I thought I'd put a thread up with my reviews. Here are some links to some others:
#77 The Anejo Shark
#46 Anejo
ITC triple barber pole
Now to start this I'm going to give some more praise for the Olivia V Maduro.

Olivia V Maduro
This cigar was a limited release in 09 and is one of the best cigars I have smoked. This thing is wrapped in a dark maduro wrapper and comes only in a torpedo shape. It's a little over 6 inches and about a 52 ring gauge. Pre light draw brings some sweetness along with pepper and coffee. Upon lighting it and the first few puffs I get a lot of smoke, coffee, creme, tobacco, and subtle pepper and cocoa. More flavor came through the nose (as I have noticed more with maduros). The burn stayed steady throughout the cigar, the ash was tight and firm as well. The aroma wasn't bad, though not as sweet as my Wife likes. The cigar wasn't very strong at first but picks up throughout. The pepper that was light at the start builds up, as does the coffee, tobacco, and hints of cinnamon and chocolate. The cigar took me about a little over 1.5 hours. I smoke slow so maybe faster for some. This was a complex cigar and out of the 4 I have smoked I've picked up different tastes each time but that's probably just me. If you can get your hands on these, if you like the V's and like a complex, meaty cigar GET IT.

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phobicsquirrel:

This cigar was a limited release in 09

AHEM...'08. If memory serves, and it usually does, they landed on the loading docks in November. I bought up a box quick as could be and then regretted not getting two. Damn good cigar. Looking forward to lighting one up once they hit the one year mark...not looking forward to drooling over the rest of them for another year.

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"Beliefs are neat. Cherish them, but don't share them like they're the truth" Bill Hicks

Jozer set me straight, so I stand corrected, 08 is when they landed.... Though I wonder why they are stated as 09 release? Was another batch made in 09? I thought only 1 batch was made.

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I wonder why they would say that....maybe because they were released so late in 2008 that they were considered to be released for 2009? Damn cigar makers and their fuzzy math.

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"Beliefs are neat. Cherish them, but don't share them like they're the truth" Bill Hicks

only one batch made and all the boxes have 2008 on them. They probably held on to them and aged them 6 months in the box before shipping/releasing them.

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"As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to love it more and more." - Jules Renard

I heard that Oliva was going to release some more of these. Not sure if they were rolled in 08 or are new for 09.

5 Vegas Limitada 09

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I finally got my hands on one, thank you Rob; and at first I was really excited but sadly the cigar was less than expected. I enjoy 5 vegas cigars, most of them are top notch and cheap but with the limitada releases it's hit or miss. I enjoy the 08, didn't like the 07, but enjoyed the 06. The 09 has a rasin aroma pre light, which made me uber excited. After cutting, and taking a few light pre-light puffs, I tasted some bit of rasin, tobacco, cream, and some earth. Once lighting it, the rasin went away, the cream, tobacco and earth stayed. Some pepper crept in, but that was all there was. The cigar had some burn problems all the way through, though worse after the first ash (about 1/2 way down). There was some bitterness near the end, and though the cigar wasn't bad, it just wasn't as good as the 08 and more expensive too.

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Sorry, bro. I think I got those on a ccom daily deal at like $26 for 10. Actually, I think that's today's deal. Either way, I thought the cigar was ok, but too strong for its own good and needs some time to age. I think in a year or two, this will be a much better cigar. I think I sent you two of them for that purpose. I did send you two, didn't I?

yup, I'll light it up down the road. I just enjoyed the 08 much more.

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rwheelwright:

I heard that Oliva was going to release some more of these. Not sure if they were rolled in 08 or are new for 09.

Yeah so the 08 was the one I just reviewed and we all had already got. The 09's have just been released recently... All too confusing..

