonderful flavors, nice medium body, and a great affordable price. The cigar did well by Cigar Aficionado in 2007, and I think they are just as great now as they were for the staff at Cigar Aficionado then. Though General Cigars and Altadis are not boutique manufacturers, the fact that they are so large gives them the opportunity to get some great tobacco that smaller manufacturers could never get. The Hoyo de Monterrey is one of the oldest cigar lines in the industry, and is one of the few lines that are made in and outside of Cuba to this day.

Some might not have great things to say about this cigar because it is made by General, and because it is a cigar that is easily accessible and not boutique, but that is just silly. This is a cigar that always delivers, and never bores. It is not overly complex in the flavor department, but the flavors it does have are wonderful throughout and never dull. With flavors being consistent throughout the cigar has to be bunched just perfectly, and this cigar was. You could never go wrong with this cigar, and even though I do not smoke them often or have them in my humidor it does not mean it is bad. This is a cigar that every retailer should carry, and it will move. All the shops I recommend carry these smokes, and there is a reason for that. This is a consistent cigar aimed for every smoker. If I were to buy one cigar from General Cigars this Excalibur Epicure Maduro would be it, and following this it would be the Punch Uppercut. A 90 rated cigar that will always deliver. The Excalibur Epicure Maduro is a great cigar to share with your friends who are big time smokers, and a cigar that is great for newcomers as well.

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Thanks for a super review Seth!

[caption id="attachment_267" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Liga Undercrown at My Discount Cigars"][/caption]

The much-anticipated Liga Undercrown cigars by Drew Estate debuted in September, 2011 all across the country.  Co-founder, Jonathan Drew describes the Liga Undercrown cigars as an "inverse Liga Privada."  The Liga Undercrown cigar is blended with several of the same tobaccos found in Drew Estate's Liga Privada No. 9 cigar and the T52 lines but with a twist.

The story behind the Liga Undercrown cigars goes like this… The torcedores at the Drew Estate cigar factory were smoking far too many Liga Privadas so they decided to blend the Liga Undercrown line for their personal use after they were asked to stop smoking their way through the Liga Privada inventory.  Instead of using the short supply of Connecticut wrapper used on the Liga Privada blend, the rollers decided on an equally oily and dark Mexican San Andreas Negro wrapper for the Liga Undercrown cigar. The torcedores took an extra step and inverted the Liga Undercrown cigar's binder and filler tobaccos using the same leaf in a Liga Privada blend but from different vintages and primings from the plant.  As an example, the Connecticut used as a wrapper in the Liga Privada T52 cigar is the binder in the Liga Undercrown blend.

The wrappers on the Liga Undercrown cigars are not harvested right away, instead they delayed the process by 4 weeks allowing the natural sugar content to be higher which results in a richer and creamier flavor on the finished product.  Along with the Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan longfillers, the T52 Connecticut stalk cut and cured Habano binder the Liga Undercrown  cigar delivers a medium to full-bodied, complex, smooth and sweet smoking experience with hints of coffee and spice.  We have great faith in Drew Estates's rollers, and if they approve, we approve too! Try a Liga Undercrown cigar in one of the 5 sizes available (2 more sizes to be added soon) at My Discount Cigar today and see what the buzz is all about.

Liga Undercrown cigars are available online here at MyDiscountCigar.com.

Read a great review on the Liga Undercrown Belicoso cigar at PUFF.com.

For more information on other Drew Estate cigars and products visit them at DrewEstate.com.

CIGAR REVIEW OF LIGA UNDERCROWN BELICOSO BY SETH'S HUMIDOR

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Flavor: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas Negro Maduro
Binder: Connecticut River Valley
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed

It is safe to say that the Liga Privada lines/brand are one of the most popular brands on the market. I remember when it was first released in 2007, and it was still a low profile cigar on the market. In fact, I remember in 2008 when I was up in Bethlehem, PA at Cigars International and the No. 9 was still no where near as popular as it is now. I believe I had my first No. 9 in the Cigars International Super Store while taking with Marvin Samel about the SCHIP tax, great guy by the way! Throughout the years, the Liga Privada lines have become comparable to Fuente Fuente Opus X in the fact that you can never really get them, and when retailers get the cigars in, they are gone as soon as they got there.

With the growing popularity of the Liga Privada lines, Drew Estate asked their most skilled torcedores who rolled the Liga Privada lines to cut back on their smoking of them. As we can all imagine, they got upset, and instead of them enjoying their Liga smokes, they began rolling their own line, the Liga Undercrown Cigars line. The Liga Undercrown cigars were composed of most of the same tobaccos, but were made with tobacco that was of lower primings, and different vintages. The Liga Undercrown cigar became so well known and popular that Drew Estate decided to produce the cigar for all of us cigar smokers and still give the credit to their torcedores. The Liga Undercrown cigar has had lots of publicity in the media since it was first announced, and I am hoping the cigar lives up to those comments.

The Liga Undercrown line is very similar to the other Liga blends in the fact that the cigar is made with extremely limited and rare tobacco, offering the possibility for a great cigar. The wrapper to the cigar comes from Mexico and is a unique strain of San Andreas Negro maduro seed grown exclusively for Drew Estate. The harvest is intentionally delayed by several weeks to allow for additional field and sun time resulting in a higher natural sugar content and a richer, creamier flavor. The leaf is called Otapan Negro Último Corte. Otapan is the name of the vega, farm, in which the tobacco is grown, and Último Corte is Spanish for last cut, and is a reference for the delayed harvesting in which the tobacco is cut. The binder is the same wrapper that is used on the T52, and is a Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut that is cured Habano. With all that great tobacco listed so far, we now look at the filler which is composed of selected Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed tobacco.

The Liga Undercrown cigar is beautiful to look at, and I love the packaging. To begin with, I love the band and logo of this cigar. The lions/dragon head with the upside down crown underneath is awesome, and is one of the coolest bands in the cigar market right now. Now the Liga Undercrown cigar itself is also gorgeous, and the wrapper has a really dark brown almost black color to it, Maduro almost Oscuro. There are some veins throughout the cigar, and it is also toothy to touch. Holding the Liga Undercrown cigar to my nose I pick up wonderful aromas of dark cherries, chocolate, wood and anise. For this review I smoked several of the Belicoso vitola formats which measures 6" and have a 52 ring gauge.

The Liga Undercrown Belicoso was a wonderful cigar, and I will say that I was very surprised every time I lit this stick up. The cigar was packed with wonderful flavors throughout the smoke, smoked wonderfully, and was always at a constant medium strength the whole way through. I will say that I think this is the most consistent cigar of theirs I have had, and it was one of the best made cigars I have had as well. I love that this cigar was very complex with its flavors. The cigar didn't change character dramatically a lot, but what it did do was constantly provided you with tons of flavors making you have to really take your time and analyze the smoke. I think this line is going to be very popular, and deservedly so. The pricing is perfect on this cigar, and everything about it yells quality! My only concern with this cigar is that it might some day turn into the rest of the Liga Privada lines and become very limited, but if that does not happen this will be an amazing cigar all the time. I look forward to trying all the other sizes, and also look forward to reviewing it again in a couple months. I am giving the Liga Undercrown Belicoso cigar a 93 and I love the Mexican San Andres wrapper on this cigar. Great job Drew Estate, continue your great work!

Thank you for the indepth review Seth!!!