Camacho Triple Maduro:11/18:Maduro

I'm a big fan of Maduro. I'm always looking for the next and best Maduros out there and usually for me the more the Maduro the better. So when I eventually found out that Camacho had a triple Maduro cigar I was more than excited, being slightly disappointed with the MX2 I soon found out that too much of a good thing can be rather bad. But I'm an optimistic and I have high hopes for this stick. So my question of today is rather simple, is too much of a good thing bad?

SPECS-
Size-6x56
Wrapper-Honduras
Binder-Honduras
Filer-Honduras
Cut-Punch and Guillotine
Price-$13.00
Smoke Time-55 mins

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-This is a very impressive stick from the dual silver bands to this particular size, it just screams out strenght. The wrapper was very figured and dark black. It felt very much like a solid piece of leather and the visible pores of the leaf add to that impression. The foot had a very pleasant smell of dark earth and hay while the wrapper leaf had a compost smell to it. The leaf was very spicy and salty on the lips and tasted like soy sauce,the cold taste was very Norri. This cigar just presents itself as a very black object and I'm so far impressed.

FIRST HALF-Right off the bat you can tell this is going to be a heavy smoke. The cigar opens up with very thick white smoke with a deep and earthy chocolate behind it. Its very rich in red pepper spice. The cigar so far had a deep and simple deep chocolate taste that in indescribable in words. Overall in this half the burn was respectable, this is a Maduro cigar and it must be really hard to blend a all Maduro cigar and get no imperfections. The burn did stray off here and there but I was impressed it never went out on me. The ash is also super strong and I could probably stood the cigar in its ash but I'm a fan of long ashes so I didn't want to risk it. Construction is superb.As the cigar reaches into its second half the smoke seems to bloom out with more flavors and smoke its very enjoyable experience.

LAST HALF-This is a impressive cigar, the smoke truly opens up on this middle third or the last half for me. The simple chocolate is no longer simple, on the finish the chocolate picks up a earthy nut flavor to chug it along. The nut flavor is very smooth and has a cedar undertone to it, while the chocolate picks up a nice overtone anise. This cigar is packed rich in flavors and they deserve a lot more than just one try. Ash is also superb it gets slightly wavy but it just clings on to the cigar. The downfall of this cigar though is its strenght. As soon as the longest ash fell I was introduced to a super strong and dark tobacco taste infused with earth, the profile was tolerable for maybe 5 minutes but after that it just became too much. The nicotine of this cigar really got to me. It was a delayed effect so it was good, it was only really felt after I put the cigar down and layed in my bed. The room was spinning and my stomach hurt, it took me at least 2 soda cans to get over the nicotine lump. For those that don't know, if you ever feel like nicotine has gotten the best of you the best thing to do is combat it with sugar. This was a good cigar and I can't complain I didn't get to finish the last third it was good while it lasted.

LAST IMPRESSIONS-Overall this is a good cigar but the price range is a little steep. The price though is understandable, it's an all Maduro cigar with excellent construction and it was really big vitola so its a moot point really. Maybe with a smaller cigar the nicotine and darkness of it wouldn't be as present. But this cigar did answer my question, I guess too much of a good thing can turn out to be a bad thing. The thing though this cigar wasn't bad, just too much. Giving this cigar to a person new to cigars would be a very mean and cruel but yet very funny joke.

RATING-86
Buy It Again? Sure,
Recommended it? Yes, as a prank or for your own enjoyment if you like Maduro, others though I say be careful and take a seat this thing will knock you down.

Arturo Fuente:King B:Rosado

Arturo Fuente is a bit tricky with me. They have some alright blends. I feel like they specialize more in rare cigars than everyday smokes. Every cheap cigar I tried by AF has been somewhat lacking. The 8-5-8 is a good example of this, to me they don't make good everyday smokes. Well today I bring you a King B, a somewhat rare smoke that when priced right is just about in the everyday smoke price range but since these are kinda rare they also tend to be overpriced, so how does this semi-rare cigar smoke? Like its rare brother the Opus? Or is this like its other sibling the 8-5-8? Lets find out.

SPECS-
Size-6x55
Wrapper-Ecuador Sun Grown
Binder-Dominican
Filler-Dominican
Cut-Guilatine at a angle
Price-$9.60
Smoke Time-45 mins

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-This is a very pretty cigar. The torpedo is very solid, no mushiness. The wrapper was very veiny but the brown smooth wrapper made them blend in very well. The wrapper had a nice cedar smell to it probably due to the cedar sleeve its packaged in. Foot was slightly coconuty with a bit of earth on the background. The cold taste produced a easy draw with no particular flavor, so far nothing too overwhelming.

FIRST HALF-Yup, another review in halves. It's easy to write a review on a cigar that you like, but when a cigar disappoints its very hard to describe it. So excuse me if you find this review slightly lacking. The cigar opens up very spicy on the back of the throat, after the first initial spice you are left with a very dry finish. If you venture to smoke this cigar make sure you have plenty of water. Once you get used to the harsh smoke hints of vanilla add to the dryness. After the finish small touches of nuts with a hay undertone are introduced adding more to the already sharp flavor profile. The burn was also iffy, the burn line would sometimes stray off and the cigar would put itself out. I think I got a fluke but this cigar tasted too much like the candella.

