Casa Magna Oscuro Cigar Review
I like the Casa Magna Colorado. It’s a very good cigar.
Full disclosure: I received this cigar from Cigars Direct. All reviews are my own.
Wrapper: Honduras | Binder: Honduras | Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro – 6″x52 | Price: App. $33.oo/5 pack
0/3: Good looking cigar. Very dark wrapper. Feels dry to the touch.
1/3: Bitter chocolate and dry wood. It’s starting out a little interesting. Not quite sure if it’s a good or a bad “interesting” yet. Can already tell that I’m not liking it as much as I liked the Casa Magna Colorado. The Oscuro seems like it may lapse into being harsh over the course of the cigar.
Also am getting some grassy notes during this third.
2/3: Retains a lot of that bitter chocolate flavor. There is also some graham cracker apparent during this third. This is the third where it begins to become a little too harsh for me. The flavors are okay but nothing spectacular.
3/3: Getting a little too bitter at this point and it has its spots of harshness. It’s a medium bodied cigar with a good draw and burn.
4/3: While this cigar does have its moments where it is good I’m afraid to say that for the majority of the time it under performs. Too bad, really, because I had such high hopes for it.
2.5 points – Prove me wrong, get this sampler to try the Casa Magna Oscuro.
Avo Cigar Rights of America Cigar Review
One of the reasons I like writing is because you never have to pronounce any of the words. Take, for example, this cigar. Is the “A” in “Avo” a hard or soft “A”? I don’t know which it is but, if you absolutely need to know how I’m pronouncing it in my head, I am pronouncing it with a soft “A” in my head: Ah-vo.
Now let’s get into the part that you actually care about. This Avo is part of the Cigar Rights of America sampler that I purchased a number of months ago. I’ve liked all the cigars, some better than others, and I have high hopes for this cigar.
It feels a bit on the dry side. The construction is mostly good but there are some issues with the cap. No serious drawbacks that I can make out in the construction. The prelight draw, on the other hand, feels a little tight. Even so, I am getting a distinctly peppery flavor.
I Scream Light!
Oak is the first flavor that I can discern. After that there is dry prairie and after that a hint of cherry comes through a little bit.
Medium bodied cigar and the flavors are okay. There just isn’t that much interesting going on in this cigar during the first half. Part of the problem is that there is this off note that makes this cigar a little harsh.
And then, with the commencement of the second half, this Avo becomes smooth. That doesn’t mean the flavors are amazing or anything like that but it is better.
Oak is the dominant flavor followed by cherry and that dry, grassy flavor (that aforementioned pretentious sounding prairie).
Not much changes throughout; it is a fairly consistent cigar. There’s some complexity to the flavor profile but not a whole lot. It’s a good cigar and worth a smoke or two.
Like all the other cigars from the CRA sampler I will not give this one a score. If you haven’t done so already you should head over to the CRA website and become a member before smoking cigars is outlawed.
Tatuaje Series P Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
The Tatuaje Series P is significantly cheaper than the other lines from Tatuaje. The robusto costs between $3.00 to $4.00 per stick, depending on how many you buy at one time. So, is it as good as it’s much higher priced brethren?
Just based off of looks and feel I would have to say no. It looks like a dried out leaf with only a slight sheen of oils. Beyond that, it does feel a little squishy to the touch. Not a good start for this Nicaraguan puro.
Smoke
With a good draw and burn and a medium body this cigar is starting off alright. While I don’t think it measures up to the premium Tatuaje lines (which is an unfair expectation considering the price) it is actually a somewhat enjoyable smoke at the beginning. A slight amount of spice, a decent helping of maple sweetness and woody flavors.
Working against it is that it is not a smooth cigar and the flavors don’t meld all that well together. In fact, as the cigar progresses it does get harsh and then it gets better and then it gets harsh all over again. Basically, it’s an inconsistent cigar that does have a couple of kind of good moments.
In addition to the aforementioned flavors there is a nuttiness and meatiness to it.
After-Smoke
Upon reflection, the best way to describe this cigar is that it is dry. The flavors are there but they are intermittently harsh. It’s a cheap cigar and it shows.
1.5 points
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
