Kudos to Stogie for sending me this. It has rested for a few months. Time to review.

Appearance and construction - 13/15

One of the nicer looking JDNs. LOL - that isn't saying much. They aren't known for their appearance but for what its worth this one is much nicer than most. I have noticed that the antanos are nicer than the celebracions in the appearance and construction department. The wrapper is lumpy and non-uniform but the fill is good. It is not too hard nor too soft and it clipped very well.

Flavor 21/25
This cigar has loads of flavor with a peppery finish. I detect an almost toffee-like core with hints of leather earth and espresso throughout the long finish. There was a hint of harshness and acrid smoke every now and then which I know from past experience with this line goes away with age. The flavors were solid and consistent and there is a depth and richness that I like. It isn't very polished but what do you want for 3 bucks a stick? Sheesh. Still a bargain IMO.

Smoking characteristics 22/25
Good solid performance. The burn was a hair off but the ash was very dense and white. This cigar produced large amounts of cool flavorful smoke. This is a very slow burner too. It took me around an hour and a half to burn it down to the nub and that was smoking pretty fast. It also packs a punch so its best to eat first unless you like a buzz. I smoked it for breakfast so I am a bit lightheaded as I write this.

Overall 32/35

One of the best bargains around. This is not my favorite size simply due to the fact that it is a long smoke but the flavors are good. I like the draw and smoke volume on the jawbreaking gran consul and the quickness of the machitos a little better than the beli but if you like long slow burning head spinning flavorful smokes this is a good choice.


overall 89

Hey man, I was going to review one of these . I will revisit the same box in about 6 months with another review to go with this one, it could be a good way to show how age mellows and refines a nice big strong smoke. Part 2!!!!
By the way, nice review like usuall. The review board has been slow and we need to revive it a little. I posted that in another thread, Im gonna try to review one when I get home this afternoon.

Very nice review P, one of my favorite NC's. If you can hold off for 6 months, they come around great and that harshness disappears. The beli's are my favorite, but like you said, you better not expect an hour long smoke, they seem to burn forever.

Awwww, Thanks guys. Idesign, that GC you sent me was killer. I don't mind harshness in a young smoke. I can easily see where it will be in 6 months or so but I really dig the huge ring guage on the GC. It is almost silly how big that thing is.

quote:

Originally posted by pmpimbura:
Awwww, Thanks guys. Idesign, that GC you sent me was killer. I don't mind harshness in a young smoke. I can easily see where it will be in 6 months or so but I really dig the huge ring guage on the GC. It is almost silly how big that thing is.

Those GC's are short and stubby. Another thing I like about Antanos is the the weight. They have a heft to them that I like (sounds like crazy talk, I know ). I need to get some more, I think I only have one or two on hand. Too bad I'm on a Habanos mission right now. That's all I want to buy boxes of anymore.

I know a few guys who only smoke Habanos. I just ran into one today and he smoked a JdN Antano beli I gave him a month or so ago. He loved it. These are kick ass smokes.

And no pmp, that Beli is definitely no quicky. My buddy has some Machitos but I haven't tried them yet.

The Machitos are killer! Idesign, I'll send you some more later after they hit the 6 month mark along with some more Edge's.

Stogie, I'm going to be overflowing here shortly so hold your smokes..I'll be sending some poop sticks next week.

Cool beans Daddy-O!

The machitos are very good, but they never seem to burn the greatest for me. I've found they smoke better a little on the dry side.

quote:

Originally posted by El Presidente:
I know a few guys who only smoke Habanos. I just ran into one today and he smoked a JdN Antano beli I gave him a month or so ago. He loved it. These are kick ass smokes.

ROFL.

Most guys I know who smoke only CC's think PAMs and Don Carlos are dog rockets.

I've not had any luck with the gran consuls or any of the other sizes, cept maybe the machitos...which were very harsh but not bad.

I thought you only smoked poles.

quote:

Originally posted by Idesign:
I thought you only smoked poles.

Durh, how clever. Give yourself a cookie and take a nap on your trip back to the 1st grade.

Will do. just wondering why you have to be a prick in every thread that deals with nc's. We all get it. You don't like any of them, but thanks for reminding us.

I've recommended some NC's to people. Last one I did was gran habano to pmp in fact. I spread the word on these before most here knew to buy them.

Second, my opinion of the machito was no worse than yours.

Third, it's 100% true that no pure CC smoker I know would even touch these. I was adressing what prez wrote, which is simply far fetched. Take that to the cigar-wise forum and post that and watch yourself get flamed about 30 pages for writing something like that. Just because you don't know any better doens't mean i am being a jerk. I am simply being blunt. And most older posters here know that if he did in fact post that on cigar-wise, he would be laughed at...they just wont admit it.

4th, unless you work as a roller in the dominican or your family personally owns a NC label, WTF do you even care what my opinion is? You didn't make them, so why should you care.

You guys are both A-holes.

Actually, we went through this with the camacho thing Sobek. I DID post in on Cwise and nobody laughed at me. One poster said I had the palate of a billygoat one actually agreed with me but everyone else just mainly disagreed. It was pretty civil though.

These cigars are just good. Anyone who disses them because they aren't cuban is a douche. Present company included sobek. LOL

Thanks for the review pmp, and suggesting this line to me a few weeks ago. Now that they have rested in my humi for a month, they are less harsh and are developing some nice plume.

Oh, and if you ignore the cranky people, they go away.....

quote:

Originally posted by sobek:
I've recommended some NC's to people. Last one I did was gran habano to pmp in fact. I spread the word on these before most here knew to buy them.

Second, my opinion of the machito was no worse than yours.

Third, it's 100% true that no pure CC smoker I know would even touch these. I was adressing what prez wrote, which is simply far fetched. Take that to the cigar-wise forum and post that and watch yourself get flamed about 30 pages for writing something like that. Just because you don't know any better doens't mean i am being a jerk. I am simply being blunt. And most older posters here know that if he did in fact post that on cigar-wise, he would be laughed at...they just wont admit it.

4th, unless you work as a roller in the dominican or your family personally owns a NC label, WTF do you even care what my opinion is? You didn't make them, so why should you care.

First of all this isnt Cigar Wise, this is CA. If you just like cubans, then thats fine but you constantly visit almost every NC smoke thread always dissing them comparing them to cubans. THis isnt the first time Sobek.

The Consul is one of my favorite cigars. It's a great cigar.

Has anyone tried the Celebracion? I haven't seen any of these locally and I'm wondering if it's worth a purchase.

So i'm critical of NC's. I've admitted it and I don't deny it. What's the big deal? There are a handful I do buy and the rest, truthfully, I think completely suck. But that's my opinion. Where does it say that an opinion has to agree with you guys just to be voiced?? As long as I spent the money to try it and honestly smoked it, there is nothing wrong with me posting my comments.

There have plenty of threads where I have said people can smoke phillys for all I care, as long as they enjoy them. But when you start comparing them to CC's and implying they are just as good or better...that just invites a comment (which is more to what I was referring to, pmp). If some guy posted how some Thompsons house brands are just as good as camachos and JdN (maybe not the same situation, but similar), you can't tell me you wouldn't throw in a comment.

pmp doesn't get all huffy like the rest of you. He and I disagree on camachos. I have 2 boxes of monarcas in my humi...but I don't think they are better than "REAL CUBANS" like one poster said about a million times. It's just my opinion. Don't like it, ignore it. telling someone to "smoke a pole" over some rolled up tobacco is a bit small.

And like i said before stog, you might not find my opinions useful, but there are many mostly CC smokers who still dabble in NC's who might find my opinions more similar to theirs.