Anyone else ever see these? Its a really really cool presentation. The cigar comes wrapped with an entire Tobacco leaf, under which is the actual cigar.

A friend of mine gave me 3 of them to review, along with an Island Jim from the same company which is also cool looking.

Im looking forward to checking them out.

I know it is one of my best buddy's go to smoke but I have never had it myself

He raves about them though

I don't know which Im more excited about, taking pictures of them, or smoking them.

I have one Sumatra, one Maduro and one which already had the leaf off of it, so its missing the type (which is on the outermost cigar band) its hard to tell if its a 2nd Sumatra, or a Connecticut.

Be sure to leave us a little review here!

It's exciting to be excited 😉

Got a sampler of 5 coming, look pretty good

Whats a decent price on these? Saw some in a local b and m but didnt pull the trigger on what they were selling as a $10+ stick...not knowing if it was all hype or not.

I've tried the Sumatra and thought it was pretty good, but not worth the price. I haven't smoked the other three of the sampler.

Same here. I think they were $13-15 iirc.

And the boxes are still full a few months later.

When they discount em under $10 I'll give one a try.

Only one place in town did i see them and they are still there a year later........if they had gotten snapped up, i would have kicked myself for not getting some of these unique pods. I would pick one up to try if they discounted it for clearance as i have discovered some good smokes this way.

I got a 5ver sampler for 30 shipped, thought that was a good price.

I'm not convinced enough to go for a fiver, and trying to really reign in my cigar spending.

So many others in my humidor I've not tried, even have boxes of stuff I've not tried but bought on impulse or recommendation from others.

Tried the Connecticut earlier this year (local shop was thinking of bringing them in). Bland and overpriced.

So, I just finished the Island Jim. That cigar is...pretty awesome, I compiled some notes on it while I was smoking it. They're what I use for writing, consider it my mini-review:

ISLAND JIM by Oscar Valladares & Co.

Earthiness, Pepper, Leather

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Jalapa

Binder: Honduran

Filler: Honduran

Body – Full

Perceived Value - $5-$8 Stick

Any Issues – Due to the nature of the double cap, there are some draw issues, not terrible, it just takes getting used to.

The cigar is very aesthetically pleasing, and the spice comes through especially on the retrohale.

Would I buy this cigar? Yes, though if this wasn't given to me, I’d definitely be looking for it in a sampler first. Its’ Eye catching, but the name and manufacturer don’t stand out in my head enough to take a leap. I'm very glad to have discovered this cigar, and it will be a regular in my rotation.

Additional Comments: That Jalapa is “Bacon Wrapped Steak” delicious. I'm so glad I ate lunch before I had this stick, otherwise I may have had an issue.


Leaf By Oscar - Sumatra

Medium Bodied

White Pepper, Tobacco, Citrus (On Retro-hale)

As the cigar progresses the White Pepper turns into a black pepper, and the Tobacco flavor lightens.

Surprisingly smooth for a Sumatra, lacks toothiness

Initial appearance: This is a very cool, unique presentation. It comes wrapped externally in an entire tobacco leaf, with its own band that says “Leaf by Oscar – Sumatra” on it. I’ve never seen anything like it, and depending on the persons palate, any of the cigars from this line would make a stellar gift on aesthetics alone.

Perceived Value: $3-$5/Stick

This is the most Non-Sumatra, Sumatra wrapper I’ve had since the La Aurora 1495. Not something I would smoke every day, but if you’re looking for a lighter Sumatra cigar, this is one to check out.

Would I buy it again? Honestly? No. It wasn’t what I look for in a Sumatra. I’ll stick with my Fallen Angels. That being said, if you like the 1495, Look this one up.

PART TWO

LEAF BY OSCAR - CONNECTICUT:

Notes: Tobacco, Citrus, Cream
Wrapper: Honduran Connecticut Puro
Strength: Mild – Medium
Perceived Cost: $2-$5/Stick

This leaf has a very light golden tobacco taste with a ton of citrus on the retro hale, and an overall creaminess to it. It’s very smooth the entire way through. It also has a very mild aroma. At the last 3rd this cigar definitely steps up to Medium territory.

Would I buy it? Honestly? No, the only reason is that it’s too mild for me. I would consider picking it up for my friends that only smoke the occasional cigar, and would recommend it to a mild-medium smoker.

LEAF BY OSCAR – Maduro:

Notes: Smoky, Dark Chocolate, Pepper
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Jalapa
Strength: Medium
Perceived Cost: $2-$5

There’s a subtle sweetness to this cigar and a lingering spice on the back end. It would make a nice dessert cigar, especially if you had the right drink to go with it.

Once again the Nicaraguan Jalapa makes another cigar I would normally pass on turn into something I’d keep in my collection.

Would I buy it? I could see keeping a few in the humidor for the right night. This would make a good autumn cigar with a cider.

And thus ends my review notes of the 4 Cigars I received from Leaf By Oscar.

Nutshell: If you like a really good full bodied cigar grab the Island Jim, otherwise the rest are decent gift cigars due to presentation, but nothing to write home about.