Review These - Reviews

[CgarDan]

Wow that is an amazing flavor from a cigar that is not infused. I will def have to check it out

Thanks for a cool and humbling experience I guess the fraze Live and Learn applies here or is it Smoke and Learn

[spiffykyle]

Here are the cigars I got from Mills. #1 is on top in the picture and is a huge 7 x 54. #2 has the cedar sleeve and is a 6.0 x 52.




This is my first review so be gentle.


Cigar #1:

This was a dark and shiny cigar. The wrapper had a few veins and overall the cigar was firm, but not overly so. It smelled great, but then I love the smell of most cigars.

The pre-light draw was rather tight and slightly sweet.

It lit just fine and the draw was still really tight. Nothing very overpowering, but not to much body. After a couple of inches it got a little peppery, but still nothing I would call a defining flavor.

About halfway through, a slightly sweet note came through. Still an insanely tight draw though. I'd have to say the cigar finished better than it started.

The burn was slightly uneven, but it was never really a problem. The ash was streaky and held on for about an inch and a half.



Overall I liked this one, but it was nothing special, maybe it was the tight draw the whole way through.


Cigar #2:

I'm a sucker for a cedar sleeve and love the sweet smell it gives to a cigar. The wrapper on this one was lighter and smoother, no veins at all. Overall it seemed firmer than the first one.

The pre-light draw was a breeze. Perfect and with that slightly sweet tobacco flavor.

This one lit up easily and right away I notice a ton more smoke. The first few draws were very spicy but it mellowed out quickly. It had a great draw all the way through. The burn was dead even and mostly white. The ash held on for almost 2 inches at times.



I don't think I have a refined enough palate to go into profiles of a cigar so I won't even try, but I do know that I like this stick and nubbed it.

Both of these cigars were rather mellow and I would have to say that cigar #2 was the more expensive one. Hopefully I didn't just get a bad stick for the first one.

Mills, thanks for the opportunity, let me know how I did,

spiffy

[mills]

You are correct sir. #1 was a Drew Estate La Vieja Habana, about 2-3 bucks. It gets mixed reviews, so I guess you're not one of the fans. #2 was a CAO Black around 8-9 dollars. On CI the CAO Black get an excellent description, but I didn't especially like the one that I tried, so I was curious to see how somebody else would respond, especially blind. I'll have to try it again. I don't think I was quite ready for it in my smoking experience. Glad you enjoyed it, and good job with the reviews.

[spiffykyle]

Sweet!

That was the first CAO I have ever smoked. I've been thinking about trying a few of them or maybe getting a sampler, now I'll definately have to look for one.

Thanks,

spiffy

[Quickbeat]

I got my cigars from Dan this morning, and was excited to get right into reviewing them. I smoked them both today and came to some conclusions.

Cigar 1
This cigar had a decently large ring size, was lighter in color and seemed to have great construction. Pre-light it had a loose draw with an earthy taste. After lighting, this proved true as it had a really easy draw and tasted very earthy with some leather. Overall, the cigar was very smooth and didn't have much spice to it, and produced a lot of smoke. The burn on this one was pretty uneven, and I had to do a couple touch ups; also the ash was somewhat greyish. Overall a decent smoke, but too earthy for my tastes. I have no idea what kind of cigar this was however.

Cigar 2
This one was thinner and longer, and was darker in color. Pre-light it was somewhat spicy and tight. After lighting, it had a tighter draw but still produced quite a bit of smoke. Pre-light was a bit misleading as it wasn't all that spicy. The smoke was pretty smooth and creamy, and my inexperienced palate picked up some wood flavors. This baby burned perfectly and had white flaky ash that held on so long I got nervous and tapped it off. This was a great smoke that, depending on price, I would like to pick up a few more of.

I think due to construction, burn, and overall taste and complexity, cigar #2 was the more expensive cigar.


Thanks for the wonderful experience Dan and also thanks for the stow-aways!

[CgarDan]

Both are great cigars in my opinion. Athough you got the price wrong you will be happy to know that cigar no 2 the one you liked better can be bought very inexpensivelly.

1) Carlos Torano Exodus 59 Gold
2) Sancho Panza Double Maduro

[Newfie]

snip....
2) Sancho Panza Double Maduro

Dem dere some fine smokes!!! What was it Dan, the La Mancha?

[CgarDan]

Dem dere some fine smokes!!! What was it Dan, the La Mancha?

Not sure what was the exact size, but you can't beat SP Double Maduro for the price and the flavor they provide

[Quickbeat]

Wow, great to know! I'm going to have to pick some up soon. I could tell neither of them were cheap, they were both great just the first one didn't suit my tastes.

[Lukeman8]

I guess its my time to review, i'll edit this post once i smoke the second one.

