CAO La Traviata Maduro Cigar Review
I sit here wearing my CAO La Traviata Maduro hat given to me by Keith from Tiki Bar Online. Even though you might not think that is pertinent information I recall some English teacher I once had preaching about the importance of setting the scene. So there; the scene is set.
This is a perfect looking cigar. Black-brown wrapper with two very minor veins visible. Oily feel to the wrapper, it’s also slightly fuzzy. The cigar feels well packed, hard even. Can’t wait to smoke this cigar after resting it in my humidor for many months.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
Price: $115.00/Box of 24
Canton Tower Flame!
If you are wondering whether or not I have smoked the CAO La Traviata with the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper you can take a look at this. If you don’t want to go through the bother of clicking on another link and reading another review then you should know that I liked that cigar, giving it 91 points. Leather, oak and spice were some of the flavors that I noticed and it was pleasantly full bodied.
The CAO La Traviata Maduro starts out with a dark and powerful flavor profile. Beef jerky is the center of the flavor profile surrounded by mahogany, salt and bitter chocolate. While the draw is a little tight in the early goings of this cigar it has not become much of a problem.
Smokiness along with dark flavors are pervasive coming into the second third. Beef jerky and smoky mesquite are the big flavors that I’m picking up now. It’s fine.
The somewhat tight draw becomes somewhat bothersome in the final third, but not in terms of flavor. That jerky flavor has receded into the background while the smoky mesquite has gotten stronger. Heavy cigar.
Without the tight draw, which I got over and over again with each of these cigars that I tried, this would be a 90+ point cigar in my estimation. Even with the tight draw it was an enjoyable cigar but, I have to say, the original La Traviata is my favorite. Medium bodied with a burn that does require some touch ups along the way, this is a cigar that maduro fans might want to give a try.
88 points
Punch Rare Corojo 10th Anniversary Cigar Review
I received some samples from General Cigar that I have used for this review. In the past when I have smoked some Punch Rare Corojos I didn’t think they were spectacular but they were solid cigars. This cigar might be a little better than solid.
The look of the wrapper is a mottled combination of mostly dark brown and some lighter brown. Box pressed, this cigar looks like the wrapper was stretched a little too much as there are a few instances of stretch marks near the veins of the wrapper. Other than that the cap cuts nicely for me and the wrapper has a moderate amount of oils on it.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Corojo
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican, Nicaragua & Honduras
Price: $6.50/cigar
It starts out very nice if not a bit too aggressively. According to the cover letter that was sent along with these samples spice is something that they strive for in the formulation of these cigars. Well, they achieved what they set out to do. What is nice about this version of spice is that while it is strong it is not crazily strong. Buffeting the spice is a nice mixture of cherry and oak. Even though I rarely drink wine that is the kind of fruity/oaky flavor that I think I am getting here. (Don’t ask me what variety of wine it reminds me of – suffice it to say it’s something red. Very tanniny I think.)
During the end of the first third the burn starts to go a little off. I have corrected it and I hope that it doesn’t affect the flavors too much because I am liking this cigar. I have run into varying degrees of this problem with the previous samples I have tried, so be forewarned.
The second third presents somewhat of a reversal of the first third in that the cherry and oak flavors are now dominant and the spice is taking on a lesser role. Actually, I almost think it’s more accurate to say that all three flavors are basically on equal footing here. What I am tasting here is very enjoyable and is in line with what I have experienced with my previous samples.
Harsh is not an unfair description of the final third. The main flavor is burnt hay but the cherry flavor still peaks through from time to time. It is a medium-full bodied cigar with a good-loose draw and the burn had to be corrected a couple of times. After that first significant adjustment to the burn during the first third there were a couple of minor adjustments.
Overall, I liked this cigar. The first two thirds were very enjoyable and I think nearly everybody can find something to like from them. The final third, on the other hand, did have some problems that I have already noted. Like my memories of the Punch Rare Corojo this is likewise a solid cigar.
88 points
Litto Gomez Cigar Rights of America Cigar Review
Large cigar (5 ¾” x about 53) with a fairly dark, chocolate brown wrapper. There are a couple of instances of large veins with this specimen. One of those veins intrudes upon the cap and seems to me like it portends something bad.
On the bright side, and this side does have a considerable size to it, it is an oily cigar that is packed nicely. The shape looks and feels almost spot on and there are no bumps, dips or valleys to speak of. My pre-light draw is effortless and reveals a hint of spice followed by what I’m taking as cocoa. I like this combination of flavors so my hopes are high.
I need to also mention that this is one of the Cigar Rights of America Special Edition cigars.
At first, there is a grassy flavor that floods the palette. This is superseded by a chalky cocoa flavor that is a fairly good flavor in my estimation. Spice isn’t a major player in the beginning. And then, almost like this Litto Gomez is playing a trick on me, a pleasant spicy flavor burns at the back of my throat and through my sinuses. The spice is there, it just takes a minute or two to introduce itself.
