The Perla del Mar Natural Perla G is a reliably good Ecuadorian Shade offering. After smoking two of these, I'm happy to say that I'd enjoy smoking these on a regular basis, especially when you factor in the price point. The flavor profile managed to balance complexity, while keeping the overall strength in the range of a typical Shade experience.
The AVO Improvisation LE 2020 has a really nice start, delivering some lovely cream, earth, coffee and raisin notes, but the changes that take place in the second and final thirds really take away from the beginning. Not a bad release, but far from the best AVO and not limited edition quality in my opinion.
When I see a near $3 mixed short filler cigar, my main question is if it's worth the money based on taste and technical performance. The answer is a resounding yes. The Quorum Maduro Toro is one of the better cheap cigars I've had. Price aside, if I now ask whether the cigar was an overall good cigar, the answer is not quite. But given the performance based on price, for sure a recommend.
The Drew Estate Undercrown Shade Corona Pequeña definitely fits the bill for a quick 30-40 minute cigar that gets the job done. The flavors between spice and sweet citrus were in good balance and lasted just long enough for me to either be satisfied or entertain lighting up another one.
The Lords of England Connecticut No. 3 Churchill started with a nice profile but once the sweetness left and dry earth joined in, it knocked the profile down to average the rest of the way. With a profile this linear, I would prefer it in a shorter vitola rather than such a lengthy smoking experience. This vitola isn't something I'd likely return to, but I would be interested in revisiting this in the Robusto to see what the overall profile would be like. Might be interesting paired with some coffee.
Smoking the Drew Estate Undercrown Maduro Corona Pequeña has resurrected my interest in the brand, and I will definitely be smoking some of the original vitolas the next time I go to the shop. This is a terrific small cigar and great for when you don't have much smoking time. There is a lot of flavor in the cigar and the second third is magnificent.
The Warzone Robusto is a very good cigar and a great release for Espinosa and General Cigar. I think it shows the talent in the blending for Espinosa and what they could do with more tobacco in their hands. I have always said that I would love to see the company release something very different, and this is it. For General, this is one of the best cigars they have been involved in for some time.
The Cuesta-Rey Centro Fino Sungrown No. 60 had a nice start with some complexity and then the second third saw a bit of a drop as some flavors left the profile. This was my first time smoking anything from this line and it was a nice experience. Not something I'll go to frequently, but when the opportunity arises, I wouldn't shy away from smoking it again.
The Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder Brimstone is a nice offering in the line, but I don't feel it reaches or goes beyond the previous iterations. The profile is dark and strong, but the dryness just took away from the overall enjoyment. For fans of the brand and the line, it's a definite try, but for my preference, I'll go with one of the previous versions.
The ACID Kuba Arte is a solid offering and a nicely infused cigar from ACID. It is probably my favorite offering ever from ACID, and it is a blend that is good, but taken to a higher level with the infusion. The infusion is not over the top, but shows some natural qualities in the smoking experience.
