The Powstanie San Andrés Toro delivered nuanced, complex and layered flavors through most of the review experience, really highlighting some of the best characteristics of Mexican San Andrés tobacco. The construction was on point with a perfect burn and draw. While the price point is slightly above average for the 2025 market, I'm happy to seek these out for what I got out of it.
I enjoyed the Broncano Classic Royal Blue Toro. I thought it was a balanced blend that delivered great Dominican flavors. There was a nice core flavor profile with some minor transitioning throughout. The flavors of sweet spices, earth, cocoa and cedar are classic flavors, and with the tobacco qualities present as well, it led to great experiences in each third. Solid construction was present with the cigar as well, and that is always a plus.
I’ve smoked the Davidoff Royal Release Robusto and Salomones before, but it was great to smoke an unbanded Robusto from 2014. You could tell that there was age on the cigar, but even with over ten years of age, the cigar still had flavors, body and strength. The cigar showed nice transitioning throughout and delivered a solid flavor profile. The coconut shaving flavor present throughout was great, and I liked the rise in strength and body with more pepper and earth notes as the cigar progressed.
The Black Label Trading Co. Super Deluxe 2025 Petite Corona is a fantastic cigar. The cigar has a great flavor profile, a nice body and strength level, and is finished with wonderful construction. The flavors of cocoa, warm spices and rich earth pair well with one another, and while there is not a lot of transitioning, it does what a petit corona should do. It delivers a great core flavor profile that is present throughout. I would try the other vitolas in the brand, but this petite corona is box worthy.
I thought the E.P. Carrillo Endure Robusto delivered nuanced and layered flavor combinations through the first third. The remainder of the cigar was still pleasant, but not quite to the same level of engagement as it started out. I'm a bit on the fence with this offering. I think if the second third had delivered flavors at the same level as it started out, this would be an easy choice to return.
The J. London Gold Series Lonsdale had a nice flavor profile through the first two thirds. It offered a bit of a bolder strength level and a nice combination of flavors. It took a step down in the final third as the creaminess and coffee was mellow and some wood bitterness joined in. I was pretty impressed with this offering. I love the size, and a bolder Connecticut shade is nice to find. I'd come back to this cigar and am interested in trying another vitola.
The Davidoff Winston Churchill Limited Edition 2025 The Artist had a nice start, with a good combination of flavors, but fell off in the second half as the cigar struggled to stay lit and needed some re-lights. The cigar seemed damp in the second half. It may need more time to truly acclimate and provide the flavor profile intended, but for this price point I would have expected a better experience.
The Gellis Piece Unique had a nice profile through the first two thirds with a good combination of flavors and balance. The final third took a step down as some of the components increased and it lost its balance. It's been a while since I've had an enjoyable experience from both Gellis/Warped and La Isla, so it was nice to see it all come together. The price point is quite high, but for an occasional cigar, this might be one to splurge on.
The Diamond Crown Julius Caeser Troublemaker had an average flavor profile throughout. The cigar had a very young/green oak note at it's thickest ring gauge, but exhibited less of that when it was thinner. This isn't the best expression of the line for me and I wouldn't see myself coming back to it.
If I were to dissect the Villiger Cuéllar Caribe Robusto into compartmentalized flavors, I love the flavors of buttery sweetness, mixed fruit gum candy and baking spices. But factoring in all the flavors and textures as a whole, it misses the mark. The overwhelming mouth caking of stale leather and cedar is not enjoyable and does the good flavors a disservice. I'll pass on this blend.