Camacho Cigar Rights of America Limited Edition Cigar

I have waited long enough. This cigar has been taunting me from my humidor for a few weeks now and, even though I have been patiently letting it rest, the time has come to clip the head and toast the foot.

This Camacho, which comes adorned with a Cigar Rights of America and Camacho Limited Ed. bands, features a dark, oily wrapper. It may not be the prettiest looking cigar nor is it densely packed (it’s actually a little loose) but the point of these cigars is to raise awareness for CRA, which this post is doing, and to reward people who sign up. This is my reward and I’ll be damned if I get bummed out over a couple of imperfections!

The pre-light draw is mostly sweet, with a little bit of spice and leather. It is also surprisingly tight before I light it but once the flame hits the foot everything is right with the world. With just a firm tug leather and meaty flavors are coming through. I know this is a limited edition but if I was a betting man I would bet that this cigar shares a lot of tobacco with it’s Triple Maduro brother.

I didn’t measure this cigar but by the looks of it I would say its in the double corona vitola. And now that I am thinking about it, I sure wish I had taken a picture of this cigar before I started smoking it – oh, well. Life goes on.

This Camacho is a full bodied cigar, well above average on the taste scale, but the burn and the draw are a little disappointing. Neither the burn nor the draw are to the point where it is taking away from my enjoyment of this cigar but they are irksome nonetheless.

Now I’m torn about which cigar this one reminds me the most of. At first I was thinking it’s close to the Triple Maduro but now I am thinking the Coyolar. Whatever the case, in addition to the meat and spice there are also flavors of anise, raisins, saltiness and a general creaminess that coats the mouth.

There is no way I am going to actually give this cigar a score (because I have only smoked one and it’s not readily available) but, if you pressed me, it’s a 93 point cigar give or take a couple of points. The flavors are more than good enough to make up for its faults.

Whilst smoking this cigar I am watching the season finale for the second season of Oz. Truthfully, it just isn’t a fitting cigar for a show like this. Oz, if you don’t know, was a series on HBO that chronicled life in a fictitious jail. It’s an extremely gritty tragedy. This cigar would have been great for The Sopranos’ series finale but it is just too refined for Oz.

Just finished the cigar and I can safely say that I am certainly glad I got a membership with CRA. If you haven’t done so already you should get a membership as well. Even if you don’t get the Camacho as one of your freebies there are many other cigars that are well worth it. Furthermore, it’s just the right thing to do as a cigar smoker. So few are fighting for our rights but CRA is doing a good job at it.

Man O’ War Ruination Cigar Review

I get it, the marketing whizzes behind the Man O’ War’s branding really want to get across the point that they are extremely bad ass by calling their newest creation “Ruination.” Well, it’s either they want to position their cigars as the bad boy of cigardom or their Ruination line is an ode to America’s economy. Alright, now that I have done the requisite mocking of the bad boy image thing I can actually get to reviewing this cigar.

Two bands adorn this dark and oily cigar. It is very hard to the touch and has some imperfections (veins, minor holes, discolorations) but, based on the other cigars from this line I have smoked, those negatives do not translate into a bad cigar.

One thing that I do have to mention is the sheer size of this cigar. I am smoking the Robusto No. 1 that measures 5 1/2″ by 54 ring gauge, which is fairly substantial, to say the least. Cigars of this magnitude will almost always take longer to smoke than their smaller brethren and, when you also factor in the price, which is north of $10.00, you would be well advised to take your time with this cigar.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Ecuador grown Habano-seed ligero
Binder: ???
Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan and Honduran long-leaf ligeros
Price: $10.00

Legion Flame!

While the draw is definitely too tight with this cigar, it’s not to the point of being unsmokable by any means. Flavors are definitely rolling through. A phalanx of warm spice is followed up by a cacophony of other flavors ranging from leather to herbal notes to sweet wood.

After about the one inch mark the draw does noticeably open up so that it is no longer a problem. The burn is very consistent and the strength of this cigar is definitely in the full bodied range.

