CroMagnon Cigar Review
A few months back I ordered some cigars that a Twitter buddy makes. Probably every cigar smoker on Twitter knows who I am talking about: Skip Martin. Anyways, the cigar is named CroMagnon because, I guess, it sounds menacing and harkens back to a more primeval existence where men were men and cigars… I think you get the picture.
ROTT I smoked one of their Knuckle Draggers (4×52) and it was insanely powerful and very flavorful. Honestly, I liked the extra kick in the cigar but many others probably wouldn’t have. Fortunately, or, depending on how you look at it, unfortunately, every other cigar I smoked from my sampler of all the different vitolas never matched the raw power of that first cigar. They were all still powerful cigars but the main thing was that the flavors were better than I experienced during the first one.
For this review I am smoking a CroMagnon Anthropology. It’s extremely oily and has an almost velvety feel to it. Dark brown wrapper with some minor veins on the wrapper. The shape is spot on and there are no obviously hard or soft spots.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5 ¾″
Ring Gauge: 46
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $37.50/5 Pack | $236.25/Cube of 35
Pyongyang Flame!
After some months resting in my humidor it has lost that audacious amount of strength that nearly made me sick when I first smoked one of these cigars. However, it does still retain all of its flavor. There’s this dark sweetness that lingers on the tongue that is a nice counterpoint to the bright spice notes and there are also raisin and leather flavors as well.
The second third is a more well rounded experience. The sweetness has morphed into being more floral and the spice and leather are working together better now. Basically, it’s a savory sweetness in the mouth and a simmering spiciness on the retrohale. Very nice.
Nearing the end of the final third and, while it’s not as good as the first two thirds, it’s still a very good cigar. The flavors are just muted somewhat. It’s a full bodied cigar with a great draw and and burn. Overall, I really have liked this line of cigars and will go back to them frequently.
92 points
Cuban Stock Royal Selection Cigar Review
This cigar was sent to me by the Cuban Stock Cigar Co.
Alright, this is the third one of these that I am about to smoke. I really liked the first two so I have high hopes for this one as well.
This cigar has a pretty severe box press to it, which is aesthetically interesting. The thing about this Cuban Stock Royal Selection is that the wrapper looks, for lack of a better word, like an old man’s face. It’s got wrinkles, some holes in it and it just plain looks like Clint Eastwood’s face after a week of shooting in the desert. Well, to be fair, a darker complexion Clint Eastwood but I think you get my meaning.
But then you touch it. The wrapper is smooth and sturdy. There is a good helping of oils on it as well. And, if it performs as well as I think it will, the appearance will be of little import.
Cigar Stats
Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $25.00 for five cigars
Witching Hour Light!
Spice is one of those flavors that I have come to cherish with all these Cuban Stock cigars I have smoked, this one included. It isn’t the most robust spice out there but the flavors are very enjoyable. It’s a warm spice.
Raisins and leather are strong supporting flavors in this cigar. I am also getting a little bit of coffee as an aftertaste, which is nice.
The draw is open and the burn is good. It is a medium-full bodied cigar, almost in the full bodied range, which is fine by me.
There is some complexity apparent with these cigars. Spice takes on an increasingly stronger roll as the cigar progresses.
91 points
For another take head on over to Beer Review Dude
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.
