The Expert Review Library
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Sean G - Cuesta03/02/2007
Pyramid No. 9 (6.2"x52) Damp with a very light and subtle sweetnss. Notes of peat with a moderate finish and balance. Medium to full bodied with a full flavor.
Robusto No. 7 (4.5"x54) Smoky and earthy cigar. Medium bodied with a moderate flavor and short finish. Some minor burn issues but the flavor was pleasant.
Belicoso No. 11 (4.8"x50) This short torpedo came out of the gate strong with earthy notes of wood and cinnamon but became bitter and hot as it was smoked. Moderately balanced with a medium body and flavor.
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Bryan - Perdomo Lot 2302/27/2007
Toro (6.0"x50) Well-balanced with dry toast on the palate with some sweetness that develops over the course of the smoke. Medium bodied with a moderate finish.
Robusto (5.0"x50) Extremely well-balanced. Dry and toasty aroma with hints of cinnamon and a moderate finish. Medium bodied with a medium to full flavor.
Churchill (7.0"x50) A meatier cigar compared to the other sizes. Medium bodied with a blanced flavor that is dry and spicy with a long finish.
Belicoso (5.7"x54) While the Belicoso had a nice burn and fair draw, the flavor was a bit young. Deep wood aromas with a long and somewhat ashy finish.
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Sean G - Arturo Fuente Hemingway02/06/2007
Untold Story Maduro (7.5"x53) Dark and oily wrapper on this large perfecto. A fair draw and even burn. This cigar boasts a rich chocolate aroma with strong earthy undertones. Dry finish with hints of cherry.
Short Story Maduro (4.5"x49) Dark and toothy wrapper. The smoke is damp and very well refined with hints of sweetness and peat and a surprisingly short finish. Mellow to medium bodied with a moderate flavor.
Signature Maduro (6.0"x47) A nice sweet cigar with a good burn and solid ash. The sweet notes are well balanced with a slight spiciness and a moderate finish.
Masterpiece Maduro (9.0"x52) This large perfecto is a great cigar that has a great deal of complexity. Peaty balanced aroma on the palate with a longer sweet finish. Medium bodied with a rich full flavor.
Classic Maduro (7.0"x48) This cigar had some burn issues with a flavor that was slightly off balance. Damp and earthy aroma with a moderate finish.
Work of Art Maduro (4.7"x60) This fat perfecto was dark and toothy but burned a bit hot. Peaty with hints of sweetness and a short buttery finish. The moderate flavor was not balanced. Medium bodied.
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Bryan - Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ12/27/2006
Belicoso (5.7"x52) Creamy brown and silky wrapper. Effortless draw with a ton of earthy flavors and spice off the bat. Full-bodied and complex with three major changes in character. Good to the nub with excellent construction the whole way through.
Salomon (7.2"x57) Beautiful looking and smelling cigar. Some minor burn issues but great construction. A lot of full, earthy flavors with a lot of spice and a full body. Complex and well balanced. Great cigar to dedicate some time to.
Sublime (6.0"x54) Creamy Brown and silky wrapper with a strong pre-light aroma. Full earthy flavors with a full body to back it up. Heavy tobacco and earthy notes. Easy draw with a lot of smoke. Rich aroma. Never became hot or bitter. Excellent cigar. Extremely Cubanesque with consistent construction and quality
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Dave - CAO Black12/05/2006
Mosaic (6.0"x42) Creamy brown, silky wrapper. Very attractive cigar. Pre-light flavors of cedar and light tobacco. Excellent construction with cedar, earthy aromas and some notes of honey. Salty on the palate but well balanced. Spice present through the nose and on the finish. Attractive cigar in a very classic size. Medium to full flavored and bodied with a delicious, long finish.
Storm (5.0"x50) Oily, light brown wrapper. Classic robusto size packed with flavor and well balanced. Great draw and flawless construction. Earth, cedar and salty notes on the palate.
Frontier (7.0"x50) Impressive, cedar wrapped cigar. Silky, creamy brown wrapper with an excellent draw. Salt and earthy notes with wood on the palate. Well balanced and medium to full bodied.
Bengal (6.0"x50) Classic toro size. Excellent burn and construction, which was consistent with all other sizes – extremely well made. Medium flavor and body.
Gothic (6.0"x52) Big cigar with a great deal of flavor. Silky, golden brown wrapper and cool notes on the palate. Never became hot or bitter. Medium to full bodied with earth and wood notes on the palate. Very unique character.
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Bryan - Gurkha Titan11/03/2006
Dark, smooth wrapper with a pungent nose. Easy draw with plenty of thick, rich smoke. Medium bodied and wet on the palate. A good amount of spice on the palate and through the nose. Slightly sweet with a long finish. Became harsh with minor burn issues.
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Bryan - CAO Gold10/02/2006
Churchill (7.0"x48) Rich aroma right off the bat. Thick creamy smoke with spicy notes of wood and nuts. Great burn with a long dense ash. Well balanced and complex. Consistent the whole way through.
