Padilla Reserva Double Toro
The Padilla Reserva Double Toro is a fantastic cigar overall. It has a perfect length with a big ring gauge (6x60). The cigar has a great feel to it and comes with a really classy tag. Construction is solid, with a tight pack and I could only notice about 2 veins... besides that it has a very The cigar has a Ecuadorian wrapper with a Nicaraguan filler. This cigar, along with most Padilla cigar has great quality. Let's get into the review.
First Half: As you light up, the cigar offers a mild, creamy/seedy taste. The burn is even, it has a great draw with little resistance, and produces a good amount of smoke. It has a nice white ash that adds a lot to the look of the cigar when you are smoking it.. the ash holds on for about an inch and a half at a time. About halfway through the first half, the flavor transitions to a dry, earth taste. The burn has become a tad bit uneven, almost unnoticeable. About to end the first half and enter the second, the flavor has stayed dry/earthy.
Second Half: Just as you enter the second half the flavor begins to change again. It goes from the dry earthy flavor back to the creamy/seed taste that you get when you first light up. My personal preference, when smoking a cigar, is to have the flavors changing as you smoke it. It adds excitement to your smoking experience. (Not a fan of one consistent flavor the whole way through). As you finish up the second half, the smoke becomes smoother and smoother with every puff.
Overall, this cigar, in my opinion, is Padilla's best. It brings a lot to the table in terms of finish, flavor, and strength. The cigar has an even burn (not perfect), a good draw with little resistance, and produces good smoke. The Padilla Reserva Double Toro would be great for gifts and special occasions. ($9.99)
Stogie Rite score: 97
Padron 1964 Anniversario Maduro Corona
The Padron 1964 Anniversario series is another beautiful cigar brought to you from the Padron family. The cigar has a "freshly made" feel with a wrapper that has a few rough spots here and there. It's not too veiny and it has a small single cap at the top. Overall, the look and feel of this cigar is great.
As you light up you immediately get a dry, smoky taste. The cigar has a very easy draw with little resistance that produces a lot of smoke. When I got about 1/3 done, the dry feel went away completely, and several different flavors arrived. I got a creamy chocolate taste that was excellent; I felt like I took a bite into a s'more, which reminded me of the Avo Maduro No. 2 that had the same flavor about halfway through.
This cigar is a high quality smoke (it's a Padron... that should go without saying). It had good balance, complexity, it wasn't too strong, and it had a great finish. The only problem that I had with this cigar was that it burned quickly. Other than that, it was perfect and I can't wait to review another Padron.
Stogie Rite score: 98
Stogie Rite score: 98
Cohiba Red Dot
Today's review will be talking about Cohiba Red Dot. The cigar has a nice dark wrapper and a tight pack. It has a very earthy smell. As you light up, the taste is almost the same as the smell. Earthy, with a smooth spice to it. It produces a good amount of smoke with a draw that has very little resistance. As you move along, the flavor gets more harsh/sharp.
The spice increases but the earthiness stays the exact same. When you head towards the end of this cigar, the spiciness fades, but yet the earthiness is still pretty consistent. I recommend this cigar for special occasions, etc. I wouldn't make this an everyday smoke, mainly because of the price (strength also plays a role in that). You can buy this cigar in a pack of miniatures for about $17. Have a good one!
Stogie Rite score: 91
Stogie Rite score: 91
For this weekend smoke, I wanted to go pick a random, new cigar to review. I picked up the Estilo Cubano. This cigar is relatively smaller (5 and 3/4 by 54). It is medium-dark bodied with a rough sandpaper feel to the wrapper. The cigar had nearly invisibile veins with a tight pack.
As you light up, the flavor is much more mild than expected. It has a rich earthy/cocoa flavoring. The draw is great with some resistance. Smoke output is superb. Very thick, heavy smoke (easier for smoke rings :P). The burn is perfectly even. I didn't notice one thing wrong with this smoke.Halfway through this cigar the flavor has changed to a more roasted nut/pepper. The smoke output is the same, the draw is the same, and the burn is still even.
Overall, this cigar surprised me greatly. It's definitely an everyday smoke because of the price ($5.99) and size (see above). The flavor, balance, strength, draw, smoke output, and burn is great the whole way through. Be sure to pick it up sometime this weekend!