LAST HALF-The smoke is still disappointing, the cigar turns for the worst. Little by little the smoke gets darker and stingier. The spice is still there and very much dry.Almost all the familiar flavors on the first half are lost except the mocha that is introduced does have a small hint of nuts. After the longest ash fell the cigar just completely got bitter. The smoke tasted stale,very dry,and a nasty bit of tobacco is there. I quickly put the cigar out the flavor gave me a nasty headache and a terrible nicotine buzz. I can handle strong cigars but for some reason this cigar just gave me a huge dollop of nicotine. I was happy I didn't pay for this cigar since this was a gift from my Cousin. (Thanks Paul).

LAST IMPRESSIONS- The King B seems to be either hit or miss. I talked to many people that liked it and other people that hated it. I wanted to like this cigar but I feel that Fuente doesn't make anything good that's available everyday. So far I feel that Fuente should just make their rare stogies and not focus their attention anywhere else. At $9 bucks a pop its a rip-off really and even if it never got harsh and just the same dry flavor profile is not worth $9.

RATING-60
Buy It again?No
Recommend It? Only if you got it as a gift and who ever gave you it assured you that the cigar you just got is one of the better blends.

Man O' War:Double Corona:Habano

I'm not a big fan of online retailers and that's what has me put me off from getting my hands on this Cigar International's exclusive. Another thing that has put me off was that it was an exclusive, I'm not a big fan of Online Retailers "own" blends. I'm fine about house made B&M cigars but I tend to think that O&R make their own blends for their own profit and don't really care for the quality of the smoke. But I got gifted this cigar and I just can't turn down a cigar. But so does this cigar support my assumptions about O&R quality or does it change my views?

SPECS-
Size- 6.5x52
Wrapper-Ecuadorian Habano
Binder-Nicaragua
Filler-Nicaragua
Price-Around $9 dollars
Cut-Punch/Guillotine
Smoke Time-1 hour
Drink-Coke

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-I'm impressed by the quality. The band is a nice paper with a grim and sinister helmet. The wrapper is very smooth to the touch and fragrant. The foot smells like a earthy hay and nicely packed. The cap was cut rather squishy but produced a perfect draw and no particular taste. So far this cigar is proving me wrong and I don't mind.

FIRST THIRD-The cigar opened up quite nicely. The first initial puffs were similar to a Macanudo 1968. Slightly more spicy and hits you more on the back of the throat. Its not as a refined flavor but its overall decent. The first initial tastes are of nuts, the nuts had a interesting cedar undertone and earth overtone. The finish was good and had a cereal grain similar to puffed corn, it reminded me of Hot Fries. The burn was slow and even, it completely contradicts my expectations.

SECOND THIRD-The spice gets very subdued and not as ruff. The smoke gets more even and refined. The earth that was present on the first third gets deeper and produces a almost sweet mocha. The smoke gets milder and the nut flavor comes and goes with no undertones. Not much to speak about this middle spot other than interesting and not to bad for a CI exclusive.

LAST THIRD-The best and most interesting third. The smoke just blooms up here and produced almost sweet flavors. Though there are no pronounced flavor the occasional hints of leather and nuts are welcomed. After this rather average profile the cigar gets darker and very off putting. As I was close to put the cigar out the flavor profile changed. Though the same flavors were there the way they got introduced was better than before. The nut came on earlier with a good sweetness and with a nutmeg finish. This made me smoke and enjoy the cigar a lot longer than I thought. A pretty decent cigar.

FINAL IMPRESSIONS-This is a decent cigar albeit it's a CI exclusive it changes the exclusive game for me a lot more. The flavors thought weren't as pronounced as I like but this makes for a decent smoke for doing any other things. The price is a bit high and for the expected shipping it'd but this stick well over $10 dollars a pop not worth that price tag, if it was $5 bucks cheaper it'd be good.

RATING-88
Buy it Again? Not Likely
Recommend It? Yes, its decent CI is usually doing special with this cigar that could make it more affordable and worth it.

Perdomo Habano Maduro:Robusto:Maduro

I liked my recent birthday, I've ate some fine food with my family, got to smoke a beautiful cigar with a good friend, but best of all was all the cigars I was gifted.This Perdomo was one of em'(Thanks Bob!). Though this was somewhat of a belated birthday present I was happy non-the-less but I had plans to age this cigar but those plans fell through. Once I got home from my B&M I found the door locked and I forgot my keys and it would of been a good hour and a half before someone came home to open the door, what better way to kill that time than to smoke a cigar? But is this cigar just that? A time killer? Or do I have something more magical in my hands?

Specs-
Size-5x52
Wrapper-Nicaragua
Binder-Nicaragua
Filler-Nicaragua
Price-$6.00
Cut-Guillotine
Smoke Time-50 mins
Drink-Mr.Pibb

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-This is a very gorgeous cigar. The subtle hints of blue,silver and white on the band contrast the dark chocolate brown wrapper well. The toothy leaf was almost vein less and very sweetly fragrant. The foot smelt like earth and a slight touch of hay. The cold draw produce a tea like flavor and it feels slightly too loose for my taste. Overall though the construction seems solid and gorgeous for a $6 dollar stick.

