Being a cigar reviewer, I love experiences like this. An experience in which I don't know anything about the brand, the blender, the cigar factory. I love it even more when the experience turns out great, like in the case of the Fuerte y Libre Sun Country Corona. This was a great Connecticut shade, giving full flavors of all the major spectrums without being overly bitter. Nice!
The LCA Reserva Vintage 2021 had a nice start with a good combination of flavors and low strength. The second third walked the line of good/average but finished average due to the bitterness and maintained that level the rest of the way. If the cigar could have just dodged the wood bitterness, it could have been good throughout. Not sure if some time might help to alleviate that.
The Davidoff Grand Cru No. 3 is the perfect example of the White Label experience as it provides a straight forward, flavorful experience with a low strength level. The line is pricey, but it delivers on flavor and construction, so it is definitely worthwhile. I'd have no problem smoking more of these.
Initially when planning to review this cigar, the Fonseca by My Father Cosacos was the one I was the most interested in, but in smoking this and the Cedros, I found the Cedros to perform better. I don't see myself coming back to this vitola, but might be interested in checking out others to see if they perform more like the Cedros or if there is an even better vitola in the line.
The JRE Aladino Maduro Corona started with an average profile and remained that way until the final third when the heavy char knocked things down some. If you're a fan of charred wood and heavy black pepper, you'll find something you like here. I just felt it was too much and didn't provide an enjoyable version of those components.
I never had the chance to smoke the original Year of the Rat, but honestly it doesn't really matter because this Drew Estate Liga Privada Unico Year of the Rat 2020 was great. Therefore, I don't feel like I necessarily missed out on the original. The want to chain smoke these is high and I look forward to the next one.
I really enjoyed the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Selección No. 1 and my score reflects that. I really got behind the flavor profile and it did more than keep my interest from beginning to end. On top of that, there was a great body and strength level with the cigar. The construction was on point and the wrapper and presentation were great.
I really enjoyed the Fratello Classico Corona. The flavors are balanced and nuanced throughout the smoking experience, highlighting the best of what a corona vitola has to offer.
The price point is quite attractive for this line and for those that find they like this, could be something they smoke often. For the Southern Draw 300 Hands Connecticut Coloniales, it's probably not something I'd be in a hurry to revisit, but like I mentioned, it's intrigued me enough to see if a different vitola provides more of what I'm looking for.
Like the majority of HVC's offerings, the HVC Serie A Perlas is yet another good example of a solid cigar. The use of quality Aganorsa tobacco honestly speaks for itself. The flavors of sweet buttered bread, nuts, fresh red pepper spice, barnyard, cedar and tannins were great, especially within the first third in which the profile was direct and focused.