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
Nestor Miranda Special Selection Cigar Review
I usually stay away from panatelas because I have had problems with the draw from them. But I had seen a lot of good things about these cigars and I just couldn’t pass up a deal for these cigars. So I bit and I couldn’t be happier.
It is a beautiful looking cigar. The dark wrapper isn’t marred by many veins and it is a rarity to see discolorations on these cigars’ wrappers. Well filled with tobacco and there it has some oils on it.
Thanks to Miami Cigar for providing this cigar for review.
Cigar Stats
Lancero
Length: 7 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 40
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Rosado
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras & Dominican Republic
Price: $6.75/Cigar | $150.00/Box of 25
March Madness 2011 Torch!
Spice and grass are the main flavors in the beginning. Also some sweetness when you draw in some smoke. The draw is, unfortunately, a little tight. I’ve smoked ten of these cigars and around seven of them had draw issues. However, if you focus a little bit and take a draw slightly more frequently than normal the draw issues can be overcome.
Less than an inch into the cigar a nice chocolate flavor comes on. The spice is still there but the grassy flavor has fallen off almost completely. And then, in less than a half an inch, the grass comes back. It is a complex cigar that has most of the flavors that I love in a cigar.
Coffee really starts coming on at the beginning of the second third of this cigar. It’s a nice, bitter version of coffee; very black.
Entering the last third of this cigar and the flavors are staying fairly consistent. A little more spice than before, a little less coffee.
Very good cigar with a lot of high points. The draw was a pain though and that takes away from its overall score. I bet that with a bigger ring gauge I would enjoy it a lot more.
89 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
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
CAO Gold Corona Cigar Review
From CAO: “Flawlessly constructed, this nugget of smoking pleasure delivers a smooth buttery flavor laced with vanilla, cream and nutmeg creating an escape that is nothing less than golden.” They peg it as being a mild smoke.
Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Well, just going off of what anyone says about their cigars they would all sound wonderful. That is why I am here, to tell you who is fudging how good their cigars really are. Here’s my review:
Light brown wrapper that is a little misshapen. It does glisten with oils. There is a hole near the foot of the cigar. It gets thinner by the cap. Drinking Cherry Coke with water.
Cigar Stats
Corona
Length: 5 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 42
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $4.50
Z-Light!
Very mild (I don’t like mild cigars – so be forewarned). Kind of boring actually. Not very flavorful in the beginning.
There are some slight vanilla flavors. Draw is a little tight and there is this ashy flavor that I don’t like.
This review may end up being short unless this cigar gets better. It’s a fine cigar; it burns evenly, the draw is good, the flavors are not bad…. It is just that this cigar does not excite me at all. Halfway through at this point and unless it becomes more flavorful then I won’t like it.
Luckily, it does get better. The vanilla flavor is joined by a nuttiness along with an oak flavor as well. It does improve my overall perception of this cigar. Overall, it is a fine cigar.
87 points
Other Reviews:
Barry, over at A Cigar Smokers Journal, gave the toro vitola 88 points and found the dominant flavors to be nutty and woody.
Blank Mind Blog found this cigar to be boring and didn’t notice any of the flavors I noticed.
