TacoSauce NC Diary

[TacoSauce]

Padron Family Reserve #45 Natural (+): I've never had anything from the Family Reserve line. A recent Lizard's podcast made me source some singles. The pre-light aroma had a popcorn note and the cold draw had a faint note of used dryer sheets. The draw of this cigar was wide open. Absolutely zero resistance. As the cigar didn't feel underpacked, I think this is just the typical Padron roll. After lighting, the stick opened just under medium-full. The initial flavor was all fried corn chips and wood shavings with a bit of a oily tang coming off the wrapper. Due to the open draw, I had to smoke this one slowly. No real changes or transitions over the course of the cigar. By the end, the body was just over medium-full. Throughout, the retrohale was prickly and so was avoided. Overall, this was an uninteresting stick and a huge disappointment given the price. Even if this was a $5 stick, I would have no desire to revisit.

[TacoSauce]

Padron Family Reserve #50 Maduro (++): After trying the Family Reserve #45 in natural I was disappointed. Now I move on to the #50 in Maduro. Pre-light I'm getting zero aroma off the wrapper and zero on the cold draw, which is weird. At this point, I worry that all these Family Reserve lines have been aged for so long that they are nothing but paper at this point. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium-full level and the flavor over the first inch is toasted, aged tobacco with a tiny bit of sweetness. After the first inch, the sweetness increased and black coffee and earth notes join. These flavors all meld together giving a great experience that lasts until the end of the cigar. The retrohale is a bit too intense to do every puff, but can be managed in small doses every other puff or so. Great cigar overall. However, I'm not sure it is worth the price point. I'll probably try another and re-evaluate. 

[TacoSauce]

Oliva V Lancero (++): I found the Oliva V lancero years ago when Oliva was still an independent brand. I remember it as a medium-full-ish stick. This was notable because it was one of the only sticks at that intensity level that I enjoyed. This is my first tasting of this stick after several years. While the stick looks great, I notice that it feels under-filled. This is consistent with a comment make by @LizardGizmo on a recent Lizard podcast. The under-fill directly resulted in the cigar having a wonky burn and the need for constant relights -- a frustrating experience from that perspective. Flavor-wise the cigar was excellent, with a woody chocolate mousse profile predominating. However, the body of the cigar never went above medium. The intensity I remember from yesteryear was completely absent. I think this lighter profile better suits my taste. My overall experience parallels that described by others: the flavor profile is still worth pursuing for this stick, but the construction is awful.

[TacoSauce]

Rojas Bluebonnets Robusto (+): I have smoked the Corona Gorda and the Mareva in this blend previously and my interest was piqued enough to try the robusto. Pre-light aroma had punchy note that reminded me of slightly burnt chocolate chip cookies. The cold draw gave nothing other than a faint sweetness. After lighting, the cigar opened at medium body and the initial flavor was delicious cocoa powder that reminded me of the first few puffs from a Montecristo. The retrohale was easy and nice at this point. After the first half inch, the cocoa fades and the flavor settles on toasted tobacco and bitter wood. This lasted until the final inch and a half when a more intense chocolate re-joined. This last bit was nice and reminded me somewhat of the Rojas KSG. Construction wasn't great. Once side was slightly underpacked and so I fought a canoe for almost the entire stick. This vitola was much less intense than either the Mareva or the Corona Gorda, but the Mareva was definitely a better overall experience.

[TacoSauce]

Lars Tetens Phat Shorty Natural (-): I had the "Phat Royal" previously and was surprised that I enjoyed it. This is a slightly smaller vitola in the line. This stick has a giant band that looks like it was created by a 14-year old using Microsoft Paint. Similar to the Royal, there is the slightest whiff of patchouli off the wrapper and the cold draw has a faint hint of scented candle. The nice thing about this is that it is so faint and subtle that it is pleasant instead of nauseating. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium body with the initial flavor of velvety wood. A nice opening. Unfortunately the stick started canoeing in the first inch. The most serious and unrecoverable canoe I've experienced in a few years. The cigar devolved into a bitter disaster before hitting the second inch. I had to toss it.

[TacoSauce]

Black Works Studio Green Hornet Robusto (++): My second tasting of this blend. The first was the Corona Gorda -- I was impressed. This stick had the usual spiral of green candela wrapper at the cap and also as a thin band at the foot of the cigar. The pre-light aroma right after I removed the cellophane was potent and spicy. Not much coming off of the cold draw which makes sense since the foot was closed. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium body and the retrohale is immediately delicious. Once I get past the band of green wrapper the intensity kicks up slightly and the flavors are light earth and wood with the occasional burnt note. This profile is nothing complex, but the delivery and intensity is nice for a cool evening. In the final third, a sweet graham cracker flavor joins and the body ramps up to just under medium-full. Unlike my previous experience with the corