This Leaf by Oscar Broadleaf Limited Edition 2025 is a quality Connecticut Broadleaf and is worthy of the limited edition marking. There's nothing bad about the flavor profile as it gave me a nice array of sweetness, spice and rich earthiness. The only thing that I wish for is a consistent up tick in the body to further highlight the earthiness of the cigar. Will smoke this again for sure.
I found the Tatuaje PJ 50th Toro Especial to be a good representation of Tatuaje but a deviation of the typical brand. The flavors showed both richness, depth and cohesiveness without being aggressive (sort of like the wisdom and knowledge you get being older). While I hate the ridiculous price point, I need to give props to the tasty smoking experience. Someone please buy me more.
The Macanudo Emissary France Robusto offers a visually distinctive presentation and a well-behaved construction, backed by a very good burn and a moderately firm draw that eased up with time. Overall, it’s a solid offering with a balanced start and a consistent, if subdued, finish, ideal for those who appreciate a measured evolution and traditional earth-forward flavors.
The Deadwood Dominicana Robusto had a nice start with a good combination of flavors and a sweetness that wasn't too overpowering. The sweetness mellowed as the cigar went along and the profile dropped a level in the second third as the pepper waned. The profile remained at average for the rest of the cigar. I'd really like to smoke this without the sweetened cap just to get a feel for the tobacco profile on its own, but as it sits, it's likely not a cigar that I'd return to.
The Viso Horny 555 had a nice start with a good combination of flavors. It took a step down in the second third as the cocoa departed and remained that way for the duration of the cigar. Overall, a pretty average offering as I was hoping the cocoa powder could have stuck around longer. The price point is fairly high, which is understandable due to the low volume of production, but I just don't see myself really coming back to this cigar.
The Gellis Absolutos Corona Gorda had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around the toasted cedar and black pepper. The walnut note was nice, but couldn't push through the core components to elevate the profile. If you're a toasted cedar and black pepper fan, this would be a good cigar to try, but the balance just wasn't there to want to make me come back to this one.
I really enjoyed the Davidoff Escurio 10th Anniversary Limited Edition, and this is my favorite vitola ahead of the Corona Gorda. The cigar was complex and balanced throughout. The body and strength paired well with the flavors, and it kept my interest from beginning to end despite the larger size. The musty barnyard, earth, sweet spices and creamy aspects were great throughout, and they were a good base for the additional flavors throughout of coffee, nuts and sweet currants.
The Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul is a lovely cigar and a fantastic addition to the Serie M portfolio. The Dominican Corojo wrapper balances out the Nicaraguan tobacco, and produces a nice flavor profile of warm spices, leather, tobacco and wood. The blend really takes the brand in a different direction while also delivering a premium cigar experience. It has that premium Dominican Cohiba quality, which is what the brand needs. It’s a cigar that smokes great right now but will also age wonderfully.
The Diesel Vintage Series Robusto Gordo started with a nice profile as the mellow cocoa note provided a welcome support note. Once that dropped out in the second third, the profile took a step down and remained that way the rest of the way. This blend is pretty on par with the Natural version of the line and these two cigars are probably my favorites from Diesel. But even with that being said, they aren't good enough to really make me want to come back to them. The price is great, so they are easy to try though to see what you think.
This Connecticut Broadleaf is a sleeper and should not be missed by anyone. It really has it all: chewy full flavors that make you want to take another draw as soon as you take one. The only thing I wish was it wasn't as pricey, as other Connecticut Broadleafs can be found for cheaper with similar experience. But even with that said, I would take these Aging Room La Bohéme Poeta all day every day.