Torpedo (6.2"x52) Silky, slightly rough wrapper. Great draw which delivered plenty of full flavored smoke. Nut and wood tones with spice on finish and through nose. Balanced and consistent throughout with nice complexity.
Robusto (5.0"x50) Creamy Brown and Silky wrapper. Excellent construction with a perfect draw and razor burn. Became slightly soft at the end. Creamy smooth smoke with some honey and nut flavors. Light and rich aroma with some cedar notes. Long finish, consistent with great balance.Corona (5.5"x42) Seamless golden brown wrapper. Great construction with some spice through the nose. Cedar and wood flavor and aroma. Dry finish and an outstanding burn. Consistent and well balanced. Not very complex but great to the nub.
Corona Gorda (6.5"x50) Oily, creamy brown wrapper. Slightly under filled with a tight pull and a lot of initial spice through the nose. Some burn issues throughout. Heavy wood flavors with some bitterness.
Double Corona (7.5"x54) Big cigar with a rich and creamy wrapper. Easy draw with a great deal of thick smoke. Fairly even burn with minor issues. Medium-full flavor, consistent and well balanced. Heavy cedar flavors with spice through the nose.
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Bryan - Arturo Fuente Don Carlos07/17/2006
Don Carlos Presidente (6.5"x50): Silky smooth, oily and toothy with a dark aromatic wrapper. Amazing pull with a burst of flavor and lots of smoke. Subtle sweetness with a very tight flake-less ash, very smooth flavor. Very consistent, slightly bitter 2nd half but faded away. Medium to full flavor with a smooth body. Solid cigar.
Don Carlos Double Robusto (5.75"x52): Toothy, oily, with a silky smooth wrapper, excellent vein construction. Milky smooth start with thick smoke. Slightly tight pull but a lot of flavor. Earthy aroma and sweet on the palate. Slightly uneven burn. Very consistent body and aromas. Not the best of the line.
Don Carlos No. 2 (6.0"x55): Toothy, silky smooth with a dark wrapper, solid to the touch. Effortless draw with a very rich aroma. Smooth thick smoke with a dark gray ash, some floral notes. Not too sweet on the palate. Not the greatest burn but complex, consistent and balanced.
Don Carlos No. 3 (5.5"x44): Oily, Toothy, silky and a slightly veiny wrapper that’s solid to the touch. Effortless draw with a mellow start. Filler burned slightly slower than binder and wrapper. Very consistent, slightly complex without too much development. Well balanced, medium all around, foot to nub. Very consistent Don Carlos character and flavor.
Don Carlos Belicoso (5.38"x52): Oily, toothy with nice leaf construction. Very consistent flavor. Slightly uneven burn, fixed itself. Long flakey ash that fell fairly flush with foot. Slightly sweet aroma and finish, very rich flavors and well balanced. Fairly consistent the whole way through with a gradual build in body down to the nub.
Don Carlos Robusto (5.25"x50): Oily, seamless, toothy, slightly veiny wrapper. Effortless draw with lots of smoke. Soft start with lots of flavor. Even burn with a sweet aroma. A little spice on finish, thick smoke. Tight, solid ash that fell flush with the foot. Very consistent with a gradual build in body.
Don Carlos No. 4 (5.13"x43): Smooth, seamless, oily and toothy wrapper. Easy draw with lots of smoke and a tight dark ash. Excellent burn and construction. Slight spice developed, great aroma. Slight tar build up near the end. Very consistent the whole way through, great cigar and a great size for the blend -
Sean G - Punch Rare Corojo07/05/2006
Rothschild (4.5"x50): Smooth oily wrapper with cedar pre-light aroma. Slow pull with some burn issues throughout. Gradual build in body and aroma finishing medium to full. Wood and nut flavors, slightly too much work but yielded excellent flavors.
Pita (6.1"x50): Dark and toothy wrapper. Slightly tighter draw but produced a lot of smoke. Spice through nose and on palate. Rich aroma and heavy wood notes. Consistent and complex filling the palate with flavor and texture.
El Doble (6.0"x60): Toothy with a reddish brown wrapper. Rich aromas off of the first puff and consistent. Some burn issues throughout. Cool on the palate with some spice on the finish. Burn evens out with a little patience, otherwise wrapper went up like a fuse. Cedar and wood notes predominant.
Double Corona (6.7"x48): Dark and oily, gorgeous wrapper. Excellent burn and draw with an ash that fell even with the foot. Very consistent with a gradual build in character with nut and cedar tones. Well balanced and complex.
Magnum (5.1"x54): Dark and oily wrapper. Smooth draw with a lot of smoke and a sweeter flavor on the palate. Spice through nose and a gradual build in body. Even burn with an ash that fell flush with the foot. Slow smoking with a rich and robust flavor and aroma.
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