Padilla Cazadores Short Cigar Review
I like my Padillas. They are always well made and they almost always taste great. This cigar, the Padilla Cazadores Torpedo (6×52) is one Padilla made stogie that I have been reticent about trying. It’s basically one of their down market offerings but, who knows, right. The Cazadores come with an Ecuadorian wrapper, Ecuadorian binder and filler tobacco from Ecuador as well. This cigar is from Cigars Direct. These cigars all retail for around $5.00 a stick.
0/3: Hardly any veins, very smooth wrapper, light brown color and a slight sheen of oil. Obviously a well made cigar but I just don’t think it will hold up to most of the other Padillas that I have smoked.
1/3: It starts out somewhat promising. Creamy coffee, burnt hay and some oak to start out.
2/3: The second third isn’t so good, it gets a little harsh. Burnt hay coupled with nuts isn’t a great combination.
3/3: As I entered the final third I could not say that I liked this cigar. At the very end, however, there was one redeeming quality: the harshness mellowed enough for a somewhat sweet creaminess to come through.
4/3: Overall, it is a little below average. Medium-full bodied with some good flavors coming through mostly at the beginning and then again near the end. It does have a good draw and burn though, so that’s a plus.
2 points
Ashton Classic Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
The Connecticut Shade wrapper is marred with a couple veins and a few discolored spots. It is an oily cigar that feels soft in some spots. I will be smoking the lonsdale vitola, 8-9-8 (6 1/2″ x 44), for this review. Besides the US Connecticut Shade wrapper the binder and the filler tobaccos are from the Dominican Republic. This cigar retails for around $8.00 per cigar.
Smoke
Mild cigar with a good draw and a good burn. The first big flavor is oak with some sweetness as well. There is also a graham cracker flavor that comes along after an inch or so.
After the halfway point the draw tightens up and the flavor profile definitely takes a turn for the worse. In addition to a ghastly burnt flavor the overall affect is harshness. Those good flavors are still there but they are almost completely masked by the bad ones.
After-Smoke
Let me put it this way: the first half of this cigar was like a good movie (think more The Fast and The Furious than The Godfather). The second half of this cigar is the equivalent of the horrendous sequel; you don’t want to smoke it but you feel obligated to give it a try since you liked the first movie, I mean the first half of the cigar.
Even with that said, this cigar is, at its best, very vanilla – I just couldn’t get excited about it. It’s kind of flavorful but it lacks soul. And it is somewhat expensive.
2 points
Alec Bradley Maxx Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
Oily and without any noticeable imperfections. It is tightly packed. I am smoking the Alec Bradley Maxx Fix (5×58) for this review. This cigar costs $5.00. The wrapper is Nicaraguan Habano, the binder is from Costa Rica and the filler is a combination of tobacco from Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras and Columbia.
Smoke
Chocolate and earthy flavors are what you are going to get from this cigar. Unfortunately, those flavors are not that strong but they are relatively pure, which is a good thing. Medium bodied cigar with a slightly tight draw and a (surprisingly) even burn. There is a mild sweetness that makes an appearance after the one inch mark.
After-Smoke
It is a nice, easygoing, albeit boring, cigar. The flavors are fine but there is absolutely no excitement with this cigar. It’s just… there. Soulless smoke rolling around like a wounded dog.
2 points
Carlos Torano Virtuoso Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke: Good looking cigar without too many imperfections. It is tightly packed. I have smoked a couple of these in recent weeks in the car and while doing work and they have been solid cigars, just nothing special. I am smoking the Encore vitola (4 3/4″ x 52) for this review.
Smoke: Good draw, the burn is a little uneven and this is a medium bodied cigar. Not a lot of flavor to speak of. Some spice and cocoa but they are all just loitering in the background. Really, the main thing I am getting from this cigar is just smoke.
After-Smoke: If you are looking for a cigar that doesn’t have much flavor but is fundamentally sound (it draws and burns well enough) then this is the cigar for you. If you are looking for a cigar that has a complex mix of strong flavors then you should look elsewhere.
2 points
Price Range for all Virtuoso cigars: $4.00 – $6.50
Perdomo Habano Maduro Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke: It feels too tightly packed and the wrapper is dry. The wrapper doesn’t show any imperfections except for one raised vein.
Smoke: Weak flavors. Tobacco, dirt and a mild sweetness, which is grassy, that occasionally pops in. I think it tracks really nicely with a heavily watered down coffee.
Mild-medium bodied with a loose draw and an even burn. The wrapper begins to crack and unravel as I near the end of it.
After-Smoke: Frankly, I had no idea what to expect from this cigar but I expected more than what I got from it. Completely mundane.
2 points
Price Range: $5.00 – $7.00