Around the two inch mark the cigar gets plagued by some poor burn issues. I have to do some major touchups and the ship is righted, for now. On the flavor front, it’s pretty much the same. Spice is still present (it’s a screeching, in your face kind of spice), the chalky cocoa flavor is still kicking and the grassy flavor is mulling around in there.
After the halfway point the chalky cocoa flavor morphs into a clay-like earthiness. The burn is still being stubborn, one side acting as the hare and the other the tortoise. The draw continues to be excellent. Grass is the dominant flavor I’m getting on the retrohale. It’s really a nice cigar with a decent amount of complexity to it.
Sometime during the last third of the cigar a floral flavor starts to come through. It is not sweet as is the case most of the time when I experience this flavor, it’s just floral. The earthiness has gone but the spice has picked up. Spice is especially present in conjunction with the grassiness during the retrohale. This Litto Gomez is a nice, medium-full bodied cigar with a goodly amount of flavor.
This Litto Gomez was a good cigar with some enjoyable flavors. As is the case with all the other cigars from the Cigar Rights of America sampler I will withhold a rating because I am only smoking one.
Guillermo León Cigar Review
The first time I smoked one of these cigars was back during the spring in the Dominican Republic at the La Aurora factory. Jason Wood, now the Director of Finance at Miami Cigar & Company (who provided the cigars for this review and advertises on this site as well), secretly handed us these unbanded cigars and told us to give them a try. Needless to say, we were all intrigued and got down to smoking these cigars.
I can’t remember anyone who wasn’t pleased with their cigar smoking experience. And then they told us that this was going to be the first cigar to feature Guillermo León’s name on the band. So that was a pretty cool experience. And now onto the cigar that should be available in your neck of the woods by December at the latest (Miami and New York already have access).
The dark brown habano wrapper looks good. There are a couple of veins that are sticking up a little bit but nothing major. Well packed from cap to foot and it is an oily wrapper. The ones I’ve smoked in the past have all been excellent so I am looking forward to this one.
Cigar Stats
Corona Gorda
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 47
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano (Vuelta Arriba)
Binder: Cameroon and Dominican Republic Corojo
Filler: DR, Brazil, Nicaragua, Peru
Price: $8.50/cigar
Rediscovery Flame!
This is one of those cigars that is good from the first puff on. Nicely balanced flavors that coat your mouth and an abundance of smoke. Cedar is the driving force behind the early stages of this cigar’s flavor development.
There is also a certain sweetness, not quite fruity but close to it. This flavor is most pronounced on the retrohale and starts coming through shortly after starting the cigar (less than an inch in). After that sweetness flavor dissipates on the retrohale there is a mixture of leather and a mild spice that lingers in the back of the sinuses for a while.
A great draw is accompanied by a somewhat wavy burn. This medium bodied cigar easily makes up for that at times erratic burn line with a great group of flavors. The main evolution of this cigar is from cedar notes in the beginning to a sweeter fruit flavor mixed with spice and leather as the cigar progresses.
93 points
CAO Lx2 Rosado Especial Cigar Rights of America Limited Edition
At just a little over seven inches, this Cigar Rights of America Special Edition cigar from CAO is a great looking cigar. The first thing you notice is that there is a heavy sheen of oil glistening on the reddish brown wrapper. Even the feel of it is slippery.
There are some veins, it is a smidge misshapen in places and it is packed very tightly. As I pull out my cutter I find myself thinking about how oily this cigar is again. It truly is one of the oilier cigars that I have ever seen. Fighting through my awe and wonderment I successfully cut the cigar and take a pre-light draw. The draw is good and the flavors center on a core of spice.
Upon lighting the CAO Lx2 Rosado Especial you are hit with just a ton of robust cigar flavors and (unfortunately for my eyes) a ton of cigar smoke as well. The flavors are awesome. A spice that kind of tastes like a candy cane but manlier and a whole lot spicier and there are also some leather flavors.
While I do love the flavors the burn is atrocious at times. A couple of major touch ups have been made and I am barely at the halfway point. Another nit that needs picking is the poisonous smoke that wafts from this cigar. Never have had a cigar that actually made my eyes water. Well, at least no cigar that has made my eyes water this much.
After the halfway point the robust spice becomes somewhat less robust. Of course by less robust I mean still very robust but not as glaringly so. Actually, with the power backing off ever so slightly it has become a much more complex cigar.
The final throes of this cigar have a cherry oak flavor mixed in with the peppermint spiciness. It really is a very good cigar, very enjoyable. Full bodied with a nice draw (bad burn though) is always good for something in my book. And this CAO Lx2 has great flavors as well.
As is the case with all the other cigars from the Cigar Rights of America sampler I will not be scoring this one.
