The Perla del Mar Natural Perla G is a reliably good Ecuadorian Shade offering. After smoking two of these, I'm happy to say that I'd enjoy smoking these on a regular basis, especially when you factor in the price point. The flavor profile managed to balance complexity, while keeping the overall strength in the range of a typical Shade experience.
The Kristoff San Andres Box-Pressed Toro TAA 2020 was quite interesting as it moved around quite a bit with a wide combination of flavors. The price point is fairly attractive and I could see myself coming back to this from time to time.
I really enjoyed the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua Toro and it is a cigar I would smoke again and purchase. There was not a ton of transitioning, but the flavor profile delivered was solid and enjoyable. I think this is a brilliant release for Romeo, and with so many consumers sticking to the tried and true cigar and brands, this will do incredibly well.
The AVO Improvisation LE 2020 has a really nice start, delivering some lovely cream, earth, coffee and raisin notes, but the changes that take place in the second and final thirds really take away from the beginning. Not a bad release, but far from the best AVO and not limited edition quality in my opinion.
Nice flavors in the La Flor Dominicana TAA 50 Segunda Edición Maduro. Good dry cocoa and cedar up front with second tier flavors showing leather, nuts and hay. I'm still a bit surprised how mild it is for an LFD (and I like it). The medium strength and body complimented the flavors well. This one I'll smoke again.
The AJ Fernandez Bellas Artes Maduro Toro was a solid smoke and a cigar that fit into some classic stereotypes. It was a Maduro that was dark, rich and strong. The cigar smoked at a full level from beginning to end and the flavors paired perfectly with the body and strength. Finished with beautiful artwork on the bands, this is a great release for AJ.
I was a fan of the La Flor Dominicana TAA 50 Segunda Edición Natural, but I tend to be a fan when LFD makes a Dominican blend finished with a Nicaraguan wrapper. I think the blend is balanced and it has an old school flavor profile that shows the quality of Dominican tobacco with a high quality Nicaraguan wrapper.
The Gurkha Nicaragua Series Toro was fairly average throughout and didn't provide much in the way of exciting moments. It's interesting to see an Aganorsa sourced blend for the brand and we'll see if this leads to more offerings. If so, I would be interested to try them, but for this cigar, it's not something I see myself returning to.
This cigar had the core main flavors that make up a good cigar. Sweetness, spice, wood and earth. The flavors themselves were good, but as a whole lacked harmony. Whoever blended this likes a heavier dose of strength and spice, even at times tipping the balance of sweetness and spice.
The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Decadas Fundador was an enjoyable cigar from start to finish. The flavor profile was well balanced with varied flavor notes of bread, spices, cocoa, citrus, clover, cedar and earth. Each third presented its own take on the flavor combination which kept my interest the entire time.
