Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Jalapa
Filler: Nicaraguan Condega and Estelí
Size: 6 x 52 Toro
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $10.00
Factory: El Titan de Bronze, Miami USA
My cigars received 7 months of naked humidor time.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
I love looking for more cigars I don’t need. It’s an illness. Ask your wife to approve your self-analysis. I’m kidding, never speak of the tubular bushes with your wife. There is no happy ending. And never use the words tubular bush.
I saw ETB Reserva de la Casa in the cigar brand list at Cigar Page sometime in March 2026. I was intrigued. I like most blends that emanate from El Titan de Bronze. And I liked the price points for these sticks which made me wary of their seriousness. But then I dug into the leaf stats and thought this stuff was right up my pantaloons.
The blends offered under this heading vary: Habano, Connecticut, and Maduro.
I smoked a couple the first week. A smile, a wink, and a waffle…I was impressed. But I then put them away for the long sleep.
The stick is solid if unremarkable looking. This cigar has the right weight without soft pudgy spots or ones that are hard as diamonds.
Sniffing the wrapper is always odd. We all do it differently. Go to your cigar lounge and watch. The sneeze you hear behind you is the guy that misjudged and pushed it too far up his right nostril. There’s deep chocolate fudge with black walnuts, creamy espresso foam, peppery, vanilla bean, and licorice.
I purge the manhole cover from the cap using my trusty PerfecPunch. I never trusted punches before Dr. Rod came along. They were either not sharp enough, or their predestined extinction came too soon. Kurthy’s design never dulls. I’m still using the one he gave me 5 years ago.
The cold draw is spicy and has an oceanic sea salt touch. Falling in line are the aromas that translate into flavors of dark chocolate, nuts, black pepper, malt, creaminess, and a slight mint.
I smoked a couple of test cigars last week. They are ready to review. The strength ain’t no Shirley Temple, it has punch. So, I’m critiquing this after lunch and not first thing in the morning. This blend is not a coffee and croissant accompaniment.
Once lit, the cigar starts with a bang. I dislike a blend that requires an inch to get going. This one makes my nippular region hard in the first puffs. First the aroma, then the cold draw, and now the ingesting of smoke and the blend is consistent with more chocolate, et al.
The blend is smooth. It’s direct. And it’s flavorful. The Ecuadorian wrapper puts a lid on the Nic guts. It has a great balance in its early stages.
The strength is medium, but I know what’s coming. I don’t know if it’s my age or just a natural progression, but I can’t handle strong cigars any longer. I don’t like the ligero or nicotine swoon. I saw this contradiction as I finished out my supply of Padrons not long ago.
Construction is good. The char line is behaving. It stays lit no matter how long it rests.
The blend is rich and rewarding as the first inch nosedives into oblivion. As inch two begins, there is a subtle lemon twist that’s dunked in sugar. The dark chocolate morphs into mocha java. The black pepper is mild. The strength is holding back. The sweet v. savory is just about 50/50 with the earthiness of the blend tilting it towards the savory.
I’m often asked if I go to cigar conventions. I do not. How can I hide that I’m the katman? Impossible. An hour into my roving, I’d be taken from behind, Molly-d up, taken into an alley, and beaten to death…all the while the manufacturers stood and cheered. As I know people who go to these things, they’re not as great as you think. Everyone at the booths expect you to try their new wares…in front of them. After your 7th cigar, your palate is as crispy as our president’s hairdo. Plus, I’d get really tired of constantly apologizing for my blog.
An excellent cigar. I’m trying to home in on the flavors but I don’t care if I do or not. This is one of those blends that keeps you happy because there are no detracting elements. Flavors do not have a wide spectrum. They are comfy right where I’ve previously described. I suppose that the $10 price tag keeps me from being annoyed or diverted. If this was a $20 cigar, I’d be reviewing it differently.
It always rains in London. Copeland and I were cruising around in his old VW Beetle. This was before he was rich. The windshield wipers didn’t work, and he couldn’t afford to get them fixed. He used either a rag or his giant paw to move the rain from the windscreen. Meanwhile, I’d use my hand or a rag to remove the fog on the inside. It was a clown car. One day, the traffic lights were down at an intersection, and Copeland didn’t see the cop as he controlled traffic in the middle of the intersection. As Stewart moved slowly forward from a stop, he hit the cop going about 10mph. All it did was bump into the guy with the funny hat. We stopped while the cop screamed at Stewart. He apologized profusely; we got back in the V Dub and hit the cop again. It didn’t end well for Copeland.
As is usually the case with blends that are given extended rest, the edges are smoothed out beautifully compared to my early stabs after receipt.
The first half was delightful. Took 45 minutes.
Now if I had blind smoked this cigar, I’d use all of my expertise and guess it’s a $15 stick. Maybe this is why I really don’t do this. I have enough embarrassment issues and prefer not to add to the list.
Dark chocolate, salted almonds, malt, espresso, sweet lemon, vanilla nougat, rich earthiness, black tea, and black pepper. Nothing new, keep on walking. But I strained to delineate those picadillies. The cigar stands on its own two feet as a very satisfying experience that doesn’t need to be dissected.
Now and again, Copeland would arrive at band rehearsal with his Fender Strat in hand. He would play us a couple songs that he wrote. But Mr. Darryl Way would laugh. And say things that weren’t very nice. I was just a hired gun and kept my mouth shut, but I felt terrible that Stewart was treated that way. It was disrespectful and he didn’t deserve the arrogance that our band leader foisted upon him.
I’m now on the verge of the last two inches. I feel the strength. My forehead tightens. My eyes are buzzing. My lips flutter. But it’s not overwhelming. I’m a pussy.
The char line is sharp. The progression has been a nice even slow roll.
Is this a Padron? Of course not. But it’s surely better than most of the foo foo and expensive similar blends. While I enjoyed a couple right after receipt, having 6 months of age has made them much better. The blend has a sophisticated soft touch now. At $50 for a fiver, I’m going have my wallet pop a wheelie and buy the other blends in this series.
This was my last cigar. Drat. It’s the perfect afternoon smoke. It has the body that can cut through anything you shoved down your belly while retaining a smooth simmering flavor profile that just cruises beautifully.
You can purchase the entire line of El Titan de Bronze Resesrva de la Casa from my sponsor Cigar Page. Krazy Katman’s Bargain Basement begins each Friday and lasts one week. All three blends are on sale in 10-count bundles: Habano 6 x 52 $38.99, Maduro 6 x 52 $38.99, & Connecticut 5 x 50 $34.99.
RATING: 93
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Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
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