The Joya de Nicaragua Clásico Original Torpedo had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around the toasted cedar and earth, with black pepper being the primary supporting note. This is a fairly typical Connecticut shade offering and doesn't really stand out from the pack. The price is attractive, but it's not high on my list to revisit.
The A Bronx Tale had an average flavor profile throughout. The cinnamon graham cracker was nice at the beginning, but didn't last long. Overall, it seems like a cigar that would be approachable to many, which makes sense based on the brand and the market it targets, but for me, it isn't something I'd see coming back to.
The CAO FASA Noche Toro had a nice start as the chalky cocoa provided a pleasant accent. As it departed in the second third, the profile took a step down and remained that way for the remainder of the cigar. This cigar had a profile that showed through some of the homogenized flavors that were present and typical of STG releases that I experience. Around the middle of the cigar, the profile succumbed to the homogenized components, but I think there is still a good flavor profile hidden in there.
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 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 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.
The Lure Habano The Tally Allie had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. None of it really came together to provide an intriguing profile and the construction issues put a damper on it as a whole. I wouldn't see coming back to this cigar, but the company already has a large portfolio that I'm interested to explore.
The Crowned Heads Moose Kick Limited Edition 2024 impressed me with balanced and complex flavor combinations that kept my interest through the review process. Often times, regional cigar releases can fall flat but Crowned Heads has delivered a winner here. Those outside of the Canadian cigar market might think the price point is high, but it is in the correct range for premium cigars on the shelf, after taxes. Obviously it would be great if I could get my hands on these at the US pricing, but I'm still going to seek out a few more of these while they are still available.
Looking at the five Cojonú 2012 offerings, I would place this Tatuaje Cojonú 2012 Corojo in third behind the current Habano and Reserva offering. If you went back to 2012, I would have this behind the Capa Especial offering as well. It’s softer than the Habano and Reserva offerings while also capturing those Corojo qualities of dry earth, spices, seasoned wood and leather notes. I was hoping for a little more transitioning with the cigar, and complexities, but it was a solid smoke overall.
The Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Vintage 1960’s Sophisticated Hooker is significantly better than the Short Story offering. The cigar can grow and show complexities and transitioning. There was depth with the cigar, and a nice overall flavor profile from beginning to end. The burn was not perfect, but there were little problems and the draw was great. I loved the salted wood, dark cocoa, coffee, cream and barnyard notes.