Wow....I haven't reviewed in over a month!  What the heck is wrong with me, you wonder?  Every now and then a couple of things interfere with a cigar reviewer....life and overload.  I had been reviewing for a while and after a while you tend to look at smoking cigars as work and not a hobby.  I decided to chill for a while and just enjoy smoking cigars like I used to.  Life, of course, also gets in the way - but that is the boring part.  So, I am back...and I have a few great cigars on the horizon that I will offer up for your reading pleasure.  Today, I have the Carnage. A  house blend from Famous Smoke that is blended and produced by Nestor Placencia. Nestor blends a lot of cigars for a lot of people, so this should be a no-brainer.  Here we go....

Construction: The Carnage is a nice looking cigar.  Plenty of tooth to the wrapper with a couple of minor veins and no seams.  The band is pretty cool.  It reminds me of Frank Miller's original 300 graphic novel.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: Out of the cellophane I get notes of caramel and a hefty sweet tobacco.  A cold pull gives a nice sweet tobacco note with a hint of figs.

Light and Burn: Of the samples I was given, I had some very minor burn issues here and there.  Not always 100% straight - but nothing that I would mark the cigar down on.  The draw was always spot on, so....no harm no foul.

Tasting: Right off the bat you can tell that the Carnage is not a run-of-the-mill house blend.  Plenty of coffee, oak, and some Asian spices brush the palate in nice quantities.  There is a mild amount of earth and some red pepper in the mix too.  Now, with a name like Carnage, you might expect a cigar to straight-up murder you after you light it....but the Carnage softly warms up to a heavy medium bodied experience.  Kind of like the neighbor that always seemed so nice that turns out to be a cannibal serial killer or something....It's like I know what is coming.

The middle third is kicking in now and the strength has climbed up to the medium-full range.  Dry earth, baker's cocoa, and a floral note make their way around what has become a very spicy oak core.  The floral note really shocked me.  Not sure if this cigar is teasing me or bringing flowers to my funeral.  Strength increases to full by the end of the middle section.

The final third is here and I am getting a tad light-headed.  It isn't the most powerful cigar I have ever had or anything but the ligero in there does pack a bit of a punch.  More pepper notes increase.  Black, white, and red all together.  It's not what I would call a pepper bomb, but it does provide a nice spicy backdrop to the oak core.  Overall a hefty and satisfying smoke.

Value: Herein we find the true draw of the Carnage.  At $3.50 per cigar, how can you go wrong?!? Snag some here!

Final Thoughts: Famous Smoke Shop has been cranking out the house blends and they have been killing it, folks.  They have some terrific talent behind them and the gang there really knows good cigars.  The Carnage is totally worth your time if you like a cigar that builds to a full strength and has a nice rich flavor.  Easily recommended.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Honduran Connecticut Talanga
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano Seco, Viso, and Ligero

Strength: Full

Size: 6 x 52

Great looking cigar, huh?

THIS  IS...CARNAGE!!!!!  Love that band, guys.