Wrapper: Honduran Oscuro
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
Size: 5 x 52 “Robusto”
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $8.80

From the Miami Cigar & Co. web site:
“So what’s Humo Jaguar? Each year, a cigar festival is held in Honduras. In 2011, each cigar-maker was asked to prepare a blend for a competition known as ’Humo Jaguar.’ Over 200 well-versed panelists tasted each blend taking every aspect of cigar making and enjoyment into consideration. Just like that, the Humo Jaguar was born. Humo Jaguar combines a bold combination of amazing tobaccos. The heart of this blend is comprised of robusto Cuban-seed long-fillers from Honduras. A Cuban-esque mixture, secured by a binder from Talanga, then cloaked by a dark and sultry Honduran Oscuro wrapper from the viso priming. The result….aside from award winning, is delicious. A full-bodied, full-flavored, and aromatic display is delivered in balanced fashion, offering deep earthy flavors, ample zest, and a long, rich finish.”

The cigar comes in 3 sizes: 5 x 50, 6 x 52, 6 x 60.

I’ve reviewed this cigar a couple times on other blogs but never here. So I am reviewing it to add it to my catalog.
The cigar is blended by Nestor Plasencia. Miami Cigar & Co. distributes it.

Construction is excellent. A very solidly packed stick. The wrapper is a medium brown with a nice oily sheen and very toothy. The triple cap is flawless. Seams are invisible and there lots of veins but nothing off-putting.

I clip the cap and find aromas of spice, ginger, cinnamon, leather, cocoa, and earthiness.
Time to light up.

The cigar starts off with some sweetness. And very earthy. The draw is spot on and smoke fills the room. There is a woody component followed by bittersweet cocoa. And then a wallop of spice. I’m having trouble typing with the cigar in my mouth due to the huge billows of smoke.

The strength starts off a little stronger than medium bodied. A leathery flavor juxtaposes to up front of the line.

So far, this is a mildly flavorful smoke that is meaty and earthy.

Due to how jam packed the stick is, it is a very slow burner. And then I get a plug and have to use my cigar awl.

The second third begins with flavors of sweetness, earthiness, bitter cocoa, and spice.

At this point, the char line needs a touch up. The strength makes a leap to medium/full. I just had a bowl of cereal and am crossing my fingers that the nicotine on its way doesn’t lay me on the floor.

The cigar is by no means heading towards flavor bomb. Not for newbies.
I believe that this cigar was picked because of its attempt to be a strong Cuban.

The halfway point is here and a bit of creaminess appears. The cocoa becomes much stronger. And the spice makes a resurgence. It was very potent during the first third but as the second third began, it moved to the back of the pack.
The cigar becomes very harsh. And bitter. Flavors become very subdued.

The last third begins and moves up to full bodied. The flavors have never been bold.

The price point is based on the richness and earthiness of the cigar…which is a bit overpriced. It doesn’t have the flavors we are used to from mostly Nicaraguan blends so popular and “in” right now.

With less than a couple inches to go, flavors all but disappear.

I drop the cigar. I get up to look for it and I step on it. Drat. I clip the foot to even it out from what I did.

Nicotine kicks in.

This needs much more than 3 week’s humidor time. Or maybe it doesn’t. I stop writing and check some other reviews and they are pretty much the same as my opinion. A strong cigar that has only a modicum of flavor throughout the burn. And they state that they allowed a much longer humidor time than I did. So maybe I am getting the blender’s intent. I’m so used to smoking Nicaraguan blends, so a Honduran puro throws me a bit. I don’t think I care for it.

If you are looking for a typical flavor bomb, this ain’t your cigar. If you are looking for a earthy stick…well, this is your baby.

And now for something completely different:

A tale of New York City…Back in the late 90’s, La Guardia Airport was going through some renovations. I was senior project manager for the high end foo foo gingerbread stuff. I worked for a company in Phoenix and had to fly there regularly.

What I didn’t know, going into this, was the corrupt stranglehold the unions had on everything.

The Iron Worker’s union business agent had decided to charge us triple time without cause or reason. We went back and forth for a month on this and I got nowhere. The owner of my company was a weasel who told me to take care of it but would not get involved himself. No back bone.

Every time I arrived at the job site, my hired NYC crews were nowhere to be seen. Other trades would get on their radios, alerting my men, that I was there so by the time I got back to where they were supposed to be working, there they were with an Alfred E. Newman look on their faces…”What? Me worry?”

I finally demanded a meeting with the local BA. I had to scuttle this triple time thing in the bud or we would take a horrendous loss on the job.

We were to meet at the Waldorf Astoria. It was winter and very cold.

I stood in the lobby waiting. They were late. They were sending me a message.

And then they walked in. Four guys in trench coats. All of them huge guys.

And they all sounded very New York.

“Hey. How you doin’?”

The BA and I shook hands but the other 3 refused. We went into the empty dining room and sat down.
The BA and I sat at one table and the other 3 sat at separate tables all by their lonesome. They had surrounded me.

“Didja’ know that I’m the third BA in a year for this local?”
Gulp.

“Yeah, that’s right. The last BA just disappeared one night about 3 months ago. Hasn’t been seen from since. So I got the job.”
Double gulp.

And then he leaned into me and asked why I was causing so many problems? I told him that there was no basis for charging me triple time during ordinary working hours.

All four of them laughed hard.

“Look here, kid…I say it’s triple time so that’s what it is. Capiche?”

I told him my budget would not allow for that.
They laughed again.

I was literally pissing my pants.

When I insisted that we pay them standard pay, one of the guys opened his coat to show me his shoulder holster. He never said a word.

“You should know how t’ings run around here, kid. It goes like I say it goes. Capiche?”

My mouth was so dry, I couldn’t speak so I just shook my head. I didn’t have a shoulder holster.

And with that, they got up and marched out the front door of the hotel.

I went back to my hotel and said, “Fuck it.”

I lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. What if I had really pushed it? Would I have disappeared?

I called the owner of my company and told him how it went. He was pissed off at me for not “handling” it correctly. I got mad. I yelled into the phone, “Well, why the fuck don’t you fly out here and you can straighten it out?”
Click.

And of course, I was held completely responsible for the job going way over budget.
I really hate construction. I’m so glad I’m retired.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar review, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, humo jaguar cigar review, miami cigar & co., nestor plasencia