FIRST THIRD-This cigar first blooms up with a good bit of nasal spice that hits you like black pepper, its a subtle spice but enjoyable. Once the spice is subdued a main flavor of nut is introduced with a long and smooth finish that coats your mouth similar to how tea with cream does. Along with the nuts there is a strong overtone of mocha with a undertone of hay. Another flavor that was here was a cedar, it had no complexities but good. My favorite third. The burn is even and for the loose draw the cigar doesn't seem to burn as fast as I thought.

SECOND THIRD-The flavors mellow out here and the with the nut taking a down step as the main flavor and letting the cedar shine through. The cedar gets floral and is slightly sweet. Also the mocha that was present before splits up in flavors. Now you got more of isolated flavors of chocolate and coffee bean. The finish is good but somewhat lacking, the spice also takes a backseat and it feels like there isn't much chugging this cigar to the finish.

LAST THIRD-The cigar definitely looses all its steam here. The enjoyable creamy finish that was present seems to water out and the flavors get milder. All the mocha and nut flavors are gone. The mocha gets replaced leather and the main flavor of cedar is turned to a undertone on the leather. The least favorable third but it still an enjoyable smoke.

LAST IMPRESSIONS- I guess this cigar does answer my question after all. It's more of a cigar that you kill time with and nothing more than that. At the price range its a very good everyday cigar and the flavor profile is good enough to keep you interested. Not to bad of cigar, and a good birthday present and wouldn't you know it I might buy more of these.

RATING-87
Buy It Again?Yes
Recommended It?Yes

La Flor Dominicana:Double Press:Habano

I hate being sick. It has been maybe four days since I smoked a cigar and boy do I miss it. The terrible thing about having cigars and being sick is that you're very tempted to smoke but you know you won't get the cigar true experience, but after my long awaited adieu I was ready to get back on the sattle. So to wake up my taste buds from their dormant state I choose something more stout, more vigorous, I choose more Ligero. If you don't know much about Ligero shame on you. Ligero is the upper most part of the tobacco plant also with the leaf being the most exposed to the sun it produces stronger and spicier flavors. What better way to get off a cold with a nice spice punch right to the chest?

SPECS-
Size- 6x52
Wrapper-Equador
Binder-Dominican
Filler-Dominican
Cut-Guilattine
Cost-$8.00
Smoke Time-1 hour
Drink-Water

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-The box these cigar come in are very pretty, all the cigars on there are in their own slots with a nice piece of red lace so you can pry em' out of their environment. All the cigars look shiny and this stick was no exception. The wrapper just glistens with oil and the box press is very square with very sharp lines. At closer inspections you can see all the very fine veins on the leaf and its very pretty to look at. The wrapper was slightly sweet smelling and with a foot heavy with earth. The cold draw produced a perfect draw that had a herbal tea flavor to it, very delicate aromas and a delicate cigar.

FIRST THIRD-This vitola is new to LFD (La Flor Dominicana) and I think they need to iron out some kinks on these cigars. The first one I tried did not burn well after an inch or so the wrapper would not ash, just char and the filler would burn, slowly hollowing out the stick. But after another try I was very surprised. The cigar properly opened up with thick smoke that has a good punch of red pepper flakes behind it, its very well rounded and smooth. The burn though is still tricky, the burn line is wavy and sometimes canoes, and this really takes away from the experience. After the red pepper dissipates a subtle but stout flavor of nuts is present, it leaves a thick finish on your palate and its very enjoyable.

SECOND THIRD-I've heard that LFD goes through a very complex process in making these sticks. Since the cigars are pressed so much the oils on the ligero are extracted from the pores and are risen to the surface. I think this might be a problem here. The cigar burn suffers very much from the procedure. Although the flavors are good they are all over the place and never in harmony with each other, a cacophony if you will. For example; The cigar has a very nice clove like bite to it but it has a licorice roundness and after taste to it, after that some grassy tones are introduced and then the nuts as the finish, this somehow is all over the place for me. There is no smooth progression in flavors they are just all over the place with no under or overtones. Apart from the burn issues the cigar is quite tasty in itself.

LAST THIRD-The burn is still iffy but it subdues itself some. The flavors mellow out, now the cigar displays a good bit a leather and mocha with a cedar undertone. A very nice finish to a hectic cigar. After the flavors a herbal tea flavor coats your mouth and its really a flavor to savor. As the cigar slowly works its way to its finish the burn gets more regular and you truly get to enjoy the flavors, it was very hard put down.

LAST IMPRESSIONS-This was a good cigar and the price point is pretty damn perfect. The only big obvious flaw is the construction, maybe in another batch of cigars they'll smoke better but LFD might of released these too early. This cigar would of gotten a great 95 rating but it just lacked the construction in the end. It was a great cigar to brighten up my taste buds again so all in all I can't complain.

RATING-85
Buy It Again? When I hear they changed something in this cigar or pick it up for when I'm no longer sick.
Recommend It? Sure, I mean maybe my B&M got a bad batch and if you do happen to get one that smokes just fine I'm sure you're in for a great smoke.

