oak
Carlos Torano Casa Torano Cigar Review
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
CAO Lx2 Rosado Especial Cigar Rights of America Limited Edition
At just a little over seven inches, this Cigar Rights of America Special Edition cigar from CAO is a great looking cigar. The first thing you notice is that there is a heavy sheen of oil glistening on the reddish brown wrapper. Even the feel of it is slippery.
There are some veins, it is a smidge misshapen in places and it is packed very tightly. As I pull out my cutter I find myself thinking about how oily this cigar is again. It truly is one of the oilier cigars that I have ever seen. Fighting through my awe and wonderment I successfully cut the cigar and take a pre-light draw. The draw is good and the flavors center on a core of spice.
Upon lighting the CAO Lx2 Rosado Especial you are hit with just a ton of robust cigar flavors and (unfortunately for my eyes) a ton of cigar smoke as well. The flavors are awesome. A spice that kind of tastes like a candy cane but manlier and a whole lot spicier and there are also some leather flavors.
While I do love the flavors the burn is atrocious at times. A couple of major touch ups have been made and I am barely at the halfway point. Another nit that needs picking is the poisonous smoke that wafts from this cigar. Never have had a cigar that actually made my eyes water. Well, at least no cigar that has made my eyes water this much.
After the halfway point the robust spice becomes somewhat less robust. Of course by less robust I mean still very robust but not as glaringly so. Actually, with the power backing off ever so slightly it has become a much more complex cigar.
The final throes of this cigar have a cherry oak flavor mixed in with the peppermint spiciness. It really is a very good cigar, very enjoyable. Full bodied with a nice draw (bad burn though) is always good for something in my book. And this CAO Lx2 has great flavors as well.
As is the case with all the other cigars from the Cigar Rights of America sampler I will not be scoring this one.
Room 101 Cigar Review
I must admit that I am a big fan of Camacho cigars. They are full bodied and extremely tasty – basically what I am looking for in a cigar. So, when I found out that they were releasing a new line in collaboration with a Los Angeles jewelery maker, I knew I had to try a couple. (And if I liked those couple I would definitely be going back out to find some more!)
The Room 101 cigars that I smoked were the 305 (robusto) series. It looks good with a slight sheen of oils. Well packed, although on the verge of being too tightly packed. The pre-light draw is actually a little loose and there is a slight sweet taste to this draw as well. I just hope that this fusion of tobacco and style leads to a great cigar.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Semilla 101 (Honduras)
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras, Dominican Republic
Price: around $7.00
Tricked Flame!
An effortless draw reveals what could turn out to be a very good cigar; even though, right now, it’s merely above average. There are a group of deep, dark flavors that add a certain grittiness to this cigar that I like. Chocolate and some spice add some of the accent flavors to what is an extremely earthy cigar. And, by earthy, I mean dirt – good dirt though. As was the case with the other cigar I have smoked it starts out really well after a brief lull in the beginning.
As the cigar progresses that “dirt” flavor only increases. Now, as a flavor in a cigar, I like dirt but this is a new frontier of earthiness for me and I’m not liking it all that much. Sure, the flavors are pure but is that really a good thing when that flavor is dirt? Luckily, the final couple inches of this cigar has a change in the flavor profile that I like.
Spice really starts to come through and it becomes a more robust, full bodied cigar. In addition to the reinvigorated spiciness there is an oak flavor. The draw, which started out effortless, has become a little too loose and, as a result, the cigar is burning too quickly. The burn itself is even. There is also a slight hint of an herbal flavor at this time.
As the final puffs of this cigar leave my mouth I am finding myself loving this cigar. But then I start to think of the dirt, which lasted for more than half of the cigar, and I realize that this cigar isn’t a great cigar for me. It was just too much dirt – rich, kind of tasty dirt, but dirt nonetheless.
If only the second one-third-plus of this cigar had been the flavor from start to finish I would have loved this cigar. The spice, with a little bit of dirt, and some oak really mixed well together. It was a dark, complex cigar nearer the end and that is what I liked about this cigar. Maybe I’ll pick up a few more if the price drops a little.
88 points
Oliva Connecticut Reserve Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
Silky, light brown Connecticut wrapper. Oily, veiny and there are a couple of dark color splotches. The feel of the cigar is a little spongy.
For this review I am smoking the churchill (7″ x 50) vitola. It costs about $7.00.
Smoke
A burnt oak flavor is the first and main flavor to start off and it is pretty good. It burns evenly and the draw is great.
The cigar stays very consistent throughout. Oak is the mainstay and, if you like that flavor a lot, then you will like this cigar a lot. It ranges from burnt to sweet but it’s oak all the way.
After-Smoke
For the Oliva Connecticut the complexity is confined to its oak flavors. It’s a fine cigar and an enjoyable enough cigar. Now, if you are thinking there are going to be a lot of flavors then you need to look elsewhere.
3 points
Cabaiguan Cigar Review
It’s got a pigtail – and we all know pigtails are cool – so it must be a good cigar. If you haven’t guessed it already I am smoking the Cabaiguan Guapos Rx, which is a robusto. Besides the pigtail the cigar looks great: it’s oily, not too veiny and the imperfections are kept to a minimum.
