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. Good draw and burn. 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!
Just started it and it is amazing! The draw is absolutely perfect and there are a ton of different flavors that meld nicely. It is such a good cigar that there is no aftertaste at all. Medium bodied and burns evenly.
Halfway through now and it is the same – just great. This is not an overpowering cigar by any stretch of the imagination but it is still a joy to smoke. The flavors I am getting from this cigar are peat and some earthiness.
Done now. I loved this cigar. It tastes great and would be a great cigar for anyone who is starting out to smoke because while there are a lot of flavors this cigar isn’t overpowering. Personally, though, I would have liked a little more strength to it. And I can’t forget about the problems with the cigar’s construction but, overall, it is a great cigar.
92 points
Oliveros XL For Men XL/55 Maduro – Cigar Review
Cigar Stats
Length: 6′
Ring Gauge: 55
Wrapper: Brazil, Dominican Republic
Binder: Indonesia, USA/Connecticut
Filler: DR, Honduras, Nicaragua
Approx. Price: $6.00
This is a very nice looking cigar. Medium darkness to it, less dark than most maduros in fact. To tell you the truth, I’ve always thought these cigars were just gimmicks due to their name. Well, soon we will find out. Looks good though.
X-tra Flame!
Very, very strong spice right out of the gates. There are also some oak flavors and there is a little bit of earthiness about it as well. The flavors are good and it is a complex cigar at the beginning but the draw is very tight, cutting down on the flavors.
After a half inch the spice has almost completely disappeared. It’s still there but it is definitely now in a supporting role. The lead flavor right now is hickory, which I am liking. Complex cigar, interesting. It is medium-full bodied.
About a third of the way down the cigar it starts to lose its luster. The flavors of the cigar have become muted and the richness of the cigar fades away. This is probably a result of the tight draw. If it weren’t for the draw it would be a great cigar.
When I first lit this cigar I was thinking 90+ points, easy. Tons of flavor, complexity and enough kick to it to make it an interesting cigar. Unfortunately, there was a problem with the rolling of this cigar and the draw was never good. This is frustrating because I was enjoying this cigar a lot.
86 points