La Aurora 100 anos:Robusto:Corojo

I have a very fond memory of my first ever La Aurora 100 Anos. Back in the summer I payed a Boston a visit, a city in which I came from before I moved to SC. It was a very long time since I I've been there and couldn't wait to see my old friends. Once there I traveled to a B&M and had a blast, I was taking the subway, the bus, and even walking my old streets. It really was a blast to the past traveling to get this cigar. Once I got it I held on to it and smoked it here in SC and it wasn't that good. I blamed my eagerness to smoke it and me not being patient for not waiting for the cigar to settle in my humidor. So felling a little homesick I bought another one to give it another try. So does this cigar bring back fond memories? Or are those memories better off forgotten?

SPECS-
Wrapper-Dominican
Binder-Dominican
Filler-Dominican
Price-$13.00
Cut-Guillotine
Smoke Time-45 mins
Drink-Coke

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-This is a very pretty cigar from the lion to the cardboard colored leaf, this cigar presents itself well. The almost vein less wrapper was very fragrant with compost. The foot was also had an outstanding smell of graham cracker and raisins similar to the Opus, I felt that I had a little treasure on my hand. Clipping the cigar was effortless and it produced a hay flavor with the same graham cracker on the foot. The wrapper was slightly spicy on the lips and I couldn't wait to spark it up.

FIRST THIRD-The first initial flavors are very woodsy,that bring about a very present oaky finish to it that was very delicate. Along with the oak a slight nut flavor was intermingled but somewhat muted by the strenght of the oak.The oak also brings along a sweeter and woodsy undertone of flavor that is very similar to cedar. The slow and somewhat lopsided burn worries me but so far it's not to bad of a cigar and it brought some memories back from my trip. A great introduction.

SECOND THIRD-The flavors get more delicate and the burn more erratic. During the period of this third I had to touch up the cigar numerous of times which took away from the overall experience. As the flavors mellow out more the cedar brings a sweeter finish that was starting to shape up to be an orange peel taste but I'd loose the taste because of the burn. The burn also gets very hot and I have my focus somewhere else because of this disappointing third. As the flavors get more delicate the cigar does too, after getting hot I left the stick down for maybe two minutes and it went out . After that I had to keep puffing the cigar to keep it lit and with the constant relighting it brought along a harsh tar taste.

LAST THIRD- After a nice purge the cigar is on track again. The cedar is still sweet but any hints of oranges are far gone but a cherry flavor is now the undertone. The nut flavor is still there but its not sweet, it just brings a floral taste almost like honey and it's delectable. But again the cigar doesn't fail to disappoint. After maybe an inch of solid smoking the cigar gets messy again. I had to relight it numerous times and was only greeted with harsh ash flavor and nicotine. After many tries I just gave up on the smoke completely,it was good while it lasted.

LAST IMPRESSIONS-Overall this was a very woodsy cigar with complex undertones, this cigar might of been a fluke but my gripe is at $13 dollars a stick there shouldn't ever be a fluke. This was an interesting cigar to bring back old memories with, but at the price range I know cigars that offer better experiences and better memories. Good thing about this cigar though is that when I was done, the nub made a very good device to wipe off my B&M's ash tray. The flavors were good though, but ultimately the construction overshadowed the experience for the worst.

RATING-77
Buy It Again? No
Recommended It? Maybe yes, if you don't get a fluke and enjoy very woodsy cigars. Overall though no.

Acid:Kuba Kuba:Conn

I'm a fan of cigars, I like brown ones,white ones,silver ones, and even purple ones. But I'm not so big on the infused or "flavored" kind. I never had a Acid phase or particularly liked their stuff. While living in the Grand Strand I've seen many golfers and people new to cigars pick these up. There must be a reason why these are so popular and after so many tasting I finally had something to say about it. A lot of people shun these cigars as if it was a baby with 8 feet. They won't even look at them, but they sure will talk bad about em'. So will this review turn me into one of those baby-fearing cigar smokers or will I get some mutual respect for this cigar? Let's find out.

SPECS-
Size-5x54 Robusto
Wrapper-Nicaragua
Binder-Nicaragua
Filler-Nicaragua
Price-$7.70
Smoke Time-45 mins
Cut-Guillotine

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-This cigar has a very smooth persona, the almost vein less beige wrapper was good to look at and without a doubt was a interesting leaf to smell. This thing smells very strong of perfume and a miscellaneous collection of botanical, but once you dig deeper you will find that the foot smells of a very rich earth and touch of honey. The wrapper too has that big perfume smell but also a clove spiciness and sweetness that most don't pick up. The cigar was slightly soft but overall nicely constructed, the draw was perfect and tasted somewhat like thyme, the sweetness of the wrapper was a change of pace. So far I'm not shunning this cigar, I'm just curious about it

FIRST THIRD-Once this cigar is lit it just envelops the room with that unique and hit or miss aroma, me I don't mind the smell. The initial taste was something other than "flower" you typically read in reviews, it was more like a nut like flavor accented by a spice that is well rounded and hits the nose just right. Further inspection one can say the spice is very similar to cloves and the nut has some depth to it. The cigar produces a ton of smoke in this third and its alright so far. Lot's of care went to making this cigar and I can respect that. The finish is mild and smooth burns slow and relatively straight.