Here’s what Pete Johnson has to say about this line:
Blended in the style of the flavorful yet Medium Bodied Cuban Cigars.
Cigars are rolled in classic Cuban tradition by Master Rollers.
Headed by Maestro Tobaquero Jose Garcia.
Cigars are rolled with a beautiful Cuban triple-cap and are Medium to Mild in flavor.
Not having smoked a lot of Cubans in my life (maybe one? I know, sad) I won’t be able to tell you whether or not that claim is realized or not. But if it’s a good tasting cigar I don’t care what the style is!
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5 1/4″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $9.50
Garage Light!
Three matches and it is lit (well, four matches if you count the one that went out before its flame could touch the foot of the cigar, which I won’t count)!
While the draw is somewhat too tight for my liking it isn’t tight enough to deny me the bouquet of flavors that comes from a Cabaiguan. Really earthy, hints of licorice and woody flavors. It’s a nice, medium bodied cigar. No real hints of spice or anything aggressive – this is the kind of cigar you can smoke with your morning cup of coffee.
Even though the draw is a little tight the burn is even.
This is a flavorful cigar but there is something missing from it. Like the earthiness and all the other flavors (which now includes oak, sweetness, some burnt tobacco and a general lightness of flavors) it is an enjoyable cigar. There’s just something that would have put it over the top.
During the second half of the cigar there is a transformation from the deep earthiness to a sweeter oakiness. It becomes a lighter cigar – not necessarily worse but not better either, not at all.
Around this time the draw gets a little tighter and the burn goes awry at times. Maybe it was a combination of these two things that makes the cigar take a downturn or not but the cigar does become less enjoyable.
Overall, it is a good cigar. The high points all center around that dark earthiness because it’s just such a good example of what an earthy cigar should be. But, to be honest, earthiness is not one of my favorite front line flavors. And, once you add in the second half’s oakiness, it just doesn’t work out all that well for me.
87 points
Perdomo Habano Connecticut Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
The light Connecticut shade wrapper that adorns this cigar has some discolorations. This Perdomo is packed nicely but there is not that much oil on it. Other than that, it looks like a well made cigar.
Beside the American wrapper, the filler and binder tobaccos are grown in Nicaragua (Esteli, Condega and Jalapa). For this review I will be smoking the robusto (5″ x 52), which retails for around $6.00 (the rest of the line will cost you more).
Smoke
Creaminess is the first noticeable flavor followed by oak. Those are the main flavors but there is also burnt toast in the background. It is a relatively smooth cigar but there is just something in the background that wants to burst out – sort of like a caged tiger or something like that.
At times I can almost taste the spice breaking through and then the mellow oakiness takes back over. Not a bad cigar by any means. It’s medium-full bodied, has a good draw and an even burn. And, truthfully, this cigar is growing on me. It’s laid back flavor profile is endearing.
After-Smoke
Overall, it is an enjoyable smoke. The flavors are more than adequate but there is not a lot of complexity with this Perdomo. I will say this: it is better than most of the Perdomos that I have smoked.
3.5 points
Cain F Cigar Review
A couple of weeks ago I reviewed the Cain Maduro and, even though I do think it is a solid cigar, it is not worth all the hype. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything about the Cain with the Habano wrapper since I have yet to have the pleasure of smoking one of those stogies. But I have smoked a few of the Cain F, which is only being offered in five packs right now (either as an incentive to buy a box of the two other Cain lines or to be sold on its own).
On a side note, over the past week and a half I have been sick (not H1N1) and didn’t have much of an opportunity to smoke any cigars. After a couple of days of recuperation I have smoked a couple of good cigars and now feel ready to really delve deep into another cigar. From what I have seen with the Cain F series is that they are above average cigars in terms of both flavor and strength, better than the Cain Maduros for sure. The only bit of advice I can give is that if you do get some of these cigars let them rest in your humidor for at least a month because they need the extra time.
All the Cain Fs, which are only being offered in one size right now, come unbanded. A dark wrapper glistening with oils holds together a lot of ligero tobacco. According to the box from which these cigars came from the tobacco in every Cain F is 32% Esteli Ligero, 25% Condega Ligero and 25% Jalapa Ligero.
For those of you paying close attention that means the percentage of ligero tobaccos is equal between all the Cain lines but each region imparts its own flavor. According to the educational booklet that came with my Cain cigars Esteli Ligero is a ball buster, Condega Ligero is strong but not insanely so and Jalapa Ligero is smooth (which would explain the smoothness of the Cain Maduro).
Beyond the genetic makeup of this cigars it does look and feel like it is very well made. The only soft spot is near the foot and even though it has its fair share of veins none of those veins are too pronounced and should not cause too many problems for the burn of this cigar. Having as much ligero as this cigar does can turn out to be a problem though and I do expect having to do a couple of touch ups throughout the course of this cigar.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua (Fuerte)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua Ligero (Esteli, Condega and Jalapa)
Price: ???
