The Don Emmanuel Anunnaki Anu delivers a solid but ultimately average experience. It offers a smooth, balanced start but gradually transitions into a more wood-driven and less dynamic profile. It’s an easygoing cigar that doesn’t challenge the palate, but it also doesn’t quite deliver the evolution needed to stand out.
This Eladio Diaz La Diana Biloria is a winner. Layered, nuanced, just a good cigar. And it's eleven bucks?! Unbelievably superb! I recommend everyone to try this and taste the modern "budget" cigar that slaps (as the kids would say).
So there's only good things about this cigar, regardless of my average tasting experience. The good things are: 1) It tastes like AJ so for the plethora fans out there, winner winner. 2) It's only $9 for a Robusto extra-ish. Chicken dinner. With all that said though, the AJ Fernandez Enclave by Eladio Diaz Robusto isn't for me.
I struggle with this Eladio Diaz 71 Aniversario because it focuses on strength over flavors for the majority of the cigar. The combination of nicotine hits to my body mixed with a subpar flavor array of minerals and cedar made me want to gut through the cigar as fast as possible. I will not be interested in more of this blend.
The J. London Mr. London The Introduction Super Robusto had a nice start, with a nice combination of flavors and balance. The balance shifted in the second third and dropped a level as the earth picked up and the cigar maintained that level the rest of the way. This was a nice introduction to this new series and I'm interested to see future iterations, but this cigar didn't really do enough to make me want to seek it out with any real frequency.
This Eladio Diaz Before & After Pasion might be the best release from Eladio Diaz since his departure with Davidoff. It's a Dominican focused blend, but it receives some help from that Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper. The price is a little bit higher than I would like with a cigar like this, but that is where most cigars of this caliber are today. I would definitely come back to this blend, but would have preferred a smaller vitola.
The Hooten Young Operation Gothic Serpent 30th Anniversary had some interesting herbal tobacco combinations in the first third that kept me engaged. The second third was still pleasant, but wasn't as dynamic and that continued through the last third. This is my first experience with Hooten Young, and while it was pleasant enough, it didn't do quite enough for me to want to return to this release.
Words I used like balanced and nuanced are positive indicators of a good cigar. However, when these words are paired with light flavors, then it becomes not as good. If the flavors were fuller like the second third, the smoking experience would be entirely different. But as is, the thin flavors created an overall lackluster smoking experience with the SP1014 Black 6x54, in which I will pass on in the future.
$26.00 is a little high for a cigar of this offering, but the Freud AlterEgo Robusto is an enjoyable blend. The first two thirds were really enjoyable, and I think if the final third had kept that going I would have been impressed. I do think the packaging hurts the overall cigar, but some would say I am a curmudgeon in that field. It was not over the top in terms of the Mexican wrapper flavors.
A delicious cigar through and through. At first glance, given the loud (and slightly obnoxious) massive cigar band, I scoffed at the Freud Agape. But after smoking it, this was one of the most flavorful and balanced cigars that I have had in quite some time. Fans of especially Davidoff and Kelner Boutique Factory made cigars should not pass this up.