This Foundation Olmec Maduro Double Corona was a pleasure to smoke. The medium-full viscosity complimented the darker flavors of dry cocoa, light cream, cedar, subtle dried red pepper spice and leather very well. Compound that by AJ's world class perfection in burn and draw and you got yourself a winner.
My experience reviewing the Foundation Olmec Claro Double Corona was an overall average flavor experience, with the most complex and engaging combinations coming in the first third. The second and last thirds were too light and not at all engaging. I felt as if I smoked the wrong size for this blend, and although I can't see myself returning to the Double Corona, I'll be giving this a shot in a different vitola.
The Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Mi Querida Black SakaKhan was overall a good tasting experience filled with what makes Connecticut Broadleaf so good (chewy, dank, earthy). The profile was consistent without many twists and turns, but that honestly didn't matter because the core flavors were so enjoyable.
Going into the review of the Hoyo de Monterrey The Illusione of Excalibur No. 1 was a bit intimidating given it's large size and ring gauge. Fortunately, the flavor balance found the right point between engaging flavors without being palate fatiguing, which is challenging on a larger cigar. The first third and the second thirds were the most engaging, with the last third being pleasant, but not quite as complex as the rest of the cigar.
Overall, the Punch Aniversario Double Corona was pretty average with a fairly basic flavor profile. The price point is a bit high, but if you enjoy the flavor profile, you get a lengthy smoking experience, so there may be some value there. For me, it was a bit too boring and I don't see coming back to the cigar.
The Atabey Corona Cigar 25th Anniversary, for the vast majority of the time, had a wonderful, full flavor experience that ranged from sweet and pastry like to earthy and spice. I certainly don't think it's worth the commanding price point of $34, but I can see myself smoking one here and there on rare special occasions.
A rare and might I say "unicorn" of a cigar personally made for the Cubariqueño guys has a lot of clout. After smoking the Cubariqueño Protocol Double Corona, the expectations didn't quite match up, but what I can definitively say is, it is a good cigar. The only thing that it falls short on is not having that complexity build up and transitions I was seeking.
While I remember enjoying the original Entubar, I don't recall the flavor profile. In the instance of the new Berger & Argenti Entubar Double Corona, the profile's first third was great, but led to a mundane average profile within the remaining two thirds. I think this cigar will do better with a thinner ring gauge and shorter length, which I will track down in the hopes of remembering the good old times.