This is definitely one of the best cigars I have smoked in a couple of months. With robust flavors and some strength this cigar is definitely growing on me – and I’m still in the first third of the cigar!

The second third of the cigar features a smokier flavor profile that features leather and a slight hint of charcoal. There is also a vein of sweetness that runs throughout the flavor profile.

Nearing the last third and it this Man O’ War Ruination is still great. What is really great about this cigar is the shear number of flavor layers. Sweetness, spice, leather and a couple of other tasty layers make up what is a great cigar.

Near the end a blend of salty and meaty flavors come through.

93 points

La Riqueza Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke

Sitting in my humidor this cigar did not look like much. The band is unassuming and the cigar is well crafted but rustic. Some oils on the dark US Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper give me hope even though the cigar seems a touch too soft throughout.There seems to be a slight box press to this cigar.

I am smoking the La Riqueza #4, which is a robusto measuring 5″ x 48. The binder and filler come from Nicaragua. This cigar should cost you about $9.00 per stick.

Smoke

Leather and tobacco with a meaty aftertaste. After the halfway point there is an herbal flavor. Some bitterness is evident on the tip of my tongue – not a negative in this case.

It starts out a lot better than it finishes. The beginning is an explosion of flavor that is very enjoyable. The second half becomes harsh at times but it still has it moments.

This is a medium bodied cigar with a good draw and an uneven burn.

After-Smoke

Truthfully, after the first couple of inches I was getting really excited about this cigar. The flavors were very enjoyable. I just guess I was expecting more from a cigar that costs nearly ten dollars.

3.5 points

Camacho Corojo Monarca Natural Cigar Review

A cursory inspection reveals a couple of raised veins that almost run the length of the cigar and, upon further inspection, that sums up all the negative things I can say about the look of this cigar. The construction is near perfect, it’s oily, there are no soft/hard spots and it even smells good having that kind of aroma that is powerful, yet refined.

Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to smoke a number of these cigars over the last month or so and I have even done a Short Cigar Review for this Camacho Corojo Monarca. My major complaint at the time revolved around my perception that this wasn’t an overly complex cigar. Spicy? Sure. Some other flavors? Yeah. But it just didn’t catch me as being well rounded enough. And it can be a harsh cigar at times.

My subsequent experiences with this cigar have been better than when I did my initial review where I gave this cigar 3 points (roughly 85-88 points or, to put it another way, an average cigar). It may be a little bit better than that and, who knows, this cigar could be awesome, but I am guessing this cigar will fall into the 89-91 point range.

This cigar has the natural wrapper. It also comes with a maduro wrapper. For more information on all the sizes go to the Camacho Corojo Page.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Honduras Corojo
Binder: Honduras Corojo
Filler: Honduras Corojo
Price: $6.15

SAMCRO Torch!

Just finished having steak and mushrooms, which, now that I think about it, fits perfectly with this cigar. (What cigar doesn’t go well with steak?) It is a very rich cigar that overflows with white pepper, deep caramel, meat and a chorus of other flavors that meld wonderfully together. I know I said in my previous review that this wasn’t a overly complex cigar but this one definitely is.

The draw is absolutely perfect and the burn is relatively even. I’ll probably have to touch it up at some point. The slightly uneven burn can definitely be attributed to the fact that I am smoking under a patio cover in the rain so the humidity is probably pretty high right now.

While it started out as a medium-full bodied cigar after about an inch it has come off the fence and become full bodied. This may not be one of those cigars that will knock you out but it will let you know you are smoking a cigar.

My only major complaint about the Camacho Corojo Monarca is that the flavors do not meld together completely. For example, the sweetness from the caramel clashes with the white pepper creating a touch of harshness. It isn’t enough to significantly detract from my overall enjoyment of this cigar but it is noticeable.

That deep, caramel slowly morphs into a candied sweetness that is not altogether that bad. Oddly enough, I think it may actually meld better with the spice than the deeper caramel flavor.