Cigar 1:

Just by the looks of it, this appears to be the cheaper cigar (however that is NOT my final consensus, as I have not smoked number 2). The wrapper had some small punctures and was relativly bumpy, and appeared to be a loose wrap; some of the edges were not matted down to the body. There were also vauge splotches of green, mostly at the foot of the cigar. Several thin veins also jutted out of the wrapper.

Upon cutting, the wrapper cracked (as shown in the picture) and the peice that i cut off broke apart, as opposed to staying one small chunk (possibly a sign of poor rolling?). The cigar seemed to be constructed well, aside from the flaws in the wrapper. it was slightly squishy to the touch, as I usually expect from any cigar.

I toasted it with a lit peice of cedar, then proceeded to fully light. Had a perfect draw, but I had to slightly slobber if you will, on the torn wrapper to keep it together so it would have a pleasant fit in my mouth. Not much to my suprise, the taste was not impressive. Very light, fragile toasty flavor coated my palet within the first few puffs, but was followed shortly by a unpleasent bitter taste, much like a unfiltered cigarette. Despite my disapointment, I gave it a chance smoked it the whole way through, while reading my Stephen King novel. I didnt pay much attention to the taste while reading, because the taste didnt change. It kept a consistant burn throughout, and I had no issues correcting the burn. I put it out after about an hour because there was a slight drizzle, and the smoke was getting rather hot. Overall, not too impressed with this one...

I'll probably smoke the other one tonight, so review #2 is shortly to follow!

Cigar #2:

Smoked this one last night after the fireworks, with a bottle of champagne. The construction was superior to that of the first cigar, no bumps, green dots, veins, or loose wrapping; very smooth in general - and most comparable to either a CAO gold or possibly AF double chateu fuente. This stick was a little bit firmer than number 1, but still somewhat squishy to the touch. Cutting was a breeze, no tearing of the wrapper, and the chunk I cut off stayed in one peice. The draw was a little tighter than the first, but nothing unpleasent or unsmokable, just right. Taste was nice, mild, and complimented the champagne rather well. It kept a sturdy ash (about 3 inches at its prime) and perfect burn, all shown in the picture. Smoked this one all the way through.

I predict that cigar 2 is the more expensive one, its construction and smoke seemed far better than cigar 1. I'll be thoroughly embarassed if I got this one wrong!!

[Lukeman8]

So howd I do there, Dan?

[CgarDan]

So howd I do there, Dan?

Great reviews and you got them right. #1 Flor de Oliva #2 CT Casa Torano

[Lukeman8]

Good to know! Weird though because I frequently buy flor de oliva torpedos because they are cheap and a decent smoke, and they seem much sweeter. I guess I could be smoking a different blend or something. Thanks for the opportunity!

[CgarDan]

Good to know! Weird though because I frequently buy flor de oliva torpedos because they are cheap and a decent smoke, and they seem much sweeter. I guess I could be smoking a different blend or something. Thanks for the opportunity!

I think the cause was the heat that probably dried out the wrapper causing it to crack when you cut the cigar. Or you might be buying the "gold" version of the Olivas they are a bit sweeter. Either way at least now you tried teh CT Casa Torano. I think its a mild smoke but it has great construction and it is complex, I am afriad the Champagne might have overpowered the nuances of that smoke

[Lukeman8]

Yea, maybe the champagne wasn't the best idea, but i still enjoyed the smoke! Would definatly smoke another. Thanks again!

[feldspar]

I just took a nice long trip to the park with my two mystery sticks. Here's what I think:

Cigar #1
Unless I got the two mixed up somehow, this one was a torpedo, probably 6 1/4 x 56. I didn't measure it, though. That's just a guess.

Cut and lit just fine. The wrapper flaked a little bit, but not enough to hinder my enjoyment of the cigar. The draw was decent - not too tight, not too loose. Solid construction - nice even burn, nice white ash.

As for flavor, it started off a little mild, but quickly built into a nice medium-full bodied smoke. I'm not much for picking out flavors, but I would definitely peg this one as very leathery, and strong coffee - espresso, perhaps. There was a little hint of sweetness underneath, like a dark chocolate, but that gave away after the first inch or so. The leather and espresso tastes grew in strength as the cigar burned, but they never got too overpowering. The sweetness came back midway, with a very noticeable espresso aftertaste.

This cigar finished off much stronger than it started. It tasted of leather, espresso, and some wood. Overall, I give it high marks for construction and flavor complexity. I wouldn't mind keeping a few of these around.


Cigar #2
Again, I didn't measure, but I'd say it was about 6.5 x 52. Lighter in color than the first, and much firmer. The wrapper was really smooth.

Lit fine, though it burned a little unevenly throughout. Nothing bad enough to warrant a touch-up, though. The draw was not bad, though not as good as the first stick.

