All of the individual components of the PieCaken Bakeshop PieCaken, except for one, were fantastic. The problem is, the component that wasn't great is the one that holds the entire dessert together. The cinnamon frosting that covers the entire outside and spaces out the internal components I just did not find appealing and I'm a cinnamon fanatic.
The Oliva Serie O Natural Robusto had a nice start with a nice combination of flavors and transitions. The second third dropped down a level as the baking spice departed and the final third dropped another level as the bitterness joined in. With the low price point, this is an easy try, but it wouldn't be my first choice to revisit in the Oliva portfolio and I wouldn't see myself coming back to this particular line all that often.
The Illusione hl Candela started well, with a nice combination of flavors. The second third dropped a level as the flavor profile wasn't as dynamic as it was in the first third and maintained that level the rest of the way. This is probably one of the best candela offerings on the market, but with that said, it isn't a cigar I would come back to all that frequently.
The Southern Draw Jacobs Ladder The Ascension started well in the first third with rich and detailed flavors. This fell off in the second third as the flavors weren't as dynamic and maintained this level the rest of the way. The cigar just lost steam as it went along, which was a bummer as the profile from the first third had a nice, full body. I don't see this rendition as a step up and would likely go back to the original vitolas in the line before I came back to this one.
Overall, the AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Toro was pretty linear in it's flavor profile until some transitions in the final third. Having reviewed the cigar in the Double Robusto previously, this vitola provided a very similar, average experience. The price point is attractive, so it's an easy try if the blend intrigues you.
The Protocol The Law was pretty on par with the brands single store releases as it shows a nice profile to begin and then falls back to average. I might revisit this to see if a better constructed version has a better showing, but it's not high on my list to do so.
The El Septimo Sacred Arts Collection Da Vinci was enjoyable for the first inch and a half or so, and then after that, it became a bit monotonous. It was very toasted cedar and dry earth focused with none of the other components really adding anything to elevate it. All of the cigars in the series are quite pricey, so I wouldn't see myself coming back to this one, but would be up for trying some of the the offerings.
The Oliva Connecticut Reserve Robusto started well, with a nice combination of flavors, but fell off a bit in the second third as the dry earth joined in and the creaminess departed. It maintained the average profile the rest of the way. This is a nice, milder offering from Oliva. The price point is attractive and is something a wide range of smokers could enjoy.
The United Cigar Series Unidas Cigar Bar Corojo was quite disappointing as the flavor profile was a bit off-putting with the staleness and bitterness. Things got slightly better after the re-light, but nothing that could reverse course for the cigar overall. The cigar burned pretty quickly as well. I just don't think this is the desired outcome of what the cigar was supposed to be. I can't see myself coming back to this one.
The flavor profile of the HVC Serie A Famous Exclusivo was fairly muddled throughout and didn't do anything to really maintain my attention. The cigar was about on par with the Perlas vitola I had reviewed earlier. The price point is attractive, but I just don't see it as a cigar I'd really come back to.