It is incredible what a different vitola can do for a cigar. Well, it is incredible what a ring gauge can do for a cigar. This is a blend that excels with a smaller ring gauge and stronger wrapper presence. The JRE Aladino Habano Vintage Selection Elegante was balanced throughout, but it had depth and complexity. Great burn and draw as well.
While the Camacho Factory Unleashed does not smoke like a Camacho, it does show some qualities of blends coming out of their Honduran factory. You can get the Honduran, Dominican, Nicaraguan and Ecuadorian tobacco flavors. Good cigar, though not quite sure it does well as a Camacho. It’s not really a Camacho, AVO or Davidoff.
I really enjoyed the JRE Aladino Corojo Reserva Figurado. It is a great blend that produces lovely flavors from beginning to end. Wonderful balance and nice strength and body. For those of you who hate large ring gauges, you will not mind the larger ring gauge with the Toro or the Figurado. It is a line, that when it's in the right vitola, produces an amazing Honduran puro.
After smoking the Zino Nicaragua Robusto, I was let down. The flavors by themselves were easy going and honestly quite enjoyable. But the major factor of how dry my palate felt was the stand-alone disappointment for me. I'd pass on this one and focus on the sea of other great ones out there.
The cigar was average throughout and started with a cedar and black pepper focused profile. This is a long standing line, but I feel that it has waned the last few years. With the experience I had, paired with the high price point, I really don't see coming back to the Camacho Liberty 2020.
The JRE Aladino Cameroon Elegante was a good cigar throughout, with perfect burn and construction. The natural comparison will be with the Lonsdale release last year, and while the Elegante was enjoyable, it did lack the layers of complexity that the Lonsdale release delivered.
The Alec & Bradley Kintsugi Robusto was an overall average tasting experience. The overall feel was, there's nothing off-putting about the cigar and technically (burn and draw), it performed well. But I wanted more than an average array of flavors of cedar, hay and nuts. I wanted fuller flavors in spice, earth and sweetness.
This C.L.E. 25th Anniversary 11/18 TAA turned out to be a bit of a bright spot in another year of disappointing TAA releases. The price point is high on this cigar, but I think is worth it for the occasional enjoyment. I'd smoke another, in hopes of a better burn, and it's a nice addition to the C.L.E. portfolio.
The JRE Aladino Maduro Corona started with an average profile and remained that way until the final third when the heavy char knocked things down some. If you're a fan of charred wood and heavy black pepper, you'll find something you like here. I just felt it was too much and didn't provide an enjoyable version of those components.
The Camacho Nicaragua Robusto showcases some of the better flavor components from Nicaraguan tobacco. Rather than overpower you with spice and pepper, the cigar offers up baking spices, creaminess and sweetness that kept me engaged throughout the review experience. I will still continue to smoke these when I have the opportunity.