This cigar was from yet another three-pack sampler from Altadis, as seen advertised in – surprise! – Playboy magazine (I read the articles and look at the pictures!) I ordered these last October (’09) and didn’t receive them until mid-February (’10) – I could have cultivated the tobacco and rolled my own by then. Still, I can’t pass up three premium cigars for $7.95. This cigar is the newer Altasis/Tabacalera de Garcia version of the original Playboy Cigar by Don Diego recipe. (Heck, with all these cigar companies merging and acquiring one another, who can keep track anymore?) Anyway, after five months in the humidor I decided to fire one up for my weekly Thursday night after-school treat. I have long been a fan of the milder Don Diego line, and consider it a mainstay of the neophyte cigar smoker. Even seasoned veterans such as myself like to keep several on hand as a morning or afternoon smoke. Besides, if they’re good enough for Hef they’re good enough for me.
My pre-cut/pre-light examination revealed a firm, well-made dark brown cigar, slightly veined, with an elegant looking black band highlighted with the silver iconic Playboy Rabbit Head emblem. [Note: The original style Don Diego band has Hef’s monogram and signature, along with a smaller Rabbit Head logo.] Supposedly the Altadis re-boot incorporated having the flavor profile kicked up a notch. These new Playboy cigars are touted as being a blend of the finest aged Nicaraguan, Dominican and Peruvian long filler tobaccos paired with exquisite Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper leaves. My initial conservative guillotine cut left a cold draw that was a bit snug. So, like a surgeon, I took my Xikar Xi Original cutter* and skillfully shaved off another slice. The pre-light draw was unremarkable; somewhat buttery and nutty, perhaps a hint of zest. Safely ensconced in the “man cave” (my garage) and my faithful mutt “Stogie” at my feet, and with a slight drizzle beginning to fall, I settled in and lit the fuse…
Ah sweet nectar, once again I suckle at your teat! ™ Initial puffs presented - as advertised - a mild-to-medium experience, and a leathery yet creamy flavor profile with a bit of gusto to it. The draw was still a little firm, but I was getting decent mouthfuls of smoke and the burn was acceptable so I continued on. This Playboy cigar produced a grey/white ash; however the ash was flaky and would not stay on too long, so I spent a lot of time hovering over the ashtray as I smoked. Into the middle I began to pick up on a certain harshness I could not pinpoint. I retro-haled a few times to see if I could sort out the complex blends and isolate the offensive anomaly, but to no avail. I could detect pedestrian, medium-bodied firewood flavors and subtle fruit notes. Nearing the end the cigar seemed to waver back and forth between bitter and harsh. I’ve said in the past and I’ll say it again: I like a flavorful cigar but I do not abide a harsh cigar. As a matter of fact the next morning this cigar left a foul taste in my mouth, which almost never happens with premium cigars. Nearing the last ¼ the bitterness increased and I decided I’d had enough.
To sum up: I like Playboy’s taste in women; cigars – not so much. My feelings towards this cigar are about as mixed as the tobaccos that are in it. It was not a terrible cigar per say, more of an erratic cigar. And bitterness in a cigar is often a sign of young tobacco. Furthermore, I’m still not sure what the relationship is between this newer Altadis Playboy cigar and the original Don Diego Playboy [with the monogrammed wrapper] that launched in '96; I recall liking the older version a lot better, as it seemed more true to the Don Diego flavor profile. Factor in the price – about $10.00 a stick – and I simply cannot recommend the Altadis Playboy cigar to anyone seeking a unique smoking experience.
Grade: C
Good day sirs!
*The discussion always arises over whether it is better to use a hole punch, draw poker, cigar scissors, knife, single-or-double guillotine cutter, teeth(!), etc… to prep your stogie. But for my money a quality double-bladed guillotine cutter is the only way to go. I’ve owned my Xikar Xi Original for over two years and I have nothing but great things to say about this quality product. The blades are made of high quality surgical 440 stainless steel, with an HRC of 57. [The Rockwell Hardness Scale (HRC) is used for measuring the hardness of a metal alloy. The rating is taken by measuring the amount of force required to produce a deformation in the metal using a diamond point. Typical values for a quality blade range from HRC 55 to HRC 62.] The Xikar Cutter gives cigar enthusiasts the finest cigar cut with power, efficiency and ease of use. An aluminum body encases the stainless steel blades in a spring-loaded, ergonomic shape. This is the finest cutter you can buy – they guarantee it! Xikar cutters come in a variety of styles, colors and housings, and they offer free lifetime blade sharpening should you ever need it. Xikar also offers lighters, knives, humidors and other quality cigar-related products. If you are any level of cigar aficionado do yourself a favor and check out the Xikar cutters today!
