Carlos Torano Casa Torano Cigar Review

From the Torano website:

Casa Toraño appeals to all the senses. The Ecuadorian-Connecticut wrapper is delicate, silky, and smooth. The binder is especially selected from the Toraño farms in the hills of Nicaragua; and the filler is a combination of Honduran, Nicaraguan, and a family blend of Central and South American tobaccos. Originally the Toraño´s private family blend, the Casa Toraño was made available to the smoking public and has received an enthusiastic reception.

Honestly, I am looking forward to a treat with this cigar. If it really started out as the “family blend” then this must be something that is truly astonishing. Or, what they consider to be a good cigar differs from what I think is a good cigar. I hope that is not the case.

Anyway, the wrapper is light but I do have to say that it is rather veiny. Furthermore, the foot seems a little misshapen. Finally, there is a soft feel to the cigar. Other than that, all is well.

Cigar Stats
Toro
Length: 6 1/4″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
Price: Box 25 – $128 | Single – $6.35

Lost Flame!

Creamy cigar smoke leads to a couple of strong flavors. First of all, there is a strong grassy flavor. No, scratch that, it’s more like bitter, leafy greens. Beyond that there are some cherry and oak flavors. It really is an intriguing mix of flavors that I’m not altogether convinced tastes all that great.

And then after the burn line crosses the one inch mark the flavors begin working in harmony. I guess since it is such a complex cigar that it takes a little while for the metaphorical engine to warm up but oh am I glad that it has warmed up.

Oddly enough, the flavors aren’t usually what I would go for. I like my cigars spicier than this one is. I also like leather and meat, neither of which is in this cigar. Even though the flavors present aren’t my normal cup o’ tea I find myself really enjoying this stogie.

In addition to the multitude of flavors I have already mentioned there is a milky flavor. It’s not as rich as cream but it’s definitely whole milk.

It burns well, the draw is great and it is a mild bodied cigar. Couple this with the great flavors and it’s a real treat of a cigar. Can’t say that I’m going to go back to it all that often but it is undeniably a great cigar.

91 points

Purchase as Part of a Torano Variety Sampler

Another view from Cigar Jack

Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke

There are some holes in the wrapper, raised veins and bunched up areas on the wrapper. It is well packed and the wrapper is a nice looking coffee with a bit of cream added. For this review I am smoking the Robusto (5 x 50) vitola and if you want to know more about this cigar, like how Lot 23 is the farm near Esteli, Nicaragua where all the binder and filler tobaccos in this cigar comes form, then head on over to the Perdomo Lot 23 website page. It costs around $5.00 a stick. The maduro wrapper comes from Nicaragua.

Smoke

An effortless draw reveals herbal and some spice flavors in the beginning. Spice is short lived and gives way to chalky chocolate, earthy and some sweet flavors. The draw may be a little too loose for some smokers but I like it and the burn is relatively even.

A full flavored cigar that is medium bodied is the best way to succinctly describe this cigar. After a couple of inches the main flavors are dark chocolate and mocha. There is a bitter aftertaste that continually builds up throughout the cigar and it is beginning to detract from the good.

After-Smoke

I’m conflicted about this cigar. The flavors were great but that aftertaste just seemed to keep on getting worse. I think I can overlook the aftertaste this time since the flavors were really good.

4 points

Alec Bradley Overture Cigar Review

The Alec Bradley Overture Robusto is a good looking cigar. It has a waxy feel to it and the construction is great. Besides a couple of discolorations and a minor rip on the foot it should be fine.

Here’s what the only retailer, Famous Smoke Shop, has to say about this cigar: “Overture employs a well-balanced blend of Honduran Trojes and Nicaraguan Jalapa longfillers married to a luscious Honduran Trojes Viso wrapper. You’ll enjoy a creamy, full-bodied symphony of complex flavors offering traces of oak, cedar, sweet spices, and espresso on the finish.”

We’ll see.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
Price: $6.75

Afternoon Flame!

I have smoked a couple of these in the past couple of months and I have been completely underwhelmed but the first couple of puffs of this AB Overture have been great. For about the first inch the flavors are warm and spicy. Then the spice falls back somewhat and a bitter earthy/cocoa flavor comes to the fore.

Around the two inch mark the flavors start to change. The earthiness remains along with a diminished cocoa as well. A candied flavor starts to creep into the mix; it’s a nice sweetness that compliments the other flavors. It is a medium-full bodied cigar with a great draw and an even burn.

Over the last couple of inches the spice reappears without much sweetness. My only problem with this cigar is that the flavors are somewhat muddled. They mix together fairly well but the flavors themselves aren’t pristine.

Actually, this was a very good cigar. Lots of flavor and nuance. I would not say that this cigar is amazing but this one specifically was worth it.

When I have smoked these in the past I didn’t like them: 83-86 points – in my opinion. If you do buy some of these cigars I would suggest that you let them rest in your humidor for at least a month, probably more.

89 points

Barry over at A Cigar Smoker’s Journal gave this cigar 90 points

Camacho SLR Maduro Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke: Looks and feels oily. Maybe a little too soft to the touch but the wrapper looks great – no significant imperfections. Smoking the robusto vitola, the Rothschild.

Smoke: One of the best examples of a maduro cigar I can think of right now. Earthy with cocoa. Some spice is lurking in the background. Perfect draw and an incredibly even burn.

After about the halfway point the cigar does become a little bitter, which is a shame. The Camacho SLR Maduro is a medium-full bodied cigar. Slow burning.

After-Smoke: If it were not for that bitterness that comes on after the halfway point I would easily give it 4 points. But even with the bitterness, which isn’t extreme, I am still thinking about giving it that high mark. However, upon reflection, while the flavors are very good there is not enough complexity of flavors here to overcome the negative affects of the bitterness for me.

