Camacho Triple Maduro 50/4.5 Cigar Review

I do not usually make a big deal about the band on the cigar (in this case the over-sized normal band and the one on the foot) but I think that the band perfectly encapsulates what this cigar is all about. The bands are sleek, stark and over-the-top. Mostly silver and black, with a thin line of red and some other colors, the bands give you the sense that this stubby cigar means business. Having smoked some before, I know that it means serious business.

Besides the flavor what is really impressive about this cigar is how Camacho was able to make a cigar with all maduro leaves smoke well. Maduro leaves are thicker than normal and can have burn problems.

This cigar looks awesome. Very oily without any noticeable imperfections. The dark wrapper beckons for me to cut and light it, so that is what I am going to do now.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 4 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Honduras Maduro
Binder: Honduras Maduro
Filler: Honduras Maduro
Price: $11.30

Kurtz Flame!

It starts out wild and spicy but (mostly) calms down within a quarter of an inch. By spice I do not mean the warm, cinnamon kind of spice. I mean black pepper or maybe even some cayenne pepper. Tasty stuff. There’s also cocoa, coffee, earth and a whole host of other flavors that come and go.

A couple of weeks ago I saw a review of this cigar at Tom’s Cigar Reviews and they were smoking it in the morning. Why do I mention this? Well, mainly because it is a full bodied cigar and I can definitely see where the uninitiated would have a hard time with its strength. But, to be honest, if you have smoked full bodied cigars for a while you shouldn’t have too much of a problem with this cigar. Don’t be afraid, it’s an awesome cigar and well worth any dizziness that might ensue. If you are a little wary then smoke it after a meal.

The smoke is very creamy. There is also a rich nutty flavor as well. Overall, the Camacho Triple Maduro is a very complex cigar with lots of great flavors. The draw is superb and the burn is basically even (required a couple of touch ups this time).

Almost finished now. It stays consistently strong: both in strength and in flavor. The price of this cigar will probably make many do a double take but I think it is worth the extra money, especially if you want to treat yourself. And, after smoking a few of these cigars, I’m impressed with their consistency. Truly great cigars are hard to come by – this is one of them.

95 points

Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro Cigar Review

According to Perdomo’s website: “A Decade in the making, the PERDOMO RESERVE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY cigars are here to celebrate the next generation of Tabacalera Perdomo’s award winning and highly acclaimed original La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve line.” Awesome but for the small fact that I haven’t smoked the original one so I can’t compare the two. What I do know is that the maduro version of this cigar is a Nicaraguan puro that comes in five different vitolas: perfecto, robusto, toro, double corona and a torpedo.

This Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro has a multitude of veins, bumps and an inconsistent color pattern. There are some oils on it and it feels like it is well packed. Maybe a little tightly packed by the cap and a little loose nearer the foot but, overall, well packed. The wrapper feels rough to the touch.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua Nicaragua
Price: around $5.50

Cabin Light!

This quite possibly represents the easiest draw in a cigar I have ever encountered and I like it. Tons of creamy smoke coats my mouth.

Chocolate is the main flavor followed by coffee grounds and dirt. The burn is even and I would peg this as a medium bodied cigar, maybe a little bit stronger than that.

Even though it is not an overly complex cigar the flavors are well above average. A cigar with these flavors relax me, very mellow. This is one of the better examples of this type of cigar: chocolate, coffee, etc.

But, in the end, there is just something that is missing from this cigar that would have put it up into another echelon of cigars for me. It’s missing spice, which would have cut the sweetness of the chocolate and brought in another level of complexity. While still being a great cigar it could have been better.

92 points

Examples of cigars I liked with more spice:

CAO L’Anniversaire Maduro Belicoso Cigar Review – 93 points

Partagas Black Label Piramide Cigar Review – 93 points

Cuvee Rouge Robusto Cigar Review – 92 points

I feel that the Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Maduro could have been better than all of these cigars if it had some spice mixed in with it. Of course, by changing the mixture of tobaccos that would change the overall flavor profile for this cigar and that might mean reducing what is the best and most dynamic chocolate flavor I have ever tasted.

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

Fundadores Jamaica Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke: Barrington House sent me these cigars a few months back. They have surprised me because, even though they are very mild, they are enjoyable.

The Fundadores Jamaica is not a good looking cigar. Full of bumps and veins. The wrapper is somewhat oily. I’m smoking their churchill vitola.

Smoke: Like I said, it’s very mild. Floral sweetness with some oak. The flavors are surprisingly strong for such a mild cigar. While it isn’t a complex cigar it is great for what it is; mild sweetness. The draw is perfect and the burn is very good.

After-Smoke: What I really like about this cigar is that it is relaxing. It doesn’t take any effort to enjoy it. But the thing of it is that there isn’t a ton of complexity to it. If you like sweet, mild cigars then you will love this one. However, even though I tend to like the more full bodied cigars, I actually liked this one.

3 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

Fuente Fuente Opus X Belicoso XXX Cigar Review

Alright, I’ve got to admit that I have been wanting to smoke an Opus X for a very long time but, since the price is so exorbitant, I had resisted the urge to splurge. That, as you will see in the following review, was a mistake.

Frankly, when you have a cigar that costs as much as this you expect greatness. And yet, the wrapper is anything but great. There are a couple of holes in the wrapper and there are also a couple of stretch marks as well.

Beyond that, however, it is great. Very oily, rich color to it, and the cap looks perfectly constructed, which, based off some of the other torpedoes I have seen, is no small feat. It’s tightly packed.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 4 5/8″
Ring Gauge: 49
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $26.00

Forbidden Flame!