SECOND THIRD-The flavors produce a lot more depth here and its the best third. The sugar that is on the wrapper fades away some and really let's the tobacco's flavor shine their best. The earthiness of the smoke is still here, the nut flavor is slightly complex and has a bay leave undertone to it. Along with the earth, slight touches of chocolate are also found but take a while for you to find. The burn line got off track some but the ash was very solid and white, again it shows the care that Drew Estate is putting into these sticks. Towards the final third a small touch of milky caramel is noticeable and appreciated, again this ain't too bad of a cigar.

LAST THIRD-The sugar on the leaf is almost gone now, with no more sweet backdrop the earth and nut really get strong now and is the reason why most people can't smoke these cigars any further. I did find though that once the sugar on the leaf is gone the cigar does display some sugar cane pulp qualities to it, so all hope is not lost. The spice gets a little offencive now and has a sharp bite on the tongue, this cigar now doesn't seem as refined. The earth is really dark and losses all the touches of nuts it had. you now are left of with just a big slightly sweet cigarette and after 50 mins, I decided to call it quits, the complexities of the stick were good while they lasted.


FINAL IMPRESSIONS-Again I don't like infused cigars, but this was an ok experience, it let me know why some people enjoy this cigar, and I don't blame em'. I feel that young smokers are the most likely to pick this cigar. Ussually never having any expirience with other cigars they're scared of getting a big "offencive" stick, they'll go for something "sweet" or flavors they already recognize and the smell on this cigar is inviting. This cigar really helps the image of cigars, it introduces people to a unforgettable smell that people just can't help to wonder, and maybe those people will try a ACID and maybe like it. Then those people start getting a feel for cigars and try out different stuff and long behold we have new brothers of the leaf. I can't rag on this cigar, nor can I say I like it or hate it, I just respect this cigar for what it does. It changes up the cigar world and I think it does it for the better.

RATING-85
Buy It Again? Not anytime soon, but once in a blue moon maybe.
Recommend It? If you never tried one go to your B&M and just smell it, if it's something that intrigues you, than yes. If you already had one and have your mind set that all infused cigars are evil I say revisit one with an open mind. The price isn't too bad.

Opus X:Fuente Fuente:Sun Grown

Today is my birthday, or at least it was since it's 12:21 am right now. To celebrate I decided to smoke a cigar which I've been saving up for a while. A cigar that almost needs no introduction. But for those that don't know what the Opus is about, let me tell you. The Opus was the first Dominican Puro, being the first to have a Dominican wrapper which was never done before circa 1995. This rare stick is very limited to only about 500,000 a year or its what I'm lead to believe and only sold in major B&M's twice a year, once in the summer time and once during the winter months. This limited stick is often sold at high prices when it's not in season it has the most hype out there than any cigar. So I've had a ESG which claimed to be just as good as the Opus, but now here's the real thing. So did this cigar start my birthday in a sour note?

SPECS

Size-Robusto 5.25 x 52
Wrapper-Dominican
Binder-Dominican
Filler-Dominican
Cost-$13.50
Cut-Punch/Guillotine
Smoke Time-55 mins
Drink-McD's Iced Caramel Coffee

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-Once you get this cigar in your hand it doesn't seem that menacing or a dark, stingy and powerful cigar as some people describe it. The flawless wrapper had no veins,no tears no toothyness to it, just a smooth sandy color, that invited me with its sweet honey aroma. At a closer inspection the foot smelt like graham cracker with touches of cinnamon, honey, and some raisin. The cold taste also had that unexpected but lovely taste of graham crackers and honey. The wrapper itself had a very neutral taste on the lips and the draw was perfect. This cigar wasn't as hard as a lead pipe or soft and mushy, it had the perfect amount of give. This cigar was begging to be smoked.

FIRST THIRD-I took my time to light this stick, I must of used over 10 matches to light it and as soon as I took my first puff the cigar greeted me with a good bloom of smoke. Some say that this cigar is "ultra-powerful" and that it will knock you on your ass in the first puffs. I didn't get that here or with any other Opus I've smoked, it was a perfect morning smoke that didn't make me feel dizzy or anything. The first flavor that is introduced is a lovely spice on the nose, its very soft and it almost felt like a piece of cotton candy in your mouth. After the introduction of the spice a well rounded sweet cedar is present in the smooth finish. This is a very delicate and well rounded third, nothing stands out at first and makes you pay attention to the cigar to see what flavors are coming up. It's burning quite well at this point and the ash is white and very solid without any wave marks on it. I wish I could start more mornings like this.

SECOND THIRD-The best third without a doubt, the flavors here are outstanding. The well rounded cedar that was in the middle of the finish gets sweeter and more rounded, producing a tasty flavor of orange peel that is marvelous. The orange peel flavors comes and goes as if it doesn't want to overstay it's welcome. When ever the orange peel flavor fades to the back its replaced by a coffee bean flavor that is accented by mocha. Truly a great flavor that stirs up the pot in a world of cigars where you mainly get chocolate,cedar,dirt,or coffee. The finish is still very smooth and the cigar is burning at the same slow pace. Ash help up well before falling a half a inch short of the band. Only gripe with this cigar so far is that I expected the ash to be longer, but the flavors do a lot more than just make up for it.

