The LaVega Il Cane never quite finds the balance suggested by its initial combination of sweet tobacco and baking spices. There are moments of interest, particularly when the baking spices and tobacco sweetness are working together through the first third, but those moments are increasingly overwhelmed by dry, tannic wood as the cigar progresses.
This Villiger 1888 San Andrés Toro was a good one to sit back with while enjoying some fall football (best time of the year). While the flavors weren't all that complex, it sang beautifully and kept the engagement for the vast majority of the cigar. It's also a nice bonus to have a heftier body, which enhances the flavors of the cigar.
Wonderful sweet and creamy nuttiness up front but the staleness in cedar wood was too impactful and disappointing. Without that, this OZ Maracana Robusto would have been a great desert like cigar with all the sweetness and coffee tones. A pass for me.
The Joya de Nicaragua Joya Red White & Blue offers a solid progression of sweet tobacco, bread, wood, baking spices and earth, but the profile gradually becomes more dominated by tannic wood and increasingly aggressive spices. The excellent construction helps the cigar considerably, but the increasingly tannic and spice-driven character keeps the overall experience in the Average range.
In the end, the Room101 Namakubi Chingon is a cigar that shows flashes of richness and complexity, particularly early, but ultimately settles into a more average experience as it progresses.
While I enjoyed the texture and density of the profile, there wasn't enough fullness in flavors to make it worthwhile. For a cigar to be fuller bodied, it's especially disappointing when the flavors don't match up to it. The Rocky Patel Sapphire Toro is for sure a pass for me.
The AVO Expresivo Robusto is a tasty cigar that has the major factors of a good cigar covered (sweetness, spice, earthiness). The overall good flavors were paired well with an oily/buttery mouthfeel that kept me engaged throughout the entire cigar. Would love to revisit.
Overall, the Powstanie Sumatra Grand Robusto is a cigar that peaks early and then settles into a more restrained and consistent middle before losing some of its balance toward the end. Even with that decline, the cigar delivers enough complexity and balance across the first two thirds to earn a Good overall rating.
Where the cigar started and where the cigar finished was very far apart, and it's hard to find commonality in the flavor profile in those two thirds. Ultimately, the Casa Carrillo Deep Blue Limited Edition 2026 was an underwhelming experience that landed right in the Average category.
Overall, the CAO Surplus Shade Robusto had a solid start with some enjoyable sweetness, creaminess and a touch of chocolate that provided the most interesting part of the smoking experience. Unfortunately, the profile became progressively simpler as the review continued, eventually settling into a largely wood-driven experience without much additional development. For a budget cigar, this offering punches well outside of its price class.