Stogie Rite score: 94
The Ashton Corona brings a lot to the table in terms of balance, strength, and finish. The feel of the cigar is great. It has a sandpaper feel to it with an oily finish. It's tightly packed with a nice white tag. As you light up, the smoke output is average along with a draw with very little resistance. The flavor is a very consistant creamy/earthy taste. The burn is very even, which is always a plus when smoking. An uneven burn can ruin the whole experience. This cigar's smoke output stays the same throughout the whole smoke. Overall, this is a great basic cigar. Ashton cigars never fail.. I recommend you picking up this cigar and giving it a try.
Avo Maduro No. 2
Avo has always gone above and beyond when it comes to cigar making. When smoking any Avo, you'll get great balance and an excellent finish. This particular cigar that I'm reviewing today, the Avo Maduro No. 2, is one of their greatest cigars I've had so far. The structure, when you pick it up, is simply astonishing. The color, the tag, and how tightly it is packed really shows you how much care Avo puts into rolling their cigars. The Avo Maduro No. 2 is dark bodied, medium sized, and has a soft oily feel on the Connecticut U.S.A. wrapper. As you light up, you get a strong earthy flavor. The burn is perfectly even along with a nice draw with a little resistance. About halfway through, the flavor converts to a nice smooth woody/spice flavoring. The ash will pretty much stay on the cigar until you tap it off, it's very strong. When you get toward the end, at least for me, I felt like I took a bite into a s'more. It sounds weird, I know, but I got a strong cocoa taste with a light, sweet marshmallow in the background. Overall, I loved every inch of this cigar. I highly recommend it, especially for special occasions.
Stogie Rite score: 98
CAO Cameroon L'Anniversaire (Weekend Smoke)
The CAO Cameroon L'Anniversaire is wrapped in a smooth Cameroon wrapper from Africa with Nicaraguan filler. It's a medium sized cigar with a medium colored wrapper. It's a boxed pressed cigar with a rough, oily feel to it. As you light up, you'll notice a good amount of smoke, medium resistance, and an even burn. Once you start getting into the smoke, the flavor is a nice blend of spice, grassy, and earthy flavoring. This cigar brings an excellent aroma to the room/area. Overall, this cigar is great for lighting up during a good conversation.
Stogie Rite score: 93
Rocky Patel Renaissance
To be honest, Rocky Patel cigars have never impressed me.. I know it's crazy to say, but it's true. I decided to give Rocky another chance. I picked up a Rocky Patel Renaissance (the only one I haven't tried) and now I'm going to review it. It has a pretty good feel, but the wrapper felt like it could fall off easily which made me hesitant to actually buy it. When I cut this cigar, the wrapper at the top, cracked down to the tag. Yes, the cigar was in good shape, it was in no way stale, I guess it's just a cheaper wrapper. I lit the cigar and started the smoke. It has an even burn, a draw with medium resistance, and a little bit of smoke output. The flavor started out a little sweet with a mix of a seedy taste. About 1/3 through, the cigar changed flavors to a woody/spice flavor, and stayed that way for the duration of the smoke. When I hit the halfway point, the smoke output increased significantly. I can't say that this cigar changed my views about Rocky Patel cigars, but I will buy this particular one again. The price is too high for an everyday smoke, so if you are going to smoke this cigar, it would be a nice weekend afternoon cigar.
Stogie Rite score: 88
Hawaiian Vintage Series
The Hawaiian Vintage Series cigar is made in Hawaii. It has a nice dark wrapper that has a generally rough feel to it. When you make the cut on the top, you will see that the tobacco is a mix between dark and light (which looks really cool). After noticing that, you light up... you should be able to tell that the draw is great, producing a lot of smoke, and very little resistance. The burn is surprisingly very even and a nice ash. It has a light earthy/spice taste to it that blends really nice. Overall, it's well balanced, nicely constructed, great flavor, and a nice amount of smoke. You can get one of these sticks by joining the CRA today! Click here to join.
Stogie Rite score: 94
Stogie Rite score: 94
C and C Connecticut Churchill
The C and C Connecticut cigar is, in my opinion, the absolute best cigar you can get for it's price. The wrapper is a nice smooth tan wrapper from Ecuador. The flavor is a nice spicy flavor, not too strong, but just right. This is a great morning cigar. As you light up you will see that it has a very nice even burn and a great draw. This cigar goes great with your morning coffee and commute to work. The flavor is very creamy with a hint of toasty, nutty flavoring.
Stogie Rite score: 96
Romeo by Romeo y Julieta
Romeo by Romeo y Julieta is a unique addition to the Romeo y Julieta family. It has a nice dark wrapper that has a nice sandpaper feel to it. The burn isn't exactly what you would call even, but the draw is nice with little resistance. As you get into the smoke you immediately get an earthy flavor to it. It's a strong cigar that brings a woody/nutty flavor as you get halfway into it. It's a fantastic cigar that brings a lot of flavor. The pricing is very reasonable, I recommend you pick this cigar up.
