Background
With the cold weather bearing down on us here in the North East, I thought it would be fun to post a quick run down of some of my favorite Winter smokes. More specifically, some of my favorite Petit Corona’s. The American Market Petit is officially considered to be a 4 1/2 inch by 42 ring gauge. You will find that many petit corona’s (as labeled by the manufacturers) will vary from this, however. Moreover, a traditional Cuban Petit (Marevas) is much larger (5 1/8 x 42). An example of a very enjoyable smoke I recently reviewed in this vitola was the Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador Noellas. Regardless of the size differences, I decided the following would be the criteria for this post
- Must be labeled a Petit Corona (for what that is worth).
- Can be smoked in under 45 Minutes (after all we are talking single digit temps here).
- All can be obtained easily in the USA (ff you get my drift).
- I have enjoyed on a regular basis during the Winter months.
All the petit corona’s on this list are between $4.00 and $8.00. A word of caution however, all these cigars pack some punch and I would describe them as Medium/Full in terms of strength and flavor. So without further ado, in no particular order, lets get to burning!
The Smokes
K.A.Kendall 7-20-4 Dog Walker
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Columbia
Filler: Nicaraguan, Mexican and Honduran
Strength: Medium
Size: 4 x 40
You have heard us talk about K.A. Kendall’s smokes on the podcast before. Same great flavors and construction in a smaller size. A much smaller size. Lots of rich tobacco with hints of wood, spice, and bread. Whether your walking the dog or just standing on your deck freezing your ass off, you can’t go wrong with this stick! With a smoking time of well under 45 minutes, it’s a no brainer.
Illusione ~68~ (Bombone)
Origin: Raices Cubanas Honduras
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium/Full
Size: 4 x 44
Holy white pepper bomb batman! Incredible full body smoke for this vitola. Flavors include white pepper and wood with some leather and nuts as it progresses. Construction has always been perfect me. The flavor profile varies so widely from anything else in my winter smoke rotation that I always make sure I have some of these on hand. I especially enjoy the large amounts of white smoke that pours from this fire cracker on every pull.
Tatuaje VI Verocu #5
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium
Size: 4 x 40
The newcomer to my rotation and most likely the least expensive (about $18 for a five pack). But don’t let the price fool you. This little stick is packed with flavor! A beefed up version of the Tatuaje Havana VI (more ligero), this petit has lots of cedar and spice with hints of cinnamon here and there. A nice creamy finish rounds it out. The burn and draw have been A+ on every one I have smoked. Be warned however, the nicotine kick can sneak up on you with this little guy. All the same, I am glad I hunted these down.
Ashton VSG Tres Mystique
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador Sun Grown Natural
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Strength: Medium
Size: 4 3/8 x 44
The largest and most expensive of this list. It is a bit milder than some of the others. It also may or may not make it under my 45 Minute smoking time requirement but I felt I really had to include it. This vitola happens to be my favorite size in the Virgin Sun Grown (VSG) series. The flavors really come through on the smaller sizes of the VSG’s IMHO. Wood, nuts, leather, and a unique, refined, spicy zing that I have only experienced with VSG’s. Yes it is a little pricey considering the size but due to its high quality construction and unique flavor profile I keep them in rotation. Winters are long here in the Northeast and the VSG Tres Mystique helps me keep my sanity.
Tatuaje Petit Cazadore Reserva
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium/Full
Size: 4 x 40
A favorite of mine. I smoked dozens of these things last Winter after it’s 2010 IPCPR release. I smoked so many I took a break all summer from them just so I could look forward to them now. The most rich flavored stogie I have tried in this size. The only broadleaf maduro on the list, flavors include caramel, coffee, cocoa, leather, and pepper with a long creamy finish. Draw and burn are fantastic. This made it to my top ten 2010 releases for a good reason.
Conclusion
Unless you lucky enough to have a smoking lounge in your home, a great B&M across the street, or a really understanding wife, I think any of these aforementioned sticks will serve you well during the rough winter months ahead. As always, I am looking for great short smokes for this time of the year, so if you have suggestions, feel free to comment. Keep burning and keep warm my friends!
