Wrapper: Costa Rican
Binder: Costa Rican
Filler: Costa Rican
Size: 5 x 56
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $6.96 in a five pack ~ $4.57 in 25 count bundles. Cigars are shipped from Costa Rica. Expect ICE at your door.

My cigars received 2 months of naked humidor time.
IGM Cigars produced Daughters of the Wind for Jeremy Casdagli.

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
I reviewed the IGM 537 in March of this year. I rated the $16 cigar 98.

Just a tiny plug. This bulbous cigar fits in my hand like nothing else ever has. The giant 56 ring gauge is an easy target for my PerfecDraw. Dr. Rod taps me on my right shoulder. I stutter step and miss the bull’s eye. Dr. Kurthy makes me hemlock laced tea as a calmative technique. I screw my PD into the cigar. The tea kicks in. I begin to-zzzzz…. I wake up…White Castle at bedtime…not smart.

Took Charlotte to the hospital for tests last week. I wore six 33-gallon trash bags over my head. The only thing you could see were my sneakers and the bulges in my socks from my testicles. The crew kindly impregnated me with Influenza B which kicked in two days later. Nothing like being sick to take the thrill of cigar reviewing from your grasp. I’m back…cough, wheeze…gotta remember, don’t fart, don’t fart…

A very sweet smelling wrapper. Not a hint of barnyard.

A mild but earthenware start. Immediate notes of lemon, creaminess, Nilla Wafers, coffee with cream, mild black pepper, and tangy cinnamon. This is a very impressive blend for one so cheap in today’s market.

Extremely rich akin to a wildly aged bunch of leaves which I am sure it is not, otherwise IGM would have stated so. Still, it tastes of age and extended sleep.

The blend is reminiscent of what we expect from fine Dominicans. But in the last few years, we’ve seen the artful display of Costa Rican, Peruvian, Ecuadorian leaf stats with a hint of Nicaraguan. I mentioned to Jeremy that the whole of the cigar industry is coming after him by following his lead…brewing up concoctions that he began long ago and far away in Estonia. OpusX has been using Dominican puro blends forever but almost always require years of your patience as you allow them to rest before striking first match.

My 56-year-old mailman said climate warming is bullshit. I responded that 95% of the world’s scientists believe it to be true. He responded with “I was a biology major in college”…said the mailman.

Mild strength is OK, but I need a blend to double down on its richness quotient for me to stay interested. This Kalavera Yellow achieves this which is why I’m bringing this to you. The killer price point is the cherry. This is not $16 Wednesday.

Of course, price matters. I don’t agree with the mantra that it doesn’t. Will this cigar receive a score of over 95? Nope. But I’ll take a few boxes in my corner to have and to hold. IGM clearly loves what it does. Over 20 years of blending. Jeremy wouldn’t give them the time of day if they weren’t artisans.

I have a burn issue. This is my fourth cigar and the only one to see this issue so I’m not distraught.

1” burned. 20 minutes. The richness increases. Complexity kicks in. So far, nothing linear at hand.

Very lemony. Black pepper spiciness gets stronger but not out of bounds. I like spice in my desserts. Creaminess is powerful. Not a flavor bomb, nor will it become one. A solid go to cigar for all seasons.

Slight milk chocolate. Slip slidin’ butter appears. A lovely black walnut piquancy shows up. All mild nuanced and subtle flavors. Nice accents to a well-rounded blend. Pleasant and very enjoyable. Can’t beat the price.

This review will be widely ignored because smokers seek out what they know, not what they are unfamiliar with. My Padron and OpusX reviews are wildly popular. Everyone has smoked them, but they flock to the flame anyway. Now and again, a reviewer will highlight something I’ve never heard of. Do I pay attention? Rarely. But how often do you see a Costa Rican puro? Never?

‘If you understood everything I said, you’d be me.’…Miles Davis

Gurkha just released their 2024 Year of the Dragon by AJ Fernandez. A Nic Habano wrapper over Nic binder and Nic filler. $25.00. You can buy the same AJ blend in the Southern Draw Manzanita for 72% less ($7.00 for the Toro) from Cigar Page…and it doesn’t say Gurkha on the cigar band.

The lemon creaminess keeps growing. Strength graduates from mild/medium to a convincing medium. Heft has landed.

A nice easy-going progression. No sudden jerks. A perfect morning cigar with coffee or a six pack of cheap beer. Nice smoke output. Prompt video.

‘Baba O’Riley.’ A band I did live sound for did a splendid job with this tune. When the intro phased into the dramatic flourish, I shoved the faders to overdrive. I did it once too often and one night I saw a puff of smoke and heard the death rattle come from an 18” PA speaker. Oops.

In the 90’s, I worked for a large structural fabricator in Mesa, Arizona. The huge shop was in the middle of nowhere…except for its neighbor, Boeing. This facility manufactures the Apache helicopter. I would stare out my office window as the thunderous aircraft would fly close to the ground in formation a hundred yards away. It was stunning. I hope Boeing makes their military aircraft better than their commercial aircraft.

Halfway point. 45 minutes. A nice rigmarole in the hand.

Know how I can tell a video cigar review appeals to the least common denominator? When there are 6 or more comments addressing what the reviewer is wearing.

Flavors were canonized in the first half inch. No ‘what was that?’ Just a lovely blend.

I made the mistake of participating in a video interview once. I was over 2 months into sleep deprivation from cervical radiculopathy. I was an idiot…over and above. Never again.

I taste Costa Rican soil. Must be great to live there.

Strength goes out at medium plus. A charming journey.

If you’d like to smoke an inexpensive cigar with jolly good credentials, this is a pretty respectable blend to try. I have a phalanx of other IGM blends waiting in the wings. IGM has a short filler blend called Señoritas Tucan that goes for $3. I’ve gotten good reports.

You can purchase IGM cigars directly from the manufacturer in Costa Rica.

RATING: 92 Damn notable for a $5 stick.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, daughters of the wind, igm cigars, IGM Cigars Gordito Kalavera Yellow | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, Jeremy Casdagli, kalavera cigars, katman, phil kohn