Cu-Avana Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
This cigar comes with a maduro or a Dominican grown, Connecticut seed wrapper. The one that I am smoking is the latter. It looks good, doesn’t have any significant imperfections and is somewhat oily. This Cu-Avana feels a little soft to the touch. I am smoking the Toro (6″x50) vitola that retails for less than $3.00 for this review.
Smoke
Oak, some spice and a lot of burnt tobacco flavors. It is a mild cigar with a good draw and an even burn. Vanilla and some sweetness are also present.
The flavors are not very strong nor are they complex. There are more negatives with this cigar than there are positives.
After-Smoke
It is just a boring cigar; mild and flavorless. Well, not completely flavorless. Beyond the slight spice, the faint vanilla, awful burnt tobacco and sweetness there is this grotesque aftertaste that comes on near the end. At first I wasn’t able to pinpoint at first. And then memories of childhood illnesses came flashing back once I realized that the flavor that I hated was exactly like taking some liquid antibiotic.
In a couple of hours I am going to post a review of the Alec Bradley Medalist, which, if you buy ten or more, will cost you only slightly more than this cigar. Plus, it’s better.
1 point
Partagas Black Label Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke: It’s a big, dark and oily cigar that looks a little rustic. Oh, and by “oily” I mean really, really oily. Almost to the point of being too oily. This Partagas Black feels a little too soft to the touch. I am smoking the Magnifico (6″ x 54) vitola.
Smoke: Unfortunately, the draw is intermittently too tight. During those pockets when this cigar has a decent draw I do get some good flavors coming through. Chocolate, burnt pistachio and a robust earthiness. There is a salty sweetness that is left on my lips and that lingers in my mouth. It is also extremely bitter. A medium bodied cigar with a horrific burn.
After-Smoke: The funny thing about the Partagas Black Label is that all of this has happened to me before. In January I smoked one of the Partagas Black Label Magnificos and I gave it 82 points. The really befuddling thing about this line is that I gave the Partagas Black Label Piramide (6″ x 60 torpedo) 93 points.
1 point
Price Range: $5.50 – $7.50
Partagas Black Label webpage
Occidental Reserve Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke: This is a cheap cigar and it looks like one. Veins, stretch marks and a couple of holes mar the light wrapper. It isn’t very oily and it feels evenly packed.
Smoking the Robusto (4 7/8″ x 50) vitola.
Smoke: This must be what smoking a chicken bone tastes like. Harsh, burnt flavors dominate. There is some oakiness in the background that shows me that this cigar isn’t a complete waste. But it’s close to being one.
On the bright side it does draw and burn well. It’s a very mild cigar but that isn’t my problem with it. The flavors are nearly all negative. As I near the end of this cigar I get a strong tobacco flavor that isn’t good.
After-Smoke: Look, I know that this is a cheap cigar and that my expectations should be considerably lower – and they were. But, besides the negligible oak flavor all the other flavors were harsh and it just wasn’t much fun smoking.
1 point
Price Range: $3.00 to $5.00
Vitolas:
-
Torpedo (6″ x 52)
Toro (6″ x 48)
Churchill (7″ x 48)
Corona (6 1/8″ x 43)
Robusto (4 7/8″ x 50)
Gigante (8 1/2″ x 52)
Wrapper: US Connecticut Shade
Binder: US Connecticut
Filler: Dominican Republic, Indonesia
