The Expert Review Library

Talk about a cigar I never thought I would purchase. Don Tomas may have been an industry giant at one point in time, but in the 10+ years I’ve been enjoying cigars, ‘The Don’ has remained pretty quiet. Maybe it’s the band that reads ‘Don Tomas’ or is it ‘Don’t Omas?’ My subconscious has always replied, ‘Ok, ok, I won’t.’ Until two weeks ago anyway, when I was offered one Don Tomas Clasico free of charge and prepared to step into uncharted waters.
 

Construction

The wrapper looks a bit marbled and it’s a thinner leaf than most of the newer Habano-seed wrappers on the market. With a gentle squeeze, the cigar felt firm to the touch with no soft spots. The cold draw was perfect and I knew at the very least this cigar would burn properly. At these early stages of my experience with Don Tomas Clasico, I was still a skeptic.

SCORE: 11/15

Flavor & Body

Upon first light, I’m hit with notes of hay, cedar, and leather. It’s rich, it’s delicious, and the finish is light and clean. It’s immediately apparent that the tobaccos inside have had some serious age on them, and that is a good thing. As I get about halfway in, the blends sweetness begins to shine which adds a nice balance into the mix. With each puff, the cigar gets creamier and the flavors are melding together well. Here I am, completely confused, and borderline upset. My intuition has deceived me; Don Tomas Clasico is a wonderful medium-bodied blend.  It has plenty of subtle flavors without all the strength.

SCORE: 23/25

Smoke & Burn

This cigar was built to burn well and it shows. What I mean – today’s full-bodied blends are so loaded with thick ligero leaves that you need to either re-light them frequency, draw on them constantly until they burn too hot, or smoke the cigar on the dry side. Don Tomas requires none of that. The thinner Habano-seed wrapper burns razor-sharp along with the rest of the tobaccos. The ligero center of the fillers keeps the cigar lit even when you set it down for a minute. This allows the cigar to burn cool and evenly, and the flavor really shines as a result. The ash is white and a little flaky, but it doesn’t detract from the experience one bit.

SCORE: 24/25

Impression

I like Don Tomas Clasico. Enough to purchase a whole box in fact. Is it my favorite blend of all time? No. Have I started thinking about replacing my morning Connecticut with Don Tomas to accompany my coffee? Yes, absolutely. In an industry dominated by extremes (the mellowest or the strongest), it’s rather difficult to pin point a good medium-bodied blend that you can rely on. Don Tomas makes quick work of filling that need. Clean, crisp, balanced, and highly flavorful, that is Don Tomas Clasico.

SCORE: 32/35

OVERALL SCORE: 90/100

This cigar was rated Cigar Aficionado Best Bargain in 2006 and now I know why. If you goal is strength then you’ll probably want to sit this round out. If you are a looking for a hearty, medium-bodied no-nonsense blend at a fair price, take a look at Don Tomas Clasico. Pick up a single or 5-pack and let me know what you think.

It’s no secret we love Diesel around the office. And when we look at sales numbers, we can see you agree with us. So naturally, when Diesel Uncut hit the docks, they moved out pretty quickly. So now that the dust has settled a bit, it’s time to fire one up for a review.

Diesel Uncut wasn’t what I expected. It’s got a rich cedary core that gives off a semi-sweet finish. And the finish is excellent. Just incredibly smooth and pairs really well with light coffee. I expected a ton of spice but didn’t really detect any until halfway through. And even then, it’s subtle and sits on the back of palate. Also, the unfinished foot provides for a nice, easy light. With cadre of cigars to choose from here, I’ve found myself coming back to these over and over. There are better cigars to enjoy over the weekend but you’d be hard-pressed to find a better everyday option that’s easy on the wallet but heavy on the palate.

The flagship blend from one of the most renowned families in the cigar business, this Nicaraguan puro exhibits top-notch construction with a Cuban-esque flavor profile of spice and rich cedar. Its oily habano wrapper is always impressive and meshes perfectly with a hearty blend of fillers grown in Esteli, Condega, and the Jalapa Valley.

Hailing from Estelí, Nicaragua, Tatuaje Tattoo was created with the everyday enthusiast in mind. The construction, body, and flavor is what you’d expect from Pete Johnson and Don Pepín along with a welcomed attribute of value rarely mentioned in the same breath. This approachable Tatuaje blend hits the spot every time.

With so many limited edition releases clogging up the sales chute these days, it’s refreshing to have a reliable, everyday cigar that is always available. Dressed in a stunning Ecuadorian habano wrapper, this gem from AJ Fernandez is my ‘go-to’ blend when I need a stogie break and might be the best damn cigar you can get.

J.C. Newman is America’s oldest cigar company and with age comes wisdom. One of their very first releases, Brick House remains strong with a ‘92’ rating from Cigar Aficionado. Bursting with Nicaraguan long fillers and draped with a propriety Havana Subido wrapper, this medium to full-bodied cigar is always consistent and oozing with complexity.