The Oliva Serie O Maduro Robusto didn't start all that great with some staleness and carboard, but things came together in the second third with a nice combination of flavors, but then waned in the final half of the cigar. Not a bad offering, but not all that exciting either. This is a step above the Natural offering in the line, but I'm not sure I'd see myself coming back to it with any frequency.
This Casa 1910 Soldadera Edition Sampetrina was a nice Robusto and a solid Connecticut. I would say that it rode the Average/Good line in every category, but it continued to deliver so I had to go with Good overall. I would definitely smoke the cigar again, but at the price I wouldn't pick up a handful of them. Nice profile of cedar, hay, earth and cream.
This Punch Golden Era Robusto is by far one of the best non-Cuban Punch I have ever had. The interplay of creamed cherries, effervescence and Hawaiian sweet bread was enjoyable every single puff. And for an MSRP of $9.99 per cigar, this is no doubt a box buy.
This Cohiba Riviera Robusto is the first Cohiba that's not made at El Titan de Bronze that is well worth it. Even though it's Mexican San Andres, it kind of smokes like a quality Connecticut broadleaf without the heavier chewiness. The price is a bit steep for what it is, but since I care most about flavors, I'm all in on this one.
The Micallef Black Robusto had a nice start with a dynamic flavor profile. Things mellowed in the second third and dropped a level and maintained that profile the rest of the way. This is an interesting offering from the brand at a lower price point. While I found the cigar OK, it's not something I'd see myself returning to all that often, but I'm interested in trying the Toro vitola.
It's been a while since I've had a cigar open so great and turn into an average dud. The first third did such a great job of balancing varying spectrums of flavors, but by the time the second third started, the profile became uneventful. I'd love to smoke more of these to gauge if the first third goodness can hold on longer. But given this singular cigar review of the Ozgener Aramas A52, it's a pass.
The Jas Sum Kral Munchies Bananas Foster was pleasant throughout, with the most dynamic flavors coming in the first third. I was hoping for a more intense banana flavor like the intensity from the Munchies Rocky Road. Although this is probably not something I would return to, I appreciate that the flavors are natural and don't have an artificial sweetness or chemical nature to them.
The Aganorsa Leaf Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro Robusto started out with some dynamic flavor combinations. By the second third, the profile was pleasant but linear, and that carried through the last third as well. While the price point on this cigar is quite reasonable for the market, there isn't anything here that's compelling for me that I'd choose over the other Aganorsa offerings.
The Matilde Serena Maduro Robusto delivered balanced, restrained and engaging flavor combinations through the entire review. The draw and burn were both flawless. Given the flavor profile of this cigar, and then you factor in the price, this might be my value priced cigar of the year by a wide margin. I would happily smoke these again.
The Xhaxhi Bobi Black El Ingeniero provided consistently good, albeit softer flavor combinations through the entire review experience. Each third offered different combinations which kept my palate interested and looking for the cigar to continue. I enjoyed my review of the Xhaxhi Bobi Black El Ingeniero and was already looking forward to trying another when I saw the price point. At this price point, these are an absolute no brainer.