Artie 92 – This large toro doesn’t look like much. It presents rather generic with a simple cap, a foot that seems layered rather than bunched, and a wrapper that is pale brown. Very little cold nose with this one. However, it does feel ultra-smooth to the touch and shows no veins at all. Let’s cut the cap and see what happens…Okay, lots of thick stems are visible once the cap is removed, but the draw is wide open. Lighting is easy and this cigar burns quickly. The ash is perfectly cylindrical, and the burn, an inch in, is spot on. So far, this cigar reminds me of a Cuban H. Upmann Magnum. Subtle flavors of honey bathe the tongue, and the low nicotine levels makes this a very mild stick…so far. Halfway through, the flavors increase with a nice cinnamon, monkey bread like flavor. The burn is perfect and the combustion is so good, this cigar doesn’t want to go out. But the ash gets flakey and is making a mess of my desk. As I approach the nub, notes of leather and the tingle of mint hit the tongue. This is my first cigar in a few days, and the subtle flavor of this stick is quite enjoyable. But if this were smoked after a stronger stick, I might have thought it lacking in flavor. This would make a stellar morning cigar to smoke with a cup of coffee.
Paul 86 – Medium brown wrapper, lots of mottling, prominent veins, no soft spots, light tobacco aroma, oily wrapper, dark fruit, sweet raisins, good cold draw. First 1/3: Malt, toasted tobacco, cream, medium amount of thin smoke, medium gray ash with black striations, medium strength and body, short finish, sharp retrohale, uneven burn. Second 1/3: Oak and malt, scalloped burn, thin smoke. Last 1/3: Tannins, flavors fade.
Will 86 – Big 6 X 52 toro with a lovely milk chocolate colored wrapper, however the stick was lumpy. The cold nose was black pepper and barnyard with one sneeze, cold draw was hickory and leather. Lots of smoke upon ignition and the initial flavor was salty leather with a Cornuts finish. As I smoked I got lemon zest on the finish, solid burn but the ash flaked off. About 10 minutes in the flavor ramped up a bit to include roasted cashews with the same citrus finish. Lots of smoke from this stick. I like it, good stick if its in the $6 category? Not very complex but solid, good golf course or watering the back 40 smoke. No wow factor and box worthy really depends on price.
Jim 83 – Medium brown in color, you can distinctly see the veins in the tobacco leaves of this toro’s wrapper. Initial draw was a bit harsh with a strong forward taste of peppery spice. I let it sit a bit to warm up and then with the next few draws it really balanced out, developing a more creamy profile while the spice mellowed out to the back end. The flavors are smooth and creamy with a slight sweetness added by a nutty flavor like cashews with a cedar finish. Burn has been very straight and draw is really good. Medium strength at best. Flavors are shifting as I pass the 1/3 mark. Leather and spice is becoming more dominate and creaminess is going away. Wrapper is cracking and lifting, although this may have been storage issue. I feel this cigar had some promise at times but really was average at best. I really wanted more out of it that never developed.
Rob 88 – Nicely rustic wrapped stick. A bit lumpy, but not distracting due to tight, invisible seams. The stick seems well packed. Smoke output is reasonable, and the flavor has a nutty, almost slightly sweet texture and taste to it. I was a bit surprised that the speed of the burn was faster than I expected, but the sweet nuttiness seemed to follow the entire way down the cigar. I did not find any bitterness nor off aromas to the stick.