Stogie Geeks Audio
November 15, 2011
Winter Smoking: The Petit Corona
Tim Mugherini Reviews, Stogies 0 Comments
Background
With the cold weather bearing down on us here in the North East, I thought it would be fun to post a quick run down of some of my favorite Winter smokes. More specifically, some of my favorite Petit Corona’s. The American Market Petit is officially considered to be a 4 1/2 inch by 42 ring gauge. You will find that many petit corona’s (as labeled by the manufacturers) will vary from this, however. Moreover, a traditional Cuban Petit (Marevas) is much larger (5 1/8 x 42). An example of a very enjoyable smoke I recently reviewed in this vitola was the Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador Noellas. Regardless of the size differences, I decided the following would be the criteria for this post
All the petit corona’s on this list are between $4.00 and $8.00. A word of caution however, all these cigars pack some punch and I would describe them as Medium/Full in terms of strength and flavor. So without further ado, in no particular order, lets get to burning!
The Smokes
K.A.Kendall 7-20-4 Dog Walker
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Columbia
Filler: Nicaraguan, Mexican and Honduran
Strength: Medium
Size: 4 x 40
You have heard us talk about K.A. Kendall’s smokes on the podcast before. Same great flavors and construction in a smaller size. A much smaller size. Lots of rich tobacco with hints of wood, spice, and bread. Whether your walking the dog or just standing on your deck freezing your ass off, you can’t go wrong with this stick! With a smoking time of well under 45 minutes, it’s a no brainer.
Illusione ~68~ (Bombone)
Origin: Raices Cubanas Honduras
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium/Full
Size: 4 x 44
Holy white pepper bomb batman! Incredible full body smoke for this vitola. Flavors include white pepper and wood with some leather and nuts as it progresses. Construction has always been perfect me. The flavor profile varies so widely from anything else in my winter smoke rotation that I always make sure I have some of these on hand. I especially enjoy the large amounts of white smoke that pours from this fire cracker on every pull.
Tatuaje VI Verocu #5
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano Ecuador
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium
Size: 4 x 40
The newcomer to my rotation and most likely the least expensive (about $18 for a five pack). But don’t let the price fool you. This little stick is packed with flavor! A beefed up version of the Tatuaje Havana VI (more ligero), this petit has lots of cedar and spice with hints of cinnamon here and there. A nice creamy finish rounds it out. The burn and draw have been A+ on every one I have smoked. Be warned however, the nicotine kick can sneak up on you with this little guy. All the same, I am glad I hunted these down.
Ashton VSG Tres Mystique
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador Sun Grown Natural
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Strength: Medium
Size: 4 3/8 x 44
The largest and most expensive of this list. It is a bit milder than some of the others. It also may or may not make it under my 45 Minute smoking time requirement but I felt I really had to include it. This vitola happens to be my favorite size in the Virgin Sun Grown (VSG) series. The flavors really come through on the smaller sizes of the VSG’s IMHO. Wood, nuts, leather, and a unique, refined, spicy zing that I have only experienced with VSG’s. Yes it is a little pricey considering the size but due to its high quality construction and unique flavor profile I keep them in rotation. Winters are long here in the Northeast and the VSG Tres Mystique helps me keep my sanity.
Tatuaje Petit Cazadore Reserva
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium/Full
Size: 4 x 40
A favorite of mine. I smoked dozens of these things last Winter after it’s 2010 IPCPR release. I smoked so many I took a break all summer from them just so I could look forward to them now. The most rich flavored stogie I have tried in this size. The only broadleaf maduro on the list, flavors include caramel, coffee, cocoa, leather, and pepper with a long creamy finish. Draw and burn are fantastic. This made it to my top ten 2010 releases for a good reason.
Conclusion
Unless you lucky enough to have a smoking lounge in your home, a great B&M across the street, or a really understanding wife, I think any of these aforementioned sticks will serve you well during the rough winter months ahead. As always, I am looking for great short smokes for this time of the year, so if you have suggestions, feel free to comment. Keep burning and keep warm my friends!
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