Flavor-wise, this cigar was very light - I barely noticed much flavor at all for the first inch or so. It was very sweet - I could've sworn it was sugar-tipped at first.

I didn't notice much of a flavor change throughout. It was very sweet - maybe honey or toasted caramel - and somewhat nutty. Not very complex at all. Pretty one-dimensional. I wasn't too impressed with the flavor, overall.

If I had to guess, I would say that cigar #1 (the torpedo) was the more expensive one. It seemed to be the better-constructed stick, and had a much more complex flavor profile. I hope I'm right about that.

[Lukeman8]

Nice reviews feldspar! But I have good and bad news for you.

The Torpedo (originally cigar 1) is a Flor de Oliva Torpedo, one of my favorite cheap smokes, at $1.99. I always have these in my humi and smoke them on a regular basis. They are great smokes, and I was knocked on my ass when i bought my first one and smoked it! Glad to see you like them as well!

The other was a Montecristo Especial No. 1, obviously not cuban, but a good cigar also. I paid about 8 bucks for it. Hopefully it wasnt just a dud, but it had been in my humi for about 2 months.

Bad news, you were a little off, but good news is that you found a new smoke that you like and is cheap! Hope you enjoyed both of them!

-Luke

[feldspar]

Wow. I'm surprised!

I guess this means I'll have to go out and smoke a lot more cigars to hone my palate more!

I'll have to give that Montecristo another try sometime soon, though. I could've just had an unlucky night.

Thanks again for the sticks, man. This was a pretty cool experience.

[JFellows]

I just took a nice long trip to the park with my two mystery sticks. Here's what I think:

Cigar #1
Unless I got the two mixed up somehow, this one was a torpedo, probably 6 1/4 x 56. I didn't measure it, though. That's just a guess.

Cut and lit just fine. The wrapper flaked a little bit, but not enough to hinder my enjoyment of the cigar. The draw was decent - not too tight, not too loose. Solid construction - nice even burn, nice white ash.

As for flavor, it started off a little mild, but quickly built into a nice medium-full bodied smoke. I'm not much for picking out flavors, but I would definitely peg this one as very leathery, and strong coffee - espresso, perhaps. There was a little hint of sweetness underneath, like a dark chocolate, but that gave away after the first inch or so. The leather and espresso tastes grew in strength as the cigar burned, but they never got too overpowering. The sweetness came back midway, with a very noticeable espresso aftertaste.

This cigar finished off much stronger than it started. It tasted of leather, espresso, and some wood. Overall, I give it high marks for construction and flavor complexity. I wouldn't mind keeping a few of these around.


Cigar #2
Again, I didn't measure, but I'd say it was about 6.5 x 52. Lighter in color than the first, and much firmer. The wrapper was really smooth.

Lit fine, though it burned a little unevenly throughout. Nothing bad enough to warrant a touch-up, though. The draw was not bad, though not as good as the first stick.

Flavor-wise, this cigar was very light - I barely noticed much flavor at all for the first inch or so. It was very sweet - I could've sworn it was sugar-tipped at first.

I didn't notice much of a flavor change throughout. It was very sweet - maybe honey or toasted caramel - and somewhat nutty. Not very complex at all. Pretty one-dimensional. I wasn't too impressed with the flavor, overall.

If I had to guess, I would say that cigar #1 (the torpedo) was the more expensive one. It seemed to be the better-constructed stick, and had a much more complex flavor profile. I hope I'm right about that.

Nice reviews feldspar! But I have good and bad news for you.

The Torpedo (originally cigar 1) is a Flor de Oliva Torpedo, one of my favorite cheap smokes, at $1.99. I always have these in my humi and smoke them on a regular basis. They are great smokes, and I was knocked on my ass when i bought my first one and smoked it! Glad to see you like them as well!

The other was a Montecristo Especial No. 1, obviously not cuban, but a good cigar also. I paid about 8 bucks for it. Hopefully it wasnt just a dud, but it had been in my humi for about 2 months.

Bad news, you were a little off, but good news is that you found a new smoke that you like and is cheap! Hope you enjoyed both of them!

-Luke

I think there must have been a mistake here. The Flor de Oliva torpedo is indeed 6.5 x 52, and is, obviously, a torpedo. It definitely has a limited profile, and is extremely sweet (giving off the presence of a sweetened tip). Perhaps either the cigars were labeled incorrectly, or the were reviewed in the wrong order.

[Lukeman8]

You're Welcome, Feldspar! As for you, JFELLOWS, SIR, (DUDE), I know i labeled the flor de oliva #1, and even so, there is no mistake in recognizing (MAN) a torpedo from a non torpedo. Its a great smoke even though it is cheaper.