Pre-light Experience

The Camacho Liberty 2005 Throwback is constructed fairly well and is finished with a nice cap. The wrapper is somewhat smooth throughout, but you can feel veins here and there with the appearance showcasing a lot of veins of various sizes. The wrapper has a nice dark coloring to it and I would say it is dark Natural with near Maduro aspects. The wrapper is giving off an aroma of damp wood and some soft earth flavors. It really has a soft barnyard quality, and the foot is giving off notes of spices, damp wood, leather and some earthy qualities as well.

First Third

The first third opens up by delivering some strong tobacco notes with a lot of pepper and spice. It is a dryer flavor profile, and it is paired with some coffee grounds and popcorn like flavors. There are some cedar and oaky notes also and it really smokes like a true old Camacho. I would classify the cigar as being medium-full in body and strength and the flavors are right there as well. The construction is top notch and I am getting a nearly even burn line with a nice draw on the end. The ash produced is a light gray color and it holds on firmly to the end.

Second Third

I am in the second third of the cigar now and the strength and body are still going strong. It is still producing a good bit of spice and pepper qualities, but not to the degree that it did in the first. There is an emerging cream aspect present and it is pairing well with the coffee grind notes from before. The finish is woody and it is still a little dry on the finish. The construction has remained consistent in this third with the first and the ash produced has that light charcoal coloring as before as well.

Final Third

When I get into the final third, I find the strength and body to be on the rise and it is showing a return of the qualities present in the first third. There is a lot of pepper and spice up front and it is paired with some wood and popcorn notes. The creamy aspect remains but it’s really an afterthought to the core profile. The finish is of wood and coffee notes as it has been throughout, and it is still a dry finish. The strength, body and flavors are at a full level and with that is a nice burn line. It remains fairly even and has a cool draw. The burn line is even on the end and with that a light charcoal ash that is holding on firmly still.

Burn

The burn throughout the figurado is solid and it is a near even burn line. I had no problems with the burn from start to finish. No touch-ups required.

Draw

The draw from start to finish was solid. It was a little loose for my taste, but nothing to complain about in the giant scheme of things. Good bit of smoke produced with each draw.

Overall

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. It had some strength and body to it, but it was lacking in so many other areas that it failed in becoming an enjoyable cigar. It touched the roots of some old aspects of Camacho that I enjoy, a lot of strength and body, but at the same time missed the mark on what good Honduran tobacco and great blending can deliver. If you look at this and Coyolar, Coyolar delivered what the Coyolar once delivered. Maybe this Liberty did as well and I did not enjoy this past Liberty. Honestly, I can’t remember many Liberty experiences. Maybe that is saying something. I am a strong believer in cigars being flavorful, complex and having depth, and this cigar lacks all of those. While I enjoy Camacho working to be the old Camacho, producing cigars that are all Honduran and have strength and body, they need to be careful in doing so. Not everything Camacho use to do was great, and I felt sometimes they could have focused more on a complex flavor profile that had depth. They need to take that into account when trying to make strong and full body cigars. And if they do that, they will have some amazing offerings. When thinking about the Liberty, I think of Patrick Henry. As everyone knows, he is famous for saying, “Give me liberty or give me death.” … If that is the case here, give me death.

Seth Geise

SCORE

4.52

Cost/Point

$4.87

Scoring System

Personal Cigar Review: Camacho Liberty 2005 Throwback