This Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Muestra de Saka The Bewitched was one of the most balanced and composed Saka blends that I've had. Each flavor blended well without ever being spikey (sans the final third). Even saying this, the cigar did showcase what I find in many of Saka's blends, (earthiness, good body and depth). I'll gladly smoke more of these.
The Alec Bradley Fine & Rare BC-(13)4EV is a winner in my book. The profile showed good depth, balance, and composure. With just the right mix of spice, earth and sweetness, this is one I'd smoke again. And call me crazy, because I actually think the higher premium of $24 per cigar isn't too high, considering the price hike of the average cigar nowadays. Nicely done.
Having smoked (I think) three iterations of Sin Compromiso, one main theme is clearly evident. The mouthfeel of tannins is superb. The flavors are overall on point too, providing a finer earthiness of cocoa, cedar, minerals and dry red pepper spice. The price point of the Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sin Compromiso Selección Paladin de Saka is tough to swallow though.
I never smoked the original so I can't say how it compares, but this CAO Vision was a fairly average experience overall. I can see it appealing to a wide range of smokers that gravitate to this basic type of profile, but I need something more to maintain my attention. With the experience I had, combined with the high price point, I don't really see myself returning to this cigar.
If it isn't obvious from the name, the 601 La Bomba Warhead VII is a full flavored, full strength cigar, but the blend of the VII release manages to ramp up to that instead of blasting you on your first few puffs. I found the flavors to be engaging and at times nuanced through the first and second thirds. There's no question, I will return to the La Bomba Warhead VII again.
For being high priced at $39 and especially bearing the Davidoff brand name, the Davidoff Chefs Edition 2021 was a disappointment. The astringent leather stayed on my palate hours after smoking the cigar. Not even food helped the matter. I know Davidoff can and should do better than this. I will not be back for more.
Granted, I haven't consistently kept up with the Camacho Liberty Series (especially the newer releases), I never had this type of lackluster experience. And being completely honest, this Camacho Liberty 2021 borderlines being average and subpar. The mixture of flavors were odd and unbalanced being oddly bitter and leathery dry vegetation driven with minerals and cedar.
A baller look and an overall tasty profile. I'm typically not all that excited for such a long smoking experience, as it tends to be monotonous. But, the J.C. Newman The American President showed composure throughout the vast majority of the smoking experience. Bold statement, but I think this may be worth the $20.
The A.C.E. Prime Luciano The Traveler had a nice start, but dropped down to average in the second third and maintained that level of enjoyment the rest of the way. The price point for this cigar is quite high and with the flavor experience I had, I'm not sure I see myself coming back to this one.
The Crowned Heads Mil Días Escogidos Edición Limitada 2021 tasted almost like a great finesse style of cigar. Based on the first third, it felt like a cigar made with attention to details in nuance and complexities. But for most of the smoking experience, the harsh bite in metallic notes basically killed it. I am curious to revisit this cigar in a few months to see if the harshness subsides, in which if it does, it'll be a hell of a cigar.