I’m going to miss Katman when he stops writing reviews (yeah, I’m name-checking him yet again). But out of all the reviewers out there, I’ve come to trust his observations and insights the most, and I’ve purchased lots of cigars based on his reviews, insights, and recommendations. I’m smoking this Casa 1910 cigar based on his review of it a couple of weeks ago. And yes, I bought a couple of boxes completely blind immediately after reading his review. It also didn’t hurt that the cigars were going for a third of what they normally cost. CigarPage must’ve bought up inventory from someone who was dumping them!
I writing this first impressions simply because I just got them the other day, and I didn’t want to do a full review with such little time in my possession. And frankly, it may be too early to even do a first impressions post but the cigars have lots of box aging time, and they were shipped with 69% Boveda packs that were amazingly still good on arrival which means they were well-humidified on their way to me. In fact, when I inspected one as soon as I got it, I was amazed at how supple the wrapper was; not a hint of dryness!
The first thing I noticed when I picked up one of these is that it was hefty and solid and packed tight with no soft spots. It felt like a mini baton in my hands! On top of that, it was impeccably wrapped. The wrapper had tiny veins with no visible seams – none. This is what one would expect from a cigar that normally retails for $18
Punching the cap, the draw was little snugger than what I like, but I decided to not go excavating to create more airflow. Part of the reason was due to the incredible flavors I tasted when taking a cold draw: Floral, cinnamon, sourdough bread, an indistinct sweetness, and just a touch of barnyard. I smiled when I tasted those flavors because that boded well for what was to come.
I lit it up and the profile was radically different from the cold draw. It was… interesting. But I chalked that up to not enough rest as I could taste the potential in the smoke, but the profile at light up was kind of a confused mess. There was a paste-like note that reminded me of the paste we used in elementary school. It wasn’t bad. It was just different. But intermixed with that was a light spiciness, accompanied by graham cracker, some cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hazelnut nuttiness. I charged forward.
That profile lasted through the first 3/4″. And that’s when things started taking off. The smoke turned creamy – very creamy. And layered on top of that were Middle Eastern spices: Cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and what I can only describe as zaatar. That made me raise my eyebrows!
About two inches in and all bets were off. The strength ramped up, and the profile opened up a bounty. It started out as a solid medium, but I could feel the intensity rise. It was medium+ as I got deep into the second third, and I knew it was going to get stronger. But amazingly enough, I didn’t get any nicotine.
What I’m tasting now is incredible. Cream, malted milk balls, light coffee, Hershey’s cocoa powder, floral notes, more of those Middle Eastern spices, roasted hazelnut, vanilla extract, a pinch of black pepper, and just a hint of red pepper spice. The profile leans towards sweetness, but it’s not a sweet cigar if you catch my drift.
As this uses a lot of Dominican tobacco, I was expecting this kind of brightness. And that’s good term for this stick. The profile feels brighter compared to other sticks, but it doesn’t sacrifice depth for that brightness. It’s balanced. And that’s another thing about this blend. There’s a lot going on, but there are no wild swings. Everything seems to be in perfect balance.
The sweet spot for this cigar is the second half. I finally succumbed to the tight draw and pulled out a small stem. Problem solved and the draw is now perfect; just little resistance and great smoke production, though I must say that despite the tight-ish draw earlier, smoke production was still amazing.
The burn has been mostly well-behaved. I made one small correction as I could see a runner starting, but once I corrected it, I didn’t have to make any other corrections. The burn line has been wavy at times, but it corrects itself after a couple of puffs.
As soon as I crossed the halfway mark, the cigar slowed way down. And that was a great thing. It was as if the cigar said, “Okay, I got you here. Now let’s get down to business. It’s time to really savor me.” The first half took me about 50 minutes to get through. But the second half was a slow, slow roll. Loved it!
By the time you reach the last third, lots of cigars settle and intensify, but not this one. It maintained its complexity and transitions. Amazing. The strength and intensity picked up to just shy of full, but the profile still felt bright in spite of that. And the cool thing that I detected on the finish was this Sweet Tart-like note. It’s not exactly sweet nor sour. But it’s there, and it lingers. As expected the spice has picked up slightly, but not at all overwhelming.
The most amazing thing was even down to the nub, nicotine was practically non-existent! Usually smoking this robust of cigar would have my head lolling from side to side and gulping down water. But this cigar kept the nicotine at bay so I could just enjoy the bounty of flavor it had to offer – even if I smoked the damn thing a little early. I’m going to let the rest sit for at least a few more weeks before I smoke another. But in the meantime, I think I’m going to score just one more box before CigarPage runs out and while the 10% Katman discount works.
As some might now, I’m a musician. And even though I’ve been in lots of bands, my main gig is running the band at church. But I also do other services besides Mass. And as of the last few years, I’ve been playing music for lots of funerals. It used to be that I’d joke that I was the “wedding singer.” At the time I’d be booked for at least three to four weddings a month. That went on for many years.
But now that I’m nearing the twilight of my life – not quite there yet at 64 but getting close – it seems that all I do now are funerals. Last year, I played five funerals for family members, and got hired for 15+ funerals through my church and connections throughout my diocese. At the end of the year last year, I remarked to my wife that it was a little depressing doing all these funerals. She just gave me a knowing nod and said, “Well, we’re at that age now where we’re saying goodbye more than hello.”
But there is a bright side to doing all these funerals even though it may sound a little macabre. I get paid $350 to $500 per service, and I usually use half of it to buy cigars. I know, that’s a bit macabre, but it’s a little humor to add some contrast to what could be pretty depressing otherwise.
Despite all that, I must say that I’m thankful and honored to be able to help families say goodbye to their loved-ones. I’m not the typical church musician who has a set list of songs. I have a HUGE repertoire of music and work with the families to choosing songs that help them celebrate the lives of the deceased. It’s spiritually rewarding. And tongue-in-cheek, I get to buy more cigars on top of that!
Unco B's Stogie Diary 