Cigars, Cigar Information and where to find Premium Cigars, Discounted Cigars and even Cheap Cigars - A NICARAGUAN ADVENTURE IN TASTE . . . AND VALUE!

A NICARAGUAN ADVENTURE IN TASTE . . . AND VALUE!

A NICARAGUAN ADVENTURE IN TASTE . . . AND VALUE!

Tasting eight blends from the Tabacalera Esteli

Los Angeles, June 15 – There were hundreds of brands and factories that sprung up in the Cigar Boom of the mid-to-late 1990s that didn’t make it even to 2000.

The Tabacalera Esteli in Nicaragua is a survivor, continuing to harvest tobacco on 275 acres and creating multiple lines of cigars which are sold both direct and wholesale to retailers through its distribution arm called Cuban Crafters.

Headed by Henry Berger, known to his friends as “Don Kiki,” the Tabacalera Esteli’s Cuban Crafters range offers a wide variety of blends to suit almost any taste and budget. We tried eight of their most popular blends to try and discover cigars with welcome tastes at prices that would surprise us:

C.E. Beck y Cia:
[Nicaragua: available in 6 sizes]
This is a cigar to surprise you. It has a pigtail head and a mild-to-medium-bodied taste with a spicy aroma. But it’s hardly dull.

The blend showcases a light, caramelized blend with a medium-length, very smooth finish. The balance is almost perfect and the cigar sails along with an even burn. There’s just a hint of spice on the finish in the second half, but that’s only signals the end of a very nice, elegant smoke.

Not heavily publicized, this is a very nice cigar and a nice value at direct-order pricing of $4.00-5.20 each.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Cuban Crafters – Cameroon:
[Nicaragua: available in 7 sizes]
There are two versions of the Cuban Crafters blend, with Cameroon or Nicaraguan-grown wrappers. The Cameroon-wrapped version offers a medium body with surprising smoothness and a slightly spicy aroma.

It offers a delicate, caramelized taste that creates a consistent, pleasant chord of flavor that continues through the first half of the blend. There’s a solid white ash and even a monster like the 60-ring Chairman or Campana is easy to enjoy . . . if a bit big in the mouth.

The Cuban Crafters line dates from 2003, but is under-appreciated in this version. At buy-direct prices of $3.60 to $4.80, it’s a winner.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Cuban Crafters – Nicaragua:
[Nicaragua: available in 7 sizes]
This edition of the Cuban Crafters brand is square-pressed with a pigtail head. There’s a toasty aroma to this cigar to complement its full-bodied taste.

There’s a rich taste of dark caramel that marks this blend at the start, with a short finish. It smokes fairly evenly, but a peppery note predominates in the second half and can surprise you. There’s quite a bit of strength here and inexperienced smokers will find the change in taste unsettling if they’re not ready for it.
Overall grade: B: Good.

Don Kiki Limited Reserve – Brown Label:
[Nicaragua: available in 4 sizes]
There are three blends in the Don Kiki Limited Reserve line: Brown Label, Green Label and Red Label. We tried the first two. The Brown Label is a full-bodied cigar with a spicy aroma. There’s a fairly rich, caramelized taste to begin with, with a medium finish. The flavor stays consistent, showing a little note of spice at the end.

The flavor isn’t bright, but the blend maintains a round and pleasant tone throughout. And at buy-direct pricing of $1.50 to $2.60 per cigar in boxes of 25, it’s an excellent value and a good candidate for an everyday cigar to enjoy in the daytime.
Overall grade: B+: Very Good.

Don Kiki Limited Reserve – Green Label:
[Nicaragua: available in 6 sizes]
The Green Label edition of the Don Kiki Limited Reserve is designated as a mild cigar and it features a light, almost buttery taste with a medium finish. It’s got more body than advertised, though, as it fills most of the mouth with a medium-to-full body that’s easy to enjoy and not at all off-putting.

The taste profile has an element of sweetness, but wanders a little. There’s a little pinch of spice on the finish in the second half of the cigar and like the Brown Label, is easy to enjoy but does not leave a distinctive, high-line impression. At buy-direct prices of $1.32 to $2.28 each in bundles of 25, however, it fills the bill for a cigar to enjoy when you’re not concentrating on it. Golf, anyone?
Overall grade: B+: Very Good.

Don Kiki Vintage Reserve:
[Nicaragua: available in 4 sizes]
This is the White Label edition of the Don Kiki line, offered in special cabinets of 25. We tried the Harvest of 1999 cigars and found them to be a treat.

The White Label is a medium-bodied cigar with a sweet and slightly spicy aroma. It offers a bright, caramelized taste at the start that’s extremely smooth, with a medium finish and an even burn.

It’s quite consistent, with a creamy tone that’s accessible and easy to enjoy. This is a fun cigar to smoke and won’t tire you out. And at buy-direct prices of $2.80 to $3.20, it’s a bargain.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

J.L. Salazar y Hermanos Reserva Especial:
[Nicaragua: available in 4 sizes]
This line is square-pressed and entered national distribution in 2003. There’s a spicy aroma and a caramelized element in the initial taste, extended by a long finish.

The flavor develops slowly and is almost reclusive and the promise of rich flavors can cause you to over-smoke this cigar and tire you. There’s a gentle undertone of spice and if you will give the cigar the time it needs, the complexity becomes easier to appreciate.

There’s a peppery element in the second half of the cigar that is pronounced by the blend’s medium-to-full body. This is a cigar for the experienced smoker, especially in the larger sizes. At buy-direct prices of $3.50 to $5.00, it’s a good value, but only for those sophisticated enough to appreciate it.
Overall grade: B: Good.

La Carolina:
[Nicaragua: available in 7 sizes]
La Carolina is Cuban Crafters’ successor to the famous Cupido line, which was one of the best cigars introduced to the market in the Cigar Boom era. Medium in body, it offered a brilliant mix of intense, fruit-like flavors that maintained their brightness and power through the end of the cigar.

Make no mistake: the La Carolina line, introduced in 2005, is not the same as Cupido. It is a different cigar, with a different approach and characteristics.

La Carolina – an old Cuban brand name – has a medium-to-full body and a spicy aroma. The taste emphasizes a core of creamy, slightly caramelized and slightly sweet flavors with a note of spice on the medium finish. A subtle but discernable peppery note enters the mix midway, creating an interesting combination of flavors best suited to experienced smokers. At buy-direct prices of $2.80 to $4.60 per box of 25, this cigar is quite reasonably priced and has plenty of power for the palate; those looking for finesse or subtlety would be advised to try elsewhere.
Overall grade: B: Good.

The strength of the Cuban Crafters line is its variety and excellent value. We found a real sleeper in the C.E. Beck blend and an expected winner in the Don Kiki (White Label) Vintage Reserve. With a wide variety of accessories also available for direct order, it’s a company whose products are worth checking out.
~ Rich Perelman

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