The Rocky Patel Disciple Bala delivers quite the visual spectacle for the pre-light, and there is a time through the first third where the cigar shows promise, unfortunately the dark and earthy nature of the profile just becomes palate fatiguing for the remainder of the review. Although I do really enjoy full bodied cigars, the Bala seemed to provide strength at the expense of flavor complexity.
I really enjoyed the JRE Aladino Corojo Reserva Figurado. It is a great blend that produces lovely flavors from beginning to end. Wonderful balance and nice strength and body. For those of you who hate large ring gauges, you will not mind the larger ring gauge with the Toro or the Figurado. It is a line, that when it's in the right vitola, produces an amazing Honduran puro.
Overall, the God of Fire Aniversario 56 was a pleasant experience along with very good construction. While I could see coming back to this cigar from time to time, the high price point puts a bit of a damper on that. Releases like this are fun to experience, but as is the case here, show that they are ones that are usually worth it once, but not on a regularly recurring basis.
Overall, the Oliva Serie V Melanio Maduro Figurado 2020 is a good cigar. It is a nice Oliva and a solid Mexican San Andres offering. I don't think I would go crazy over the release, and I know Oliva has released better annual offerings, but a good cigar. Nice balance and flavors throughout.
The 601 La Bomba Warhead VI is a really enjoyable figurado and it delivers solid flavors with a nice strength and body level. This is a cigar that will speak to those who are looking for dark and rich flavors with a nice strength and body level. I'm not sure if I would age them, and I say that because I think age will take away from the qualities that make it great now.
The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Decadas Diadema is a crowning achievement release from Joya de Nicaragua. Previously, the Cuatro Cinco was my favorite release they had produced. This cigar ticks every flavor box I enjoy, and is fantastically balanced. I look forward to comparing the Diadema to the El General.
I have smoked a handful of these and every one gets better. The Davidoff Diademas Finas Limited Edition 50th Anniversary had depth, complexity and transitioning, and when you have that you can't ask for much more. This is truly an example of a great cigar. This is what you want in a cigar.
The reduction of the ring gauge as the RoMa Craft CRAFT 2018 went along definitely took me through a journey of flavor concentration. I felt like the second third was the best representation of flavors as it combined the best of the wood, mustiness, earthiness and vegetal notes.
I was not impressed with the Camacho Liberty 2005 Throwback. It lacked a flavor profile that showed balance and diversity. While there was some transitioning from when the ring gauge increased and decreased, it did not deliver a complex flavor profile that could have flourished with the changes of the ring gauge from start to finish.
I find it great that a little 4 x 44 petite cigar, like this Saga Short Tales Tomo IV L.O.V., can have so many flavors. It's a shame there aren't many petite cigars in the market place, let alone ones that have this much flavor. Take it slow with this cigar and you'll be rewarded with a great, short and flavored experience.