LAST THIRD-If this cigar ever gets slightly "offencive" it's here. The orange peel soon fades when the longest ash fell, along with it is the mocha and cedar. The main flavors now are a honey maple sweetness adjoined with a spicy leather taste. A very unclimatic end to a superb smoke. The leather profile is still in a class of its own, it brings with it floral accents that makes this cigar difficult to put down. The finish gets dirtier and less refined, but worth it. The ash got more flacky here and never held a long ash. This is a definitely a full-bodied smoke and would take many Opuses(?) for one to truly understand the flavor profile. Lucky for me I have one more.

LAST IMPRESSIONS-This was a superb smoke to start my day. Hopefully when ever I look back to my 19th birthday I'll remember the Opus that introduced me to it's subtle tones of orange peel, and this is the most memorable flavor of the smoke, the orange peel taste. Without a doubt this cigar is worth all the hype it gets. The thing is though I'm happy this cigar is very limited, because if this was available everyday I wouldn't pick up everyday, or make it an everyday thing. This cigar is truly reserved for special occasions, no wonder it's usually sold on Father's Day and Christmas. The price I payed for it was very justified, no cigar I've smoked before has surprised me like this cigar does. Long story short, this was a beautiful cigar that I had the pleasure of smoking with a good friend, one of the best mornings I've had in a while.

RATING-96
Buy It Again? Yes
Recommend It? Yes

Dona Flor:Selecao:Maduro

Again one more time I delve myself deep into another Brazilian Puro. Though I was wrong to say the Tradicao was the only Brazilian Puro in the market, I was right about it being a true Brazilian though. You see this Dona Flor's tobacco was made in Brazil but then sent to Miami where it's rolled vs. the Tradicao where its grown and rolled in Brazil. Long story short I'm passionate for my Brazilians. So does this cigar represent the best Maduro Brazil has to offer?

SPECS-
Size- Robusto 5x50
Wrapper-Brazil
Binder-Brazil
Filler-Brazil
Price-$7.80
Cut-Guillotine
Smoke Time-55 mins
Drink-Bud Light On Tap

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-This cigar is very rustic. Expect alot of uneven veins a toothy appearance and with this stick I could see the pores on the uneven brown leaf. This doesn't bother me, the foot had a lovely earthy mushroom aroma and the wrapper had a sweet compost smell to it. The cigar was lightly loose but surprisingly had a tight draw to it. There was no particular cold taste and it looked like overall quality control though is very top notch.

FIRST THIRD-The slightly loose foot took a while to catch a flame but once it got started it had a delicious sweet chocolate room note. This set the atmosphere for the smoke. The spice wasn't strong or over-powering and at times it wasn't even there. The slow burn produces a woodsy taste of cedar that leaves a decent finish behind without any complimenting flavors. So far this cigar doesn't seen very Brazilian.

SECOND THIRD-The flavor profile picks up better. Placing tastes on this cigar is very hard, though it produces some main roundabout flavors that you try to guess they usually change up on you to produce something else. The main flavors that were prevalent was a dark earthy chocolate on the finish that is very smooth. This cigar is well produced, the flavor profile shows that some thought went behind it. The draw was definitely a draw back on this stick, it doesn't let the smoke to bloom in your mouth to produce flavors. It's more of a stream-lined jet of smoke that is soon expelled because you had to work for the draw. All in all I'm somewhat disappointed. The burn line was also iffy, the wrapper didn't burn in pace with the filler. When ever I'd touch up the leave it would just char but not produce an ash. Ash was good though.

LAST THIRD- The cigar takes a step back from the same flavors. The main flavors get isolated. The earth is by itself and so is the chocolate. A new flavor of almonds is introduced that makes smoking this stick down further manageable. Ash held up well and solid very close to the secondary band, which is respectable. This is a slow burning stick since there is no spice, you feel like its never going to pick up any. The overall flavor is dark and rich, its worth revisiting, it was a average smoke to read a magazine to.


LAST IMPRESSIONS-This cigar isn't the best example of the depth a Brazilian Maduro has. There was no coffee, no true deep earth, or any hints of exotic nuts. Just overall good blended average stick. The production though is better in this stick than the Tradicao. This cigar feels more like a refined product than the Tradicao, but it lacks in flavors. It was a good try but this Maduro disappoints

RATING-83
Buy It Again? I'll revisit it eventually try to give the cigar a better described flavor profile.
Recommend It? If your B&M has one in store sure, but this cigar isn't worth the hassle trying to find.

San Cristobal:Fabuloso:Rosado

I like Ashton's cigars, I also tend to like Don Pepin's creations so when a friend of mine gifted me this cigar I was more than excited to smoke it, Thanks Landon! So I've also heard that this San Cristobal was in the works for a while and after much acclaim this cigar was getting great reviews. So is this cigar worth the hype?