My pre-cut/pre-light examination revealed a firm, well-made dark brown cigar, slightly veined, with an elegant looking black band highlighted with the silver iconic Playboy Rabbit Head emblem. [Note: The original style Don Diego band has Hef’s monogram and signature, along with a smaller Rabbit Head logo.] Supposedly the Altadis re-boot incorporated having the flavor profile kicked up a notch. These new Playboy cigars are touted as being a blend of the finest aged Nicaraguan, Dominican and Peruvian long filler tobaccos paired with exquisite Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper leaves. My initial conservative guillotine cut left a cold draw that was a bit snug. So, like a surgeon, I took my Xikar Xi Original cutter* and skillfully shaved off another slice. The pre-light draw was unremarkable; somewhat buttery and nutty, perhaps a hint of zest. Safely ensconced in the “man cave” (my garage) and my faithful mutt “Stogie” at my feet, and with a slight drizzle beginning to fall, I settled in and lit the fuse…
Ah sweet nectar, once again I suckle at your teat! ™ Initial puffs presented - as advertised - a mild-to-medium experience, and a leathery yet creamy flavor profile with a bit of gusto to it. The draw was still a little firm, but I was getting decent mouthfuls of smoke and the burn was acceptable so I continued on. This Playboy cigar produced a grey/white ash; however the ash was flaky and would not stay on too long, so I spent a lot of time hovering over the ashtray as I smoked. Into the middle I began to pick up on a certain harshness I could not pinpoint. I retro-haled a few times to see if I could sort out the complex blends and isolate the offensive anomaly, but to no avail. I could detect pedestrian, medium-bodied firewood flavors and subtle fruit notes. Nearing the end the cigar seemed to waver back and forth between bitter and harsh. I’ve said in the past and I’ll say it again: I like a flavorful cigar but I do not abide a harsh cigar. As a matter of fact the next morning this cigar left a foul taste in my mouth, which almost never happens with premium cigars. Nearing the last ¼ the bitterness increased and I decided I’d had enough.
To sum up: I like Playboy’s taste in women; cigars – not so much. My feelings towards this cigar are about as mixed as the tobaccos that are in it. It was not a terrible cigar per say, more of an erratic cigar. And bitterness in a cigar is often a sign of young tobacco. Furthermore, I’m still not sure what the relationship is between this newer Altadis Playboy cigar and the original Don Diego Playboy [with the monogrammed wrapper] that launched in '96; I recall liking the older version a lot better, as it seemed more true to the Don Diego flavor profile. Factor in the price – about $10.00 a stick – and I simply cannot recommend the Altadis Playboy cigar to anyone seeking a unique smoking experience.
Grade: C
Good day sirs!
*The discussion always arises over whether it is better to use a hole punch, draw poker, cigar scissors, knife, single-or-double guillotine cutter, teeth(!), etc… to prep your stogie. But for my money a quality double-bladed guillotine cutter is the only way to go. I’ve owned my Xikar Xi Original for over two years and I have nothing but great things to say about this quality product. The blades are made of high quality surgical 440 stainless steel, with an HRC of 57. [The Rockwell Hardness Scale (HRC) is used for measuring the hardness of a metal alloy. The rating is taken by measuring the amount of force required to produce a deformation in the metal using a diamond point. Typical values for a quality blade range from HRC 55 to HRC 62.] The Xikar Cutter gives cigar enthusiasts the finest cigar cut with power, efficiency and ease of use. An aluminum body encases the stainless steel blades in a spring-loaded, ergonomic shape. This is the finest cutter you can buy – they guarantee it! Xikar cutters come in a variety of styles, colors and housings, and they offer free lifetime blade sharpening should you ever need it. Xikar also offers lighters, knives, humidors and other quality cigar-related products. If you are any level of cigar aficionado do yourself a favor and check out the Xikar cutters today!