Stogie Rite score: 93
Macanudo Cru Royale
The Macanudo Cru royale has a medium-dark color wrapper from Ecuador. It has a unique wrapper which brings the whole look together. As you light up, you will get a decent draw with a little resistance. The burn isn't very even, but you get a good amount of smoke. The cigar isn't as strong as you would think. It brings a grassy/earthy/bitter taste. This Macanudo is a good smoke.
Stogie Rite score: 88
Alec Bradley Black Market is a great cigar, great for a gift and special occasions. The first thing that you will notice will most likely be how big the cigar is. It has a medium color, wrapped in a Nicaraguan wrapper. It has a smooth burn and an even draw. The flavor is a good mix between creamy, earthy, woody, toasty, and a little spice. Once you get to the end, the cigar has a sweetness that you don't want to miss (so don't end it early). The filling was a little flaky, and fell apart towards the end.
Stogie Rite score: 91
Joya De Nicaragua Connecticut
Joya De Nicaragua Connecticut has a medium sized body and a light color. It has a good look for being a basic cigar. The smoke is nice and feels heavy. It has an even burn that produces a good amount of smoke. The flavor isn't anything to get excited about. It's your basic wood/spice flavor that you get in your typical Connecticut cigar. We recommend this for an everyday smoke.
Stogie Rite score: 89
La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero
La Flor Dominicana is a highly respected cigar company. All of their cigars are packed with great flavors. With the Double Ligero, they have nailed it again. This cigar is wrapped in a nice Ecuadorian wrapper with an oily finish. It's medium bodied, and tightly sealed. As you get into the cigar, you will notice that the burn is very even and that it produces a decent amount of smoke. The flavor is rather strong with toasty/spicy taste. Overall, the Double Ligero is a pretty good cigar, though I won't recommend it for an everyday smoke.
Stogie Rite score: 90
La Aroma de Cuba
The La Aroma de Cuba cigar family is one of the best around. It has an exellent appearance, along with a nice color and tag. As you begin to smoke, this cigar has a perfect, even burn from the get-go. The flavor is, what some people would call "perfect". The cigar has a toasty/nutty/leathery taste which blends together very nicely. Overall, the La Aroma de Cuba is one of the best cigars out there for it's price. Also, it's first cigar ever to receive a perfect score on Stogie Rite.
Stogie Rite score: 100
Camacho Connecticut (Weekend Selection)
The Camacho Connecticut feels better than your average $6.00 cigar. It has a nice, light color, but a very boring tag. As you light up, I guarantee it will surprise you with it's smooth draw and incredibly even burn. The flavor is great. A nice mild taste with some smooth spice. Overall this cigar was a surprise indeed. The nice burn and even draw was a real surprise. The Camacho Connecticut is probably the best cigar you can get for $6.00.
Stogie Rite score: 93
Perdomo Lot 23
Perdomo Lot 23 cigar is a Nicaraguan hand made cigar with a medium style body. It comes with a very nice, classy tag that brings the whole appearance together. As you light up you should notice that this cigar has a excellent draw, but not so much an even burn. You continue smoking and start noticing the flavor. Perdomo Lot 23 is packed with a nice blend of different tobaccos giving you a creamy flavor. Overall, this cigar is one of Perdomo's best, I suggest you pick one up.
Stogie Rite score: 90
Oliva Connecticut Reserve
Oliva Connecticut has a great, yet basic, look. The Ecuadorian wrapper has a great feel and a great look. As you begin to smoke, you get a great draw and a very even burn with a decent amount of smoke. The flavor is very smooth, which provides a relaxing feel. It provides a light spicy/nutty flavor. The Oliva Connecticut Reserve also is great for a daily smoke, not to mention it's made by one of the biggest name in the cigar industry.
Stogie Rite score: 85
Hoyo De Monterrey Excalibur
This Hoyo De Monterrey cigar has a nice Honduran blend. This cigar has a nice light color, a nice wrapping, and a solid construction. As you light this cigar up, the burn is even from the beginning. The draw is decent, not that much smoke (depending on how you cut it). It has an excellent mild flavor, makes a perfect daily cigar, especially in the morning. Overall, the Hoyo De Monterrey Excalibur packs a punch with a great price tag. For all you cigar enthusiasts out there, I suggest you head to your local cigar shop and pick one of these up.
Stogie Rite score: 95
good job kyle
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