The Macanudo Inspirado Brazilian Shade Toro was a fun cigar with a nice flavor profile. Not overly complex, it was balanced throughout. I loved the coffee, cream and lemongrass qualities throughout. A solid medium in strength and body, it is a cigar that many could enjoy at any time of day. Job well done!
The Protocol Cyber Crimes Unit performed fairly well, with aggressive white pepper in the first third, and a more nuanced chocolate forward flavor in the second third. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the profile, and in the end it seemed as if there was a teleport chamber, and the Protocol Red and Blue stepped in at the same time and came out the other side as a chimera.
Relatively speaking for a Connecticut broadleaf, the Drew Estate Liga Privada Único Serie Year of the Ox 2021 was on the lighter side. It didn't quite have the highly earthy, viscous and chocolate overlays. Instead, it smoked lighter, especially in terms of earthiness and strength. To me, there's nothing wrong with that and it's a good showing, especially for the Chinese market. A cigar well made to celebrate the Year of the Ox.
Despite an extremely resistant draw, the A.C.E. Prime M.X.S. Signature Adrián González El Titán delivered a balanced, engaging and overall enjoyable flavor profile through the first and second thirds. Overall strength hovered at medium levels throughout, with none of the flavors too intense on the palate.
The cigar was pretty pleasant in the first third, but lost some complexity in the second third. For this Aganorsa Leaf Rare Leaf Reserve Toro, it just didn't provide enough enjoyment through the entire smoking experience to make me want to come back to it with any regularity.
I enjoyed smoking the Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 2 Toro. While the cigar wasn't necessarily as complex as I would want, the flavors that were present were enjoyable, and harmonized in a way that kept me engaged.
Although the mushroom mustiness was a nice component to start, the overall profile was pretty average and maintained that level through the second third. The final third dropped down a level when the char returned and built up. The Sindicato Cubico Toro never really did anything, it was just there. The price point is decent for the size, but there wasn't anything exciting enough for me to want to return to this one.
What a terrific blend. The Maya Selva Flor de Selva Year of the Ox 2021 showed complexity and depth throughout. There was nice transitioning and overall great flavor. The balance throughout was great and the cigar had my interest from beginning to end. This is a cigar I would come back to, and it makes me want to smoke past Flor de Selva releases I have enjoyed.
The Pichardo Clasico had a fairly average flavor profile and experience level throughout. There were a core set of flavors with some minimal transitions. The strength was a bit sneaky, as I was feeling it a bit in the final third. The price point is approachable, so it's well worth a try, I'm just note sure how often I see myself coming back to it though.
After reviewing the La Palina Goldie Laguito No. 6, I found myself doing a comparison with the original and phenomenal releases of Laguito No. 2, No. 5, and the Especial. For me, the experience falls quite a bit short. That isn't to say it was a bad cigar, it certainly isn't, but a slightly above average experience isn't going to be enough to motivate a second purchase on a $23 cigar.
