The Esteban Carreras Cashmere Boolit is a solid Connecticut and the pricing makes it very appealing. It is not a Connecticut I would definitely gravitate to if I had options, but I would be happy with selecting this if my options were limited.
The Gurkha San Miguel Toro was an average cigar from start to finish. It produced an AGANORSA flavor that you find with some of the lower end offerings. This wasn't a cigar composed with the best AGANORSA tobacco. It was earthy with some damp wood and pepper spice. Medium-full throughout. Nothing really to write home about and expand on.
In the giant scheme of things, the Davidoff Special 53 Capa Dominicana is a good cigar. The perfecto smokes wonderfully and it produces flavors of cocoa, spices, coffee and wood. As a limited, special, and even Davidoff release, it is justified in saying the cigar is disappointing. I was hoping for a little bit more in the flavor department and that Davidoff could show an even better Dominican puro than they have released in the past.
The AVO Classic Maduro No. 2, while not new, is a great re-release for 2020. The blend is balanced and approachable. Any cigar smoker would enjoy it, it just depends on the time of day. This is a morning and evening maduro in my opinion and a great Connecticut Broadleaf offering from AVO. I loved the cocoa, coffee, cream and cereal notes.
The 601 La Bomba Warhead VI is a really enjoyable figurado and it delivers solid flavors with a nice strength and body level. This is a cigar that will speak to those who are looking for dark and rich flavors with a nice strength and body level. I'm not sure if I would age them, and I say that because I think age will take away from the qualities that make it great now.
The CAO Expedición TAA Exclusive 2020 showed promise in the first third, but as I progressed into the second and final third, I found the flavor profile to remain stagnant and somewhat flat. Overall, if there was more complexity and depth, and some transitioning into the second and final third, this cigar would have done well.
A fantastic cigar, the Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier is made for connoisseurs and yet approachable to novices. The more time you take in focusing on the flavors delivered, the more you will pickup, but if you simply want to smoke a quality cigar and not focus on flavors, this will be perfect and still show quality notes. One of the best, if not best cigars I have smoked and reviewed this year.
The construction was solid, so was the draw, and the appearance was decent as well. I think the first third was average, followed by a terrible second third, but it finished by delivering some redeeming qualities in the end that touched on the highlights of the first third. Definitely a cigar to pick up for election day and to hold onto for at least four years.
I liked the Oscar Valladares Super Fly Connecticut. This is a great Honduran Connecticut wrapper. I thought the cigar was released in a great size and it delivered a solid flavor profile with transitioning taking place throughout. It had a nice body and strength level, construction was great, and priced really well. I would definitely come back to these and recommend them to many.
I really enjoyed the Nat Sherman Timeless 2020 TAA Limited Edition and props to Nat Sherman for releasing two great TAA cigars, back to back. The cigar did a great job of delivering strong earth, spice and stone fruit notes, and the layers of pepper throughout were great as well. Sad to think this is probably the last time I will review a cigar by Nat Sherman.