3 points

CAO L’Anniversaire 1968-1998 Maduro Belicoso Cigar Review

Before I took a couple of months off from posting reviews I had forgotten about all the CAOs I had smoked. I’m looking through my review book and there is only this one and one more from CAO and then there are some really interesting reviews after that.

The maduro wrapper looks mostly good. There are some spots on it and there is a tear near the foot. It’s a box pressed cigar. The cap looks a little misshapen but there is a good amount of oils on this cigar.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: USA/Connecticut
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Price: $8.00

OC Lights!

First impressions: decent draw, mild earthiness, a gritty cocoa flavor as well. Medium-full bodied. Nothing really special.

The cigar is burning evenly and there is a mild sweetness. But my overall impression of these flavors? So-so. Nothing to write home about.

Halfway through and things have not changed all that much. There’s a slight chocolate flavor that is coming through but, besides the chocolate, it’s boring. I also have to mention that it is medium bodied at this point and has been for about an inch.

Perhaps the only good thing about this cigar is that I am smoking it while watching the movie “Orange County.” It’s a hilarious movie and you should watch it. If you do pick up the DVD then the best parts, besides the movie itself, are found in the “Interstitials.” Oh, yeah, I’m still smoking a cigar.

The cigar doesn’t get harsh but it does get bitter after the halfway point. Specifically, it’s a chalky bitterness that completely ruins any good feelings I may have had about this cigar. The previous CAO L’Anniversaire Maduro I had was much, much better.

84 points

The price point for this cigar demands a higher quality cigar than this one. It’s also worth pointing out that the previous one I had scored 93 points. There really shouldn’t be this kind of disparity between scores for the same vitola of the same cigar. For my money the Cameroon line is a better choice than the maduro one.

CAO L’Anniversaire 1968-1998 Cameroon Belicoso Cigar Review

Yes, I just did a review of this cigar last week in which I gave it 92 points. It’s a good cigar but I smoked another one and the score came out substantially different so I decided to post this review as well. Here it is:

Looks like it has a slight box press. One small tare on the wrapper, not a major concern. The cap does not look good either though, which is somewhat concerning. There isn’t that much oil on the wrapper. Just drinking water.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $8.50

Afternoon Light!

Great draw. Decent amount of spice at first but that quickly fades into the background. The main flavors are warm and strong but by no means overpowering. Solidly a medium-full bodied cigar.

There is this mildly sweet flavor as well. Sweet and bitter. Cocoa, that’s probably the flavor. I am also getting a good amount of spice on the roof of my mouth now that I am halfway through. Man, my mouth is really watery! Not a dry smoke at all.

It’s fair to call this a full bodied cigar after the halfway point because it has gotten somewhat stronger. I’m still tagging it as medium-full but it is a judgment call for sure. Another flavor that I am getting is graham cracker – never got that flavor from a cigar before. It gets mostly bitter three-quarters of the way through though – not good.

As I am nearing the end of the cigar that bitterness gets worse. Just like something that is too sweet a cigar can get too bitter. Maybe I just smoked it too long but it’s definitely going to hurt the score.

88 points

CAO Brazilia Samba Cigar Review

I smoked one of these a while ago and did a review on it. Here’s what I had to say about it:

Fortunately, this one was better. Here’s the review:

It has a little amount of oil on the wrapper. Very black wrapper. The construction looks good and I am having Wild Turkey and a glass bottle of Coke along with this cigar.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Lenght: 6 1/4″
Ring Guage: 54
Wrapper: Brazil
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $7.00

Miss America Flame!

Notes of coffee and chocolate. Some spice. It has a great draw. There’s also an earthiness to this cigar. These flavors are good and true.

I am also getting this modicum of sweetness an inch in. There is also a welcomed bitterness here that moderates the slight sweetness.

The coffee is not that strong; it’s almost like it tastes like watered-down black coffee. This is a medium-full bodied cigar. When I retrohale the smoke I do get peppery notes.

It is burning evenly. The earthiness has almost completely gone away. The main flavor, thankfully, is coffee halfway through. Another plus is that it burns very slowly. Swimsuits – YEAH! Go Miss Iowa! (Yes, I was watching the Miss America pageant and, unfortunately, my pick lost.)

The last third the pepper really comes through. Good, evolving flavors. I like it a lot more than the previous one.

90 points

Don Tomas Classico Maduro Robusto Cigar Review

Maduro wrapper with a slight sheen of oils. The construction looks perfect. This should be a good cigar. I am having Maker’s Mark and a Cherry Coke with this cigar.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: USA/Connecticut Broad Leaf
Binder: USA/Conn
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
Price: $3.25

Winter Light!

A Cigar with a Red Band – Cigar Review

A while ago I bought a bundle of cigars that were cheap and came highly recommended. I forget the specifics about these cigars, maybe they were seconds or they were discontinued, I don’t remember. But what I do remember is that they were cheap and I thought how bad could they be. Right?

Well, a dissection of that misguided reasoning will have to be set off for another day. While a couple of the cigars were very good the vast majority were bad. Until then, here is a review of one of those cigars.

Cigar Stats:
Frankly, I don’t remember much about the exact specifics about this cigar. They are thick and dark and usually don’t taste good. Oh well. If I find more out about this cigar you will be the first people I tell.

Thick and dark with what looks like decent construction. I’m thinking that these cigars have to be factory seconds because there is something wrong with each one. Maybe one or two have been good, but that’s about it. These cigars look like they have been colored (sort of like it was in the ’90s when full bodied “maduros” were all the rage).

Torch!