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Perdomo ESV ‘91Tubos: [Nicaragua: available in 2 sizes] The Tubos were introduced in 2005 and the blend includes a Cameroon wrapper along with the Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Offered in just two sizes, the blend is full-bodied and has a spicy aroma. The flavor has a clean, creamy touch which comes so often with Cameroon wrappers, and just a hint of spice on the short finish. It’s a balanced, measured cigar that more mellow and even-tempered than the other two ESV ‘91 blends. There is more spice by half-way and in the second half, but the strength of this cigar is its relaxed demeanor. It smokes quite slowly and offers a very fine balance throughout. The Tubos are offered in only two sizes in boxes of 10: the Nobleza (5 3/4 inches by 48 ring) retails for $12.50 each before any local sales or tobacco taxes and the Maestro (6 x 54) retails for $15.00 each. Overall grade: A-: Excellent. Living in Los Angeles, naturally, we were taking in some baseball during the tasting of the ESV ‘91s, so our thoughts turned to boutique cigar maker Marshall Holman and his special tribute to the baseball team of his youth, the Brooklyn Dodgers. We had to try his “Old School” brand as well as his flagship line called Randello. Old School: [Ecuador: available in 3 sizes] This cigar was originally called “Brooklyn” when it was introduced in 2006 and the band carries the “B” that adorned the caps of the Brooklyn Dodgers. However, brand owner Marshall Holman had to change the name for legal reasons and came up with “Old School.” These cigars are made in Ecuador by the Puros de Armando Ramos and the line includes only three sizes, each named for one of the famed “Boys of Summer” of the powerhouse Dodger teams of the 1950s: Pee Wee (5 x 50), named for shortstop Pee Wee Reese; Campy (6 x 54 torpedo), named for catcher Roy Campanella and Duke (6 x 60), for outfielder Duke Snider. This is a medium-bodied cigar with all Ecuadorian-grown tobaccos inside. The wrapper on this line is a dark, maduro shade and the blend has a spicy aroma. It features a clean, creamy taste with a hint of cocoa in the background and a medium finish. The flavor isn’t bold, but the overall impact is clean and enjoyable. A spicy element enters on the finish at midway and is well balanced with the creamy aspects. There’s some hidden power in this cigar as you’ll feel if you draw too hard on it looking for more flavor. It is, however, an excellent cigar to watch a game with. The three sizes range in price from $4.50 to $5.50 and all are offered in boxes of 20. Overall grade: A-: Excellent. Randello: [Honduras: available in 4 sizes] The Randello brand has been Marshall Holman’s flagship since its introduction in 2003. Originally called “Randello X,” it was re-blended and renamed in 2005. We found it to be a medium-to-full-bodied blend with a dark, Honduran-grown wrapper and a toasty aroma. The flavor has the quality of dark caramel, sweet and quite rich, but not overpowering. This taste stays right on the tongue and the blend has a pleasant, medium finish. There’s a note of spice that enters on the finish in the second half, just to entertain you. This is a pleasant cigar and smokers who enjoy larger ring gauges will like it: three of the four sizes are 54 ring with the fourth at 50. It’s also reasonably priced at $5.00 to $6.00 each (before local sales and tobacco taxes) in boxes of 20. Overall grade: A-: Excellent. Both of these cigars have fans and it’s easy to see why. The ESV ‘91 Tubos were a special treat, but for those whose thoughts of summer include baseball and mellow cigars on warm evenings, both Old School and Randello will entertain you. ~ Rich Perelman CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGCigar Humidors and Cigar Accessories at Humidor Vault! Your online cigar humidor source, with rock-bottom pricing and fantastic customer support!Like sports? Get news and commentary you won’t see in your morning newspaper at TheSportsExaminer.com! Join the examination! A limited amount of classified advertising is available in this space on a weekly basis. For details, call Pat Harris at (213) 365-7965 or inquire by email by clicking here. Have an opinion? You can send it using the “Comment” button below! Don’t forget to register for our drawing for free cigars and accessories! Just click on the “Register & Win” button above; enter today! Looking for a cigar party? Take a look at our exclusive list of hundreds of cigar events across the country, listed by state and date, only on CigarCyclopedia.com!
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Did you know?
“A record for U.S. cigar consumption was set in 1965 after the Surgeon General's warning about cigarettes in 1964.
