The KC/DW Review Series

**King Catfish** · 08-27-2008, 06:56 PM

Wrapper: Ecuadorian sun-grown Sumatra
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Honduran and Dominican

Thanks to Ashauler for scaring the crap out of me with this big Toro. The cigar comes well dressed in a cedar sleeve and a triple band in black and gold. When I pulled the stick out of its cello wrapper the aroma immediately drifted up as if to whisper to my nose that I was going to have my ass kicked. Yes, this cigar smells like a beating one looks forward to, a really strong classic tobacco smell. Read on, it turns out to be more gentle and civilized than it looked.

The wrapper was a dark-chocolate brown and very shiny and oily. Did I mention it smelled great? Construction was firm and solid and let’s light this thing already. The cut was made with no problem, toasting smelled nice, and away we went. Smoke volume was immediately admirable, and the flavor was milder than I was expecting at the start. The first asset the flavor profile showed me was nuttiness, followed by a glimpse of earthiness. (I am beginning to think Ashauler likes earthy, nutty cigars, no?)

The first third showed my poor lighting technique by starting out with a slightly uneven burn. The burn evened itself out pretty quickly, the burn line became very sharp indeed, and the taste of leather, oh, yes, my very favorite cigar taste of leather started to appear upon the palate. Coffee followed soon after. The ash was light gray and solid and fell off after about an inch.

In the second third the taste of black coffee was getting stronger, with nuts immediately behind; the leathery taste was relegated to the role of entertaining the palate in the lingering aftertaste. The final third showed more assertiveness from the leather (again) and perhaps a bit of a fade of the coffee, with all flavors getting stronger. I thought I detected a bit of black cherry (of all things) toward the end of each puff in the final third, which was a pleasant surprise. This was a very long-lasting smoke, about an hour and a half.

This is a solid, civilized, lovely cigar that looks brutal and strong; it starts gentle, making one feels as if this stick is all bluster and no balls; but the strength, complexity, and flavor build until the end, which is a crescendo of music for the tongue’s ear, as it were.

Score: 94. I could not find anything not to love about this stick. Ashauler, I thank you very warmly for this very nice evening.

**DeeDubya** · 08-28-2008, 07:32 AM

Great review KC. Now I've got to find some these because of you, the very person who warned us about the slippery slope.

**ashauler** · 08-28-2008, 07:42 AM

Very, very nice review. One of the best, if not the best, of the NC HdM's imho. Glad you enjoyed it.

**DeeDubya** · 08-29-2008, 08:44 AM

Thanks Chris. This is now one of my favorites. I like Habano's anyway but this was one of the most pleasurable I have smoked in a while. I fired this one up as soon as I got home from the office. I should have waited until after dinner as it was very robust and full-bodied.

Ernesto Carrillo of La Gloria Cubana owns this lesser known line of cigars which are considered stronger and even fuller-flavored than the La Glorias. Wrapped in a reddish-brown Colorado wrapper that is slightly veiny it is well packed with an easy draw. It toasted well and immediately produced a cloud of rich, mellow smoke on the first draw.

The next 40 minutes were (for me) what smoking cigars is all about. First, I lit up with an open mind about what to expect from a new cigar. The entire process of smelling the wrapper, cutting, pre-light draw, toasting and the first draw all indicated that this would be a good cigar. But, you know many do not improve much beyond the first few puffs before they either run (we're talking about Habanos), are packed unevenly or stack up some bitterness or harshness that eventually ruins the experience. The El Rico burned evenly, very nice light grey, sturdy ash. Habano's tend to have a mottled or spotted ash that curls with an off-center cone.

The rich, earthy flavors never wavered, keeping a smooth, creamy pace with a little woodiness, hints of leather and thick, humid, forest scents. Next time, I will wait until after dinner and have one with a couple fingers of Patron on ice. Ideally, I like to shoot a small shot of aged Tequila first, no salt or lime, and swish it for a few seconds. It's like a pre-smoke mouth wash if that makes sense.

Thanks again Chris.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 8.9.