Frankly, my dear, I no longer give a damn about the wrapper because the first few puffs have been sublime. Loads of spice and leather are evident on my tongue and through the nose. Perfect draw and definitely full bodied. Wow!

There may be a hint of licorice in the background, which adds nicely to the complexity of this cigar. There is also a magnificent toasted flavor. Everything is just going swimmingly with this cigar.

It’s amazing just how alive the flavors are. Tons of billowing, creamy smoke. Smoking this cigar is making my mouth water. This has got to be one of my all-time favorite cigars because I hate putting it down. I just can’t wait for the next puff! The only drawback I can think of with this cigar is that it is so short. It fits my tastes perfectly and it is definitely one of my top favorites.

96 points

CAO L’Anniversaire 1968-1998 Cameroon Belicoso Cigar Review

This is the torpedo vitola and I have smoked the robusto vitola in the past. I gave that cigar 90 points, here’s what I had to say about it:

Lots of smoke and an excellent draw. There is spice, which tastes like red pepper flakes, and the flavors are crisp – not muddied down at all. The flavors just explode on the tongue. It is medium bodied.

That was one of those I smoked a while ago so my notes were a little sparse. Here’s my review of this cigar that I thought was even better.

Milky brown wrapper. Good amount of oil with a box press, which I have grown to really appreciate. Perfectly good construction, no problems with it. Drinking Makers Mark with some water.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $8.50

Afternoon de-Light!

Peppery and leathery. It has a perfect draw. Warm, moist smoke. Medium-full bodied with a bias towards being more full bodied.

Slightly salty undertones. There is also this molasses-like sweetness to it. Very complex array of flavors.

Inch in now. The molasses sweetness, which is very rich and deep and is actually quite good is the main flavor now. Next is spice with a small side of saltiness. Still a very most cigar and the saltiness isn’t anywhere near the point of being a nuisance.

A third of the way through and the saltiness is gone. It’s a net plus that that flavor has left but it wasn’t too much of a problem since all the other flavors are great. The burn is fairly even, haven’t had to touch it up.

Nearing the end now. I love this deep, molasses sweetness because there’s also some peppery flavors remaining. It really is an enjoyable cigar. The complex flavor profile stays for nearly the whole length of the cigar.

92 points

Padron 4000 (Natural) Cigar Review

The Padron 1964 Anniversary is my favorite cigar to date so I must admit that I do have high hopes for this cigar. No, I do not think it’s going to even come close to the 1964 Anni but I do expect great things from this one. But the presentation of this cigar has me a little worried. This cigar is very bumpy with some raised veins. There is also this small stretch mark near the foot. Very little amount of oils. Drinking Wild Turkey and a Cherry Coke.

Cigar Stats
Toro
Length: 6 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nic
Filler: Nic
Price: $7.00

Ball of Fire!

Leather and spice and everything nice. Perfect draw. More spice than leather, I have to say. Not burning evenly though. Wow, very spicy cigar and, as you may know, I really do like spicy cigars.

There’s also a steak flavor with this cigar. Meaty and slightly salty. Juicy even. Not a sweet cigar at all. Not as good as the 1964 but it is still a very good cigar. The burn isn’t even after 1 1/2″ but it isn’t too bad either.

Halfway through the cigar now. Had to correct the burn a little bit. That spicy flavor is almost gone now and I am a little disappointed about that. The meaty taste is what is strong now. Full bodied. The saltiness is even more pronounced at this point, which I am not ecstatic about. It’s not a big negative but it is a minor annoyance that the salt is coming through stronger.

Three quarters of the way through and the saltiness has, thankfully, vanished leaving the meaty flavor to take over. It’s a great cigar and I will definitely be smoking more of these in the future.

90 points

Pride of Jamaica Vintage Reserva Crystals Cigar Review

This isn’t a mistake. Even though I reviewed one of these yesterday (HERE) that doesn’t mean I can’t review another one today. The same thing goes for this one – I got it for free. Here’s my review:

Pale and dry to the touch. The construction on this cigar looks pretty good but there are some bumps and some mildly raised veins. The last one got 91 points. By the way: I’m smoking this cigar while recovering from being sick. I’m drinking Wild Turkey with some water.

Cigar Stats
Grand Carona
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 45
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Mexican
Filler: Jamaica
Price: $6.50

Second Flame!

Lots of spice; reminds me of cinnamon. There is also a mellow cedar flavor in the background. This one is at least medium bodied.

A half an inch in and that herbal flavor that I tasted the last time I smoked one of these cigars starts to creep back in. It isn’t a strong flavor but it is there.

This has to be one of the spiciest cigars I have ever smoked and I really like that about this cigar. Remember how I described the second half of the other one (“it’s like a little firecracker”)? Well, this one is like that from the beginning. The flavors I am getting are cinnamon and peppermint.

It’s an interesting cigar, very unique. It isn’t full bodied but the spice is extremely strong on the palette and when you blow smoke through your nose. You may not like this cigar if you don’t like your mouth numb from spice. But if you are like me then you will love this cigar.

This is the second one I’ve had and I have got to tell you that this is a great cigar. I love it.

92 points

CAO Vision Prana Cigar Review

Like almost every CAO cigar I have smoked in the past this one looks perfect. It’s very oily and has a light brown wrapper. I am drinking water with this cigar.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 6 1/4″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Dom Rep
Binder: Dom Rep
Filler: Dom Rep, Nicaragua
Price: $12.00

Go Light!