21 Lights!
The pre-light draw is nice, maybe a little too loose. As a prelude of what is to come, my tongue is still stinging 30 seconds after my first draw. Should be interesting.
As expected, there is an onslaught of aggressively tasty spice. For my taste, it’s not on the edge of being too strong at all. The spice has a tinge of sweetness to it and is predominately a black pepper kind of flavor. I like it very much.
Unlike with the maduro wrapped Cain, the Cain F does not have a very smooth finish. That does not mean that I don’t like it though because I really do. It isn’t a complex cigar the first couple of inches but it is getting better. The spiciness is calming down and other flavors – nuts, oak, peppermint and earth – are coming into the mix.
The burn is surprisingly even with this cigar. With some of the others that I have smoked I have had to do a couple of touch ups. The draw is perfect. It is a full bodied cigar but not overly so.
I am somewhat conflicted about this cigar. Even though I did like it I just think that it was lacking in complexity. Working in its favor is the fact that the flavors that are there are very good, it burns well enough and the draw is quite good. In the end I can comfortably say that it is better than the maduro version of this cigar and I will not hesitate to smoke more Cain Fs if the price isn’t too extravagant.
90 points
Ashton Classic Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
The Connecticut Shade wrapper is marred with a couple veins and a few discolored spots. It is an oily cigar that feels soft in some spots. I will be smoking the lonsdale vitola, 8-9-8 (6 1/2″ x 44), for this review. Besides the US Connecticut Shade wrapper the binder and the filler tobaccos are from the Dominican Republic. This cigar retails for around $8.00 per cigar.
Smoke
Mild cigar with a good draw and a good burn. The first big flavor is oak with some sweetness as well. There is also a graham cracker flavor that comes along after an inch or so.
After the halfway point the draw tightens up and the flavor profile definitely takes a turn for the worse. In addition to a ghastly burnt flavor the overall affect is harshness. Those good flavors are still there but they are almost completely masked by the bad ones.
After-Smoke
Let me put it this way: the first half of this cigar was like a good movie (think more The Fast and The Furious than The Godfather). The second half of this cigar is the equivalent of the horrendous sequel; you don’t want to smoke it but you feel obligated to give it a try since you liked the first movie, I mean the first half of the cigar.
Even with that said, this cigar is, at its best, very vanilla – I just couldn’t get excited about it. It’s kind of flavorful but it lacks soul. And it is somewhat expensive.
2 points
601 Black Band Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
Solid to the touch, looks wonderful, feels oily and a bit fuzzy. The 601 Black Band line features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and the binder hails from Nicaragua. For this review I am smoking the robusto (5″ x 50) vitola (there are a total of five vitolas in this line including the “Rabito” – funny name). The robusto will cost you around $7.50 per stick.
Smoke
The draw requires the faintest of tugs to get a mouthful of smoke. In addition to the great draw the burn is also very even. This is a medium bodied cigar.
Cherry and oak are the first two flavors noticeable. It’s almost like a cherry tinged oak flavor – to be more precise. Smokiness is the other major flavor.
After-Smoke
The 601 Black Band is a nice, easygoing cigar that was quite enjoyable. While it doesn’t offer a load of flavor the flavors that are present are very good.
3.5 points
Arturo Fuente Rothschild Natural Cigar Review
Over the weekend I did reviews for the Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente with both the Sun Grown and Natural wrappers. The one with the natural (Cameroon) wrapper scored 87 points and the sun grown (Ecuador) wrapped cigar scored a low 84 points. I have no compunction to smoke the sun grown one again and there really isn’t any immediate need to go out and pick up the natural one either. Maybe the Rothschild, which is the same size as the two I have mentioned, will be better.
It has a different wrapper than the Chateau Fuente Natural, with this one having a Connecticut Shade and the Chateau Fuente having Cameroon (hat tip cigar family guy for the clarification), and the blend is different as well. The Rothschild is less spicy, which isn’t exactly a good omen for me.
The Arturo Fuente Rothschild Natural is a good looking cigar, well-made. A couple of raised veins and a firm packing being the only negatives I can find. The wrapper has a good coating of oils on it.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 4 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $4.40
Charm Flame!
Sure enough, it starts out milder than the Chateau Fuente Natural and Sun Grown. With that being said, the difference amongst the strengths is not too great with all of them being, basically, medium bodied. And, even though it is the weakest (strength-wise) of the bunch I have to admit that I am liking this one the most at this early stage (less than an inch in).
There is some complexity with this one. Rich, sweet wood notes (oak) along with some spice that I get mostly on my lips and the tip of my tongue. After 1 1/4″ a charcoal flavor starts coming through. There was something similar to that flavor in the other two cigars but this time this flavor is neutral if not a positive.
The draw is very good and the burn is even; no touch ups necessary. It looks like third time really is the charm. While I cannot say that this is a 90+ cigar it is very good. Either 88 or 89 points, not completely sure yet (almost to the nub now).
What I really like about this cigar is that the flavors are pretty strong and clean. The charcoal flavor, which could easily be a negative with most cigars, is actually pretty good with this one. I enjoyed it.
88 points
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