maduro
Carlos Toraño Signature Collection Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
The Carlos Toraño Signature Collection features a sun grown Brazilian maduro wrapper, a Connecticut broadleaf binder and the rest of the tobacco is Cuban-seed ligero from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Very good looking cigar with tons of oil. This cigar is truly a fine piece of craftsmanship. I am smoking the toro vitola (6″ x 50) for this review and it retails for a little more than $7.00 a stick.
Smoke
Earth and cocoa are the first flavors I get. Most of the flavor is evident in my mouth and not when I exhale out my nose, which is different than my normal experiences with most cigars.
There is an almost tart flavor on the tip of my tongue. The burn is basically even, the draw is good and this is turning into a tasty medium bodied cigar. The flavors are moderately above average.
Sweetness is apparent in the immediate aftertaste associated with the cocoa and then fades. On a side note, the cocoa becomes watered down.
After-Smoke
If I had to teach the “law of diminishing returns” I would have my pupils smoke this cigar. It starts out as a solid example of earth and cocoa. But then it progressively got weaker. Still, at its low point, it is a decent cigar. For the most part… I liked it.
3 points
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
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
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
Perdomo 2 Limited Edition Robusto Maduro Cigar Review
This is the reintroduction of an old blend. It was introduced in 2008 with a natural (Cameroon) and a maduro wrapper by Tabacalera Perdomo. This cigar comes in four different vitolas: Robusto (5 x 50), Epicure (5 1/2 x 54), Churchill (6 7/8 x 50), and Torpedo (5 1/4 x 54).
The Perdomo 2 has a slight box press (so don’t fear getting cut on any sharp edges) and is expertly made. While there are a couple of minor stretch marks on the wrapper it’s construction is nearly perfect. Packed with the perfect amount of tobacco with a decent amount of oil on the wrapper. I did a Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary review a few days ago and I liked it very much; so I have high hopes for this one.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $6.00 or less
Sun Flame!
Spice may be the first thing that is noticeable but the predominant flavor is oak. Smooth cigar that has a draw that may be a little too tight. It is a medium-full bodied cigar with a burn that is not too bad. After a couple of touch ups it smokes just fine.
The draw does become quite a bit better after about the one inch mark. With the better draw comes a clearer picture of the flavor profile. The aforementioned oak flavor comes along with some sweetness. The spice is a background flavor and there are also some chalky chocolate flavors there, but barely.
Nearing the end of this cigar now and the flavors, while they are enjoyable, just are not that great. Overall, it is a good cigar but just not that good.
87 points
Rocky Patel The Edge Maduro | Short Cigar Review
This is the maduro version. Looks and feels great. It’s not too oily. Starts off with floral flavors, which quickly dissipates. This is a full bodied cigar, sneaky strong. There’s some spice and meaty flavors as well. This Patel also has some kick to it, which I really like. It’s a solid cigar that I look forward to smoking whenever I get the chance.
From Patel’s Site:
The Edge remains the hottest cigar in the country based on its strength, price point and fresh-from-the-factory box packaging. Available in both Corojo and Maduro, The Edge presents an unrivaled smoking experience, filling the palate with spicy elements, accenting its bold flavor. It will leave the seasoned smoker weak in the knees without a harsh finish. Full-bodied and full flavored is an understatement!
Price Range: $5.00 – $6.00
4 points
CAO Mx2 Beli Cigar Review
Maduro wrapper and binder. Tightly packed with only a couple of soft spots near the cap. Bumpy and somewhat lopsided. Small amount of oil. This is a very thick cigar.
One of the many reasons why people like CAOs is because they are just interesting and the CAO marketing staff is great at telling a good story about their cigars. Having two maduro leaves for the wrapper and the binder is unique and does create a certain amount of interest just due to the novelty of the whole thing. What keeps people coming back is that CAO cigars are just plain good.
Flame!
Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 7″
Ring Gauge: 56
Wrapper: USA/Connecticut
Binder: Brazil
Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru
Price: $5.00
Medium bodied cigar with some sweetness and earthiness. There is also a chocolate flavor as well. It has a good draw. I would have to say that the main flavor in this cigar, so far, is a grassy earthiness.
There’s also this bitterness; something akin to cocoa but not quite. In my estimation it’s a good accompaniment with the sweet and earthy flavors. It does smell like a barnyard though. [Side Note: If this is what all cigars smell like to you non-smokers I can kind of understand why you don't like being around smokers. Well, kind of, sort of - not really though. Have you non-smokers never smoked a cigar? What's wrong with you!]
Very, very slow burning. Very good as well. Pure flavors, creamy smoke and an even burn. Halfway through and chocolate has become the predominant flavor. I have to note that the bitterness is still there.
Nearing the end now and it’s still a good cigar. The purity of the flavors, however, has been muddled. A bad bitterness has taken place of the good bitterness that was present during the first half, three-quarters of the cigar. Too bad – was really liking this cigar. I’m still getting the chocolate flavor on the retrohale.
Takes a long time to smoke this cigar. Flavors are mostly very good, however, nearing the end of the cigar the flavors do take a wrong turn. Overall, I liked this cigar. The badness was isolated to the last inch and, since it is a rather longish cigar, it only deducts three or four points from my overall score.
88 points
CAO L’Anniversaire Maduro Belicoso Cigar Review
Even though I live in Southern California it does get cold here. That means my habits have to change, especially my cigar smoking habits. No longer can I relax outside at the end of another day and enjoy a nice cigar. Now I’m forced to go outside in the afternoon. Even still, it is getting colder and making it harder to enjoy cigars. Fortunately, I think I could have smoked this cigar in freezing weather and still enjoyed it. Onto the review.
Ugly! Wrapper is missing a chunk at the foot with another tare 3/4 of an inch from the foot. It is also spotted with flecks of white. There are a couple of raised veins and there is little oil on this wrapper. All I am accompanying this cigar with is water.
Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: USA/Connecticut
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Dom Rep, Nicaragua
Price: $8.00
Full Flame!
Luckily, it tastes a lot better than it looks. Perfect draw. Bold spice at the beginning. Notes of chocolate and coffee back it up. This one produces a lot of smoke.
About an inch in and I can say that this is a full bodied cigar. The spice is gone but in its place there is a strong earthy flavor. The chocolate and coffee remain but they are less noticeable now.
There is also a distinct sweetness to this cigar but, unlike with the Bolivar from yesterday, this is a welcomed sweetness. It just tastes more natural, if you know what I mean.
Complex cigar. It’s at the lower end of full bodied at this point but still in the full bodied camp halfway through. The earthy flavors have become even a more central focus for this cigar pushing the chocolate, coffee and sweetness further into the background.
Now that I am nearing the end the chocolate flavor is taking over. One of the more complex cigars I have ever had the privilege of smoking. It even burns evenly. This is just a pure joy to smoke even when you consider the shoddy appearance of this cigar.
93 points
Leon Jimenes Belicoso Maduro – Cigar Review
Cigar Stats —
Length: 6.25 —
Ring Gauge: 52 —
Wrapper: Brazil, Cameroon, USA/Connecticut —
Binder: Dominican Republic —
Filler: Dominican Republic —
Price:$5.50 — Dark torpedo with some white spots on it (not my fault, I just got this cigar!). While it is rough to the touch there are a lot of oils on it. It smells like it’s going to be a strong cigar but, knowing these cigars, it won’t be. There are some minor problems with the construction.
God of Fire Come Forth!
Oliveros XL For Men XL/55 Maduro – Cigar Review
XL For Men? That’s really a name for a cigar? That sounds gimmicky to me.
But it actually shows some promise. It is a good cigar with lots of flavor at first. Then something happened. All of the flavors just disappear because there is a really bad draw for this cigar.
It really is a shame because I was enjoying it immensely. So much so that I was going to give it 90+ points. But because of the draw and the disappearing flavors I had to knock it down some.
Read On!
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