The KC/DW Review Series

[DeeDubya]

The XL Double Corojo (brother of the XL Double Maduro) is a nicely rolled, well balanced cigar that deserves some attention. KC generously provided this one for me to try.

Wrapped in a fairly dark Corojo leaf is a bountiful amount of even more Corojo tobacco blended with supremely aged Nicaraguan ligero. It begins somewhat uneventful but builds into a rather complex and flavorful smoke. Midway, I could begin to appreciate the strength of the Corojo and the woody, nutty flavors of the Nicaraguan ligero. A hint of roast coffee and dark chocolate make it a desirable mid-morning or after lunch choice.

This Oliveros is certainly a welcome newcomer to their ever expanding line of cigars. I plan to try the Double Maduro (also XL For Men) as a comparison for consistancy and quality.

I would certainly recommend this cigar for those who like Corojo's. While not a contender for Gran Habano #5, it is still a good choice at a reasonable price.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 7.8.

[DeeDubya]

Very nice. Thank You KC.

I tend to choose med-full bodied sticks but this was a very flavorful mild cigar. The "5" signifies the tobacco is aged 5 years. The wrapper is a very smooth and satiny Connecticut shade grown leaf and perfectly rolled into an expertly crafted cigar.

Toasting produced a sumptuous, thick waft of nutty, creamy smoke. It reminded me of roasted peanuts in the shell. After a few draws I could definately detect the nuttiness with a hint of white pepper. I like zesty cigars but not so that they become bitter or too harsh on the tongue. The draw seemed a little tight at first, but lightened up around half-way. As with all cigars of this vitola I used a v-cutter.

After the first inch or so it really mellowed out into a well-balanced, somewhat complex smoke with a steady burn and near perfect ash. The flavors did stack a little around the last third, but certainly no more than normal. Also, it transformed into a medium strength around mid way but was consistantly smooth throughout.

It is presented in a very wide gold band with red outline that tastefully compliments the natural color. That, together with a very smooth roll, I would rate appearance right up there with Davidoff and other top shelf brands.

For me this cigar is a very good value. I would recommend it for those who like the milder cigars. I believe they also offer a toro or belicoso that is a 54 ring guage and should be even milder.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 8.

[ashauler]

Nice review, good to see these starting back up again.

[DeeDubya]

This is the first "Barrel Aged" I have tried. It is not a beautiful cigar nor did it seem to be expertly rolled. It had one obstruction about half way that caused a somewhat uneven burn and slightly hard draw until it had burned past. The wrapper was fairly smooth and toothy but a little dry which is charactistic of some maduros.

It toasted very nicely and hinted of some good flavors and spices. The first half was mellow with a little pepper and sweetness. After burning past the obstruction (tight spot) it began to evolve into a rich and tasty smoke. The aged Dominican fillers produced thick aromatic, white smoke and yielded to full-bodied, well balanced flavors. As far as maduros go I would put this one up in the top third of those I have tried. Toward the end it began to mellow a little with more spices and complexity.

These are aged for 4 years in oak rum barrels. Except for a little woodyness I could not detect oak nor any rum flavors. I'm not sure if these flavors are supposed to be evident or if I just expected it because of the name and band that proudly anounces "Barrel Aged".

Overall, it was pretty darn good. Good aging and earthiness, smooth and mellow yet full-bodied. I'll have to overlook the poor burn and slightly high price to still give it some high marks.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 9.

[King Catfish]

Nice reviews, DW. I've been getting crushed at work lately, and I've been trying to break a plateau in my gutar playing, so not much time for full formal reviews lately.

I have a couple of decent sticks coming in; I'll try to post some informal reviews soon.

[DeeDubya]

Georges Reserve are in my opinion one of the best deals going. I had smoked a few singles in the past and finally just knew that I had to have a box. The Robusto is the only vitola I can vouch for but I will indeed do that.

They are considered to be mild to medium bodied but very rich in flavors. The Nicaraguan long fillers are dark, fully aged and very smooth. They are made by the Oliva Family in Esteli, Nicaragua, so if you know Olivas then you might guess they are good quality and well constructed. The binder is African Cameroon that blends well with the filler. The onion skin thin wrapper is Ecuadorian. Very nice but also fragil. Be sure to have the RH balanced or they will easily split.

I smoked one in the morning and one in the evening. I think a mild-medium cigar is good any time of day. They toast well and one can immediately detect the spice and cedar flavors that are present throughout. The draw is easy and the burn is impeccable. Nice white ash that holds firm. The finish has a hint of vanilla. Really just about all you can ask for.

It is an affordably-priced stick at around $3.60. A very good value.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 9.2.

[DeeDubya]

Another great tasting Robusto at the heavy end of the flavor spectrum.

There's just something about a slick, oily Habano wrapper that grabs my attention. This cigar was so well compacted that I just knew it would have a hard draw. Not so. It toasted perfectly and with the first puff I had a billowy cloud of creamy white smoke. I was in the process of positioning a soaker hose and of course had wet hands, was stooped over with spit drewling onto the cigar and even had it pop out of my mouth onto the lawn once. After all that abuse it still turned out to be a really good smoke.

The burn was even, the ash held until it hit the lawn and the flavors were consistantly sweet, earthy, medium-bodied and full-flavored. I would closely compare it with a Gran Habano Robusto only maybe a little smoother. These are again a value-priced cigar at around 4 bucks. I would spring for a box of these and never look back.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 8.8.