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Review for the Gurkha Empire series I:
Gurkha Empire I

Now here's a cigar that I've been wanting to try very badly, and since it's the day before halloween I think it's a great time. The Camacho Liberty 08!!! I bought 3 of these a while back, and 3 of the 05's (which I hear are the best of the liberties). I recently found a box of the 08's and need to know if I like the cigar before biting on the box. These 08's come in coffin boxes and wrapped in paper. Adding to the beautiful presentation, the cigar is equally amazing. It is wrapped with two different wrappers which give it a beautiful barber pole and add to it the fantastic band and band on the foot it is without a doubt one of the most eye popping cigars I've ever seen. Now these are a bit pricey and also it is a special edition so my hopes are high.


The pre light smell of the cigar is of cedar and wood. After punching the cigar I tasted some ceder and sweetness. Once lighting the cigar and after a few puffs I was hit with a sweet cream, cedar and butterness. It's hard to describe but it was one hell of a start. With plumes of smoke rising from the foot of the cigar and filling my office my wife wondered in and commented the smell, so that's always a plus. The cigar stayed consistent throughout and left a mild layer of sweetness in my mouth. The burn was one of the more even of the barber poles I've smoked and it didn't go out.

One of the greatest things about this cigar is the consistency it gave. Throughout the cigar it stayed steady with a creamy/buttery taste with wood/ceder and some coffee notes. Through the nose I could pick up a small amount of strength, like a dash of pepper with the deep rich creami-ness. Overall I was very impressed with this cigar and if you want a creamy cigar that doesn't bring a lot of power this would be a great one to get. I love strong cigars but milder cigars are always nice to have too. They are a bit pricey, but given the sheer beauty of the cigar, the presentation and the taste it's well worth it in my opinion to at least get one or two for a special event or holiday. I myself have to convince the wife to let me buy a box....

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I was able to get my hands on a Gurkha Empire III


This cigar looks amazing, and the Costa Rican Maduro wrapper makes me really want to light this puppy up. I'm not too familiar with this wrapper, not sure if I've ever had it, but it sounds rare. This cigar has Dominican and Honduran Fillers which is a double plus for me! The description of this cigar states that it has a rich core of chocolaty goodness finished by a toasty and sweet finish and it is mostly correct. This cigar was tastier than the Empire I and from the get go had a chocolate/sweet/creamy/woody taste and a Sweet Aroma. The cigar Had a good even burn and a nice draw with lots of smoke. The cigar wasn't super complex but it did have a LOT of flavor. Lots of chocolate and coffee and sweetness to it, along with some tobacco, and wood. After the first ash (a little over half way) the cigar got a little harsh, but I just touched the sides with my lighter and it got back on track (maybe it was burning out). Again the sweetness was there but a bit more strength came through. The harshness came back near the last inch and a half and I tried to take it really slow and it helped a bit but eventually I put it down. I have to say, that this cigar was damn good, and with some rest these will probably really open up and give you a great tasty cigar. I will have to pick up a box sooner or later and being a new blend I was a bit unsure how it would stack up. The micro batches weren't fantastic, but still decent, but this guy blew my expectations up. I would say it could be a cross between a triple ligero and doble maduro from Gurkha's earlier blends. Either way, if you are on the fence about the Empires, give the III the first go.

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Nice reviews. I agree on the liberty 08. I bought one for aging and ended up buying another to smoke. Just wanted to be sure I liked it before I aged one for a long time. Very nice cigar, but a bit pricey.

Looking forward to trying the empires as well.

I was looking for info on the 2009 release of the Serie V maduro and found a side-by-side comparison picture. Supposedly the new release is better than the 2008 version, let's hope so since the '08 was pretty good.

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"Beliefs are neat. Cherish them, but don't share them like they're the truth" Bill Hicks

j0z3r:

I was looking for info on the 2009 release of the Serie V maduro and found a side-by-side comparison picture. Supposedly the new release is better than the 2008 version, let's hope so since the '08 was pretty good.

...ok now the question is...how can I get my hands on some 09s?

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"As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to love it more and more." - Jules Renard