SPECS-
Size-6.25x52
Wrapper-Nicaragua
Binder-Nicaragua
Filler-Nicaragua
Price-$13.00
Smoke Time-1 hour
Cut-Guillotine
Drink-Starbucks Iced Mocha

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-The first thing that catches your attention is the big vermilion Parrot. The band is very classy along with the wrapper. Even though the wrapper was spotted with veins this one year old aged wrapper (Thanks one more time Landon) looked fabulous. The brown leaf was very matte in its finish and sweetly fragrant. The foot was earthy and spicy with a cold taste that was married with the same spice and a touch of hay. The solid construction gave the perfect draw and I knew I was ready for something special.

FIRST THIRD-The perfect draw bloomed the perfect bloom of smoke. Very thick and white, the first initial flavors was of black pepper spice that hit you one the nose that almost made me want to sneeze, but I smiled, I was happy thus far. As the spice progressed the sweet and earthy mocha left a good finish in my mouth that had a coffee bean taste in the middle. The cigar is burning at a even pace and good burn line, it's worth the hype so far.









SECOND THIRD-The spice takes a back seat in the second third and leaves ample room for the flavors to flourish. Along with the mocha a touch of cedar is introduced in the finish that thicks the mouth with an almost like syrup finish similar to one of Pepin's creation "My Father". Along with the finish a nice bit of cream joins along that makes you want to sip the cigar and wish it burnt more slowly and that's the only gripe I have with the stick so far, it burns just slightly too quick.



LAST THIRD-The spice picks up where it left off. The mocha is welcomed back and the finish changes. The cigar still coats the palate but the cedar changes to more of a burnt bread flavor that is similar to crispy pizza crust, along with this bready flavor a touch of sea salt is sprinkled here and there. The ash held well and the rate of burn picked up the pace a little bit. As the cigar starts working it's way to the nub it greats you a farewell and see you soon with a good bit of rich tobacco taste and a rounded out flavor that I just couldn't pick up, a great finish.

FINAL IMPRESSIONS-This was a great cigar with a great well rounded flavor, Don Pepin never disappoints. The price point is just about right for one of Pepin's blends and Ashton's craftsmen ship, though I wish this cigar burnt a little slower and wish the flavors were more robust. But overall this is a good stick for a good occasion say you won $500 bucks on a scratcher ticket or good enough for a treat cigar. I'm glad I got to try this cigar and my world is just now opening up to Don Pepin's master selections.

RATING-93
Buy It Again? Yes
Recommend It? Yes

CAO Brazilia:Lambada:Arapiraca

I'm a big Brazilian junkie. I love the dark earthiness and chocolate tones that the Brazilian soil brings to their leafs of tobacco, I'm also slightly bias to Brazilians and am willing to pay attention to a cigar more if it has Brazilian tobacco in it. Whether it be binder wrapper or filler, I'm always interested in a Brazilian. But don't think I'll automatically approve of this smoke, but I can tell you early on that this is the best and cheapest cigar in CAO's "International Line". But this vitola in The Italia and the America has been giving me some problems, but is it the same disappointment in this Brazilia?

SPECS-
Size-6x50
Wrapper-Brazilian
Binder-Nicaragua
Filler-Nicaragua
Cost-$6.50
Smoke Time-50 mins
Cut-Guillotine

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-This is a very nice wrapper, the dark brown is very figured, in some spots the wrapper is almost black and contrast the brown filler tobacco quite nicely when you compared the two. The wrapper was very fragrant and had a slight leather smell to it. The foot had a lovely aroma of raisins and touches of earth. The cold taste was delicious, it was of a very sweet date and with a perfect draw it made my mouth water. What a great cigar to finish my CAO comparison.

FIRST THIRD-Beginning with your first puffs you'll notice that this cigar is very dark and rich. Plenty of thick white smoke welcome you along with a deep mocha flavor. The cigar burns very slowly and almost perfect burn line. The spice is hits you on your nose and its very pleasurable, it makes you pay attention to the cigar. As the cigar progresses into the second third a raisin like flavors start building up.

SECOND THIRD-The raisin builds into a well rounded flavor for the mocha to rest on. The sweetness of the raisin and the deep tones of the mocha go really well together, so far this is a very well rounded stick. The spice picks up a little bit as the smoke works its way to the last third and here is where I got nervous, the longest ash falls and I'm to be expecting the downwards spiral of this cigar.

Last Third-This cigar like the other Vitolas I tried also suffers from the unusual odd flavor. But here they're not that bad. Since this is already a dark cigar the "odd flavor profile" isn't too big of an impact here. The mocha gets a lot dirtier with this, almost bringing along a cocoa powder taste to it, the raisin flavor also gets more well rounded and sweeter, but its a funky sweet like you know that flavor isn't supposed to be there. After the cigar works its way through this slump all the complexities of this stick pretty much leave which is disappointing. You just get a dark,faint taste of leather and mocha, its a boring and not very pronounced flavor but for whatever reason the cigar was very hard to put down.

LAST IMPRESSIONS-This was overall a good and complex smoke and without a doubt the best in CAO line. Though I like the box-pressed Brazilia better I thought it'd be better to use the same vitola sizes for a fairer comparison because the box press would blow everything outta of the water. This cigar is also cheap for the complexity it involves and is cheap enough for an everyday smoke. Good thing too, because the America is way too damn expensive.

RATING-84
Buy it Again? Yes,
Recommended It? Yes, try the Box-press you won't be disappointed.

CAO America:Constitution:Barber Pole

So you've seen that the Italia didn't handle so well. The America was also on the planning board for a while. The Barber Pole like style is the only Barber Pole that CAO makes I believe, this is a departure for CAO. So does this snazzy wrapper style hide the America's true imperfections? Let's find out.

SPECS-
Size-Constitution 6x50
Wrapper-Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro and Shade
Binder-Brazil
Filler-Ligero from Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Italy, and USA
Cost-$8.60
Cut-V
Drink-McD's Mocha Iced Coffee
Smoke Time-40 mins.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-Again CAO shows quality craftsmanship. The barber pole is almost flawless. The Maduro leafs shows some nicks and tears here and there but nothing that takes away from the smoking experience. The tightly rolled cigar produced a Tea like flavor on the cold taste. The wrapper had a hint of leather to it and the foot was nice and earthy. Not to bad of visual introduction, but I take this cigar with a grain of saltFor like the Italia, I don;t want to be dissapointed.

FIRST HALF-Yup, you guessed it another CAO reviewed in halves. The cigar has a really good spice that hits you up front, its a very well rounded spice that brings to it a clover-like sweetness to it. Along with this unexpected spice a taste of cedar is added to the finish. It doesn't bring any imagery to mind like the Italia, but its still good. This stick burns at a slow pace and has no issues burning through the multiple wrapper layers. Towards the progression to what would be the second third, the clove sweetness is gone. Cedar and nuts take the main stage at flavors, the spice sticks more to the background and the longest ash falls, I anticipated what the cigar had to throw at me next.

LAST HALF-The nuts and the cedar were still present but slowly those flavors started to decay. The nut started tasting stale, the cedar got an unripe taste, the spice was in the back of the throat and harsh. The smoke was like this for maybe 10 minutes before it got better. All the sudden the old enjoyable flavors slowly start blooming, but they're not the same. The harshness and bitterness completely throw you off from your leisurely smoke you were having, Its a shame too because the cigar was starting to get good. I get bored by the smoke, I end up taking the wrapper leaf of and just smoking the binder and filler, for what ever reason it tasted better that way.

LAST IMPRESSIONS-I'm upset to see this cigar didn't do too well either. The main flavors are really light and crisp and would work great for the morning smoke. The first halve was really something else, just like the Italia, but in the end it had its short-comings. In rank I'd say this falls in the middle. This is the most expensive cigar and prettiest in the series, it's just a shame it just did not produce anything good today.

RATING-78
Buy It Again-Maybe only 1 more time on a certain day in July.
Recommended it? Only if you're feeling patriotic.

CAO Italia:Positano:Natural

This is going to a 3 part review. The next few posts are all CAO related, I'm comparing what I call "CAO's International Cigars"; The America,Brazilia,and Italia. CAO have had these smoke all planned out for a while and once released have gotten some acclaim to em all. At my young smoking adventure I started smoking alot of CAO's and was wanting to one day smoke all the International Lines and see how they compared. So after so many Italia's America's and Brazilia's which one do I think is best? Let's start with the Italia.

Specs-
Size-6x50
Wrapper-Honduras
Binder-Honduras
Filler-Italy,Nicaragua,Peru
Price-$7.10
Smoke Time-30 Mins
Cut-Punch

FIRST IMPRESSIONS-CAO makes very good looking sticks and very pretty bands, this Italia is no exception. The smooth brown wrapper displayed no major veins or defects. The wrapper had no particular smell or taste. The same was for the foot, just a slight earthiness. The stick was solid, probably too solid because the draw was a little tight and produced no particular flavor.

FIRST HALF-I'm reviewing the Italia And The America in halves rather than thirds and this will be obvious why once I get to the later half. This cigar opened up nicely, a nice and subtle spice up front and a good strong finish. This is a very slow burning stick so it took a while for the main flavors to start progressing. A espresso flavor opens up the as the main flavor on the stick and its very well rounded. It kinda makes you feel like you are at cafe in Italy enjoying a nice cup of coffee and watching the happy go lucky Italians, this is a very good flavor. Along with the espresso there's touches of earth and cedar that make it a very good visual and flavorful experience, the best Half.

SECOND HALF-Things go down hill here, bad. When the longest ash fell, things soon followed. The earthiness that was so enjoyable on the first half gets darker. The cedar turns stale and the coffee is gone. The cigar got so icky,nicotine,tarry and pectin full that I had to put the stick down. It was horrible. There was no finish and no spice, smoke was wispy and smelly. This turned out to be a terrible finish to what was shaping up to be a great experience. I tried out 3 others sticks to see if I got a fluke, nope. All of the cigars I tried in this size had the same problem. First half great, last half miserable. The Italia is the worst of the 3 in CAO's"International Series".

LAST IMPRESSIONS-I really wanted to like this cigar. With such an nice opening of flavors you kinda feel bad for the stick. It makes you think what happened? Maybe a Torcedor was just not feeling it the day he was making this cigar, maybe the leaf just gave up and started rotting, I can't tell you why this happened. But can only say it's a shame that it did.

RATING-70
Buy It Again? I'll revisit it eventually, some people really like this cigar, I want to see what I'm missing.
Recommend It? Maybe another Vitola, but not the Positano.