The Gurkha 35th Anniversary Toro had an average flavor profile throughout. The stale, dry, toasted cedar was the main player and didn't really set a tone for an exciting smoking experience. I appreciate the low cost for an anniversary cigar, but it just didn't deliver on flavor, and that's what I'm here for. I don't see returning to this cigar.
The Trinidad Espiritu No. 3 Toro started with melt your face off black pepper, but mellowed through the first third and was pretty average through the first two thirds. The final third took a step down as the toasted cedar became heavy and some wood bitterness joined in. Not a cigar I'd likely come back to as the flavor profile didn't show much balance or excitement.
Hey, what do you know, an anniversary cigar that is actually worth smoking and buying! The Casa Magna XV Anniversary showed a nuanced approach with a unique interplay of spices, followed by good softness in cream and cedar. Buy and try for sure.
The Patoro Terre Blanche Gordo was enjoyable to review, with balanced flavor combinations despite an intense pepper initially in the first third. The flavor profile was still pleasant in the last third, but not quite up to the same level as delivered from the previous two thirds. I'd be interested in smoking this cigar again as well as reviewing other Patoro offerings.
The Illusione Gigantes Connecticut had a fairly average profile throughout, with nothing really exciting going on. The price point is attractive for how much cigar you get, but if the burn issues would subside, it might be something to smoke while you're focused elsewhere.
I enjoyed the Fable Two Things. I thought it was a really good barber pole. Nice flavor profile from start to finish. Great construction as well. Nice blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobacco. Connecticut in there as well with the wrapper. I've got more than two nice things to say about this creative piece of work.
The Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Sonata Vibrato started well for the first inch, but then started to fall off. The cigar maintained an average flavor profile the rest of the way. Overall, the cigar was just OK. The quick ramp up of strength in the final third was a surprise. Not a cigar I'd really see myself coming back to.
The Romeo y Julieta Envy Amulet had an average flavor profile through the first two thirds with a dry profile focused around toasted cedar, dry earth and black pepper. The final third dropped a level as the char appeared. Overall, I wasn't impressed with this cigar as the flavor profile was pretty mundane and didn't finish well. Not a cigar I'd see myself returning to.
This Davidoff Nicaragua 10th Anniversary Limited Edition is one of the few that is worthy of a limited edition/anniversary. Not the most transitional of blends but from start to finish, the cigar was amazingly flavorful and balanced. Pick one up or enjoy two hours with this at your favorite cigar shop.
Words I used like balanced and nuanced are positive indicators of a good cigar. However, when these words are paired with light flavors, then it becomes not as good. If the flavors were fuller like the second third, the smoking experience would be entirely different. But as is, the thin flavors created an overall lackluster smoking experience with the SP1014 Black 6x54, in which I will pass on in the future.