Other flavors that begin to really come onto the scene after the halfway point include: earth and tobacco. Very good cigar.

90 points

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Cigar Review

Reading into the history of the Hemingway line a little bit is actually quite interesting. Evidently, the perfecto shape was popular from 1920-1940. But, since these shapes are so difficult to make, cigar makers stopped making this shape. Luckily for us, Carlos Fuente, Jr. remembered his grandfather making perfecto cigars for a line called Fancy Tales and worked with his grandfather so that they could make some for their own personal use. After smoking twenty of these cigars a day they realized that other people might like them and then, in the 1980s, the Fuentes launched their Hemingway line. Thanks guys!

It’s a great looking cigar and you just have to admire the Fuentes for bringing back the perfecto when they did. It is not easy making them. The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story is amazing not only because of its perfecto shape but also because it is so small. I have had the Short Story a number of times before and have liked them all. The wrapper is oily.

Cigar Stats
Perfecto
Length: 4″
Ring Gauge: 48
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: around $5.50

Blue Flame!

It is packed with a breadth of flavor. A warm spice, akin to cinnamon, gets a lot of play and is especially noticeable when you blow the smoke out your nose. Meaty, sweet and earthy flavors bolster the warm spice. The flavors balance each other out well.

With a perfect draw and an even burn this is a very enjoyable cigar. And, even though it is a small cigar, I am getting the chance to enjoy it for a good amount of time because it burns slowly. It’s a medium bodied cigar.

While it is a very good cigar it isn’t perfect. There may be a kaleidoscope of flavors bouncing around in my mouth right now but they are not particularly strong. The spice does linger long after you put it down, which is always a good thing in my book.

Overall, I’m not convinced it is a truly great cigar. It is a cigar worthy of praise solely due to its shape; even though cigar presses are used in the making of these sticks I’m sure it is not easy making them. And the flavors are good. Just not amazingly good.

89 points

Camacho Coyolar Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke: It’s a Camacho. Need I say more?

It’s oily and the wrapper looks perfect. Dark wrapper with no raised veins or imperfections. The only minor problem is that it feels a little soft near the foot of the cigar.

What, you may be thinking, does Coyolar mean? In short, it’s the name of the farm where all the tobacco for this line of cigars is grown. The Coyolar farm is located in Honduras. I am smoking the Rothschild (robusto) vitola.

Smoke: The first thing that I notice is that it has loads of flavor and absolutely coats my mouth with awesome array of flavors. Ranging from warm cocoa to meat to a screeching spice that is as brilliant as it is brief, only coming at the apex of the retrohale. Tons of smoke as well.

At first I was not impressed by its strength but, boy, it is full bodied. It’s a strength that builds up slowly as you smoke this Camacho. The draw is perhaps a little tight but does not interfere with the cigar in the slightest. The burn is perfect.

There is an occasional sweet note. Coffee is the predominant flavor in the aftertaste.

After-Smoke: This is an impressive cigar. It has tons of flavor, some kick to it and it smokes very well. Definitely a keeper.

5 points

Camacho Coyolar Page

Rocky Patel The Edge Corojo Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke: My only problem with Rocky Patel cigars is that their wrappers seem to want to unravel all the time and this wrapper looks no different. There are a few imperfections on the wrapper – some discolorations and an 1/8″ diameter hole a mere two inches from the cap. It has a couple of pronounced veins and the wrapper isn’t very oily. The wrapper feels like a late fall leaf; thick and smooth. I’m smoking the Toro 6″ x 52 vitola.

Smoke: From the first puff you know that this is an awesome cigar. At first you get hit with a ton of spicy flavors. Then, after an inch and an ashing, it settles down. Woody and meaty flavors. There is still a good helping of spice that is sticking around. What I really like about this cigar is that it is very flavorful.

After-Smoke: I took a walk after smoking this cigar to clear my head. While it is a medium-full bodied smoke it does have some strength to it. What I didn’t like about this cigar is that it mellowed too much for my tastes.

4 points