The Angel Cuesta Shade Toro is a good cigar. The draw and burn were perfect from start to finish. It doesn’t have a lot of transitioning, but it has a lovely profile and nice bit of depth. It is on the lighter side of the spectrum, but the wrapper helps in gravitating the blend and the presentation. The honey, cedar, cream and tobacco were very good from start to finish, I just wish it had a little more as a cigar.
The Drew Estate Nica Rustica Shade Toro has an enjoyable flavor profile from start to finish that has a nice level of complexity, and while there may not be a lot of transition and depth, the cigar is very affordable. This is a cigar I would come back to in the future, and it is a cigar I would recommend and hand out to many smokers. This is a nostalgic cigar in the sense that it reminds me of cigars I smoked not early on in my cigar smoking experience, but near the beginning. Affordable, good and share worthy.
I enjoyed the Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2. It smoked like a Montecristo and Plasencia, and that is not a bad thing overall. I thought the blend lacked some transitioning, but it has a nice overall complexity and depth. The strength and body paired well with the cigar, and the construction was flawless. Nice flavors of toasted nuts, leather, earth, cream and tobacco. I would love to come back to this cigar, but I struggle with the pricing for the profile.
I liked the Red Meat Lovers Fritanga, and the Red Meat Lovers is a collection that continues to grow on me. I thought it was a fun Broadleaf release out of NACSA, and Saka continues to deliver complex and flavorful blends with that factory. Great pricing on this cigar as well. I would highly recommend to any fan of NACSA, Saka, or someone looking for a medium-full blend that is dark, rich and complex.
The Black Label Trading Co. Eletto Toro was a great stick. Balanced from beginning to end, the cigar was beautiful in appearance and wonderful in terms of flavors delivered. I loved the profile of earth, cocoa, leather, tobacco and spices. The strength and body were never too much, but they were present and pairing perfectly with the flavors. I would come back to this vitola and would love to see how the cigar ages. BLTC is simply on point right now.
The AJ Fernandez New World Decenio Robusto is a nice blend that captures that Mexican and Central American flavor profile. There is a nice cocoa and rich earth profile with some leather, tobacco, herbal and spice notes. There is balance with a nice level of complexity. The construction is perfect from start to finish, and it is an approachable cigar for many smokers. I would be curious to see the tobacco breakdown with this blend. I feel like the filler blend is much more Nicaraguan focused, but the Honduran tobacco has its place.
I love every aspect of the Cachitos Connecticut. I love the flavor profile, strength, price and overall performance. I even love the little dark circle on the cap. I don’t know what that is all about, but I dig it. It’s a quick smoke, but that is great for this time of the year. There is a nice bit of strength and body with this Connecticut wrapper, and the filler tobacco compliments the traits of Connecticut Shade. Cream, cedar, cocoa, spices and earth throughout. I really hope these stay consistent over the years.
I really enjoyed the My Father Blue Robusto, and it is a blend I have returned to many times since released. It is a balanced blend, and I love how the Honduran tobacco smokes with the CT Broadleaf wrapper. My Father does so much with Nicaraguan tobacco that it is interesting to see how they blend with Honduran tobacco while also using a wrapper they know how to use very well. Lovely Connecticut Broadleaf, fun new release when looking at the blend and who produced the cigar, and a nice addition for My Father.
The Broncano Classic Silver Toro is a solid cigar that would be on a whole other level if the second third was the profile throughout. It took some time for the cigar to take off, and unfortunately it had a slight downhill in the final third, but the middle portion was very enjoyable. It’s a cigar I would come back to, and one of the better Mexican San Andres releases I have had recently. I am a fan of the Broncano brand so far, and I look forward to their next release.
The CAO FASA Sombra Toro was not a bad cigar, but it was lacking. The flavor profile never took off, and I felt it was underwhelming for a modern Connecticut. I think it’s a cigar that a lot of new smokers could smoke, nice introductory cigar, but at the same time not a brand or line that is going to speak to those smokers. I don’t see retailers pushing this cigar. I also don’t know many CAO smokers that are going to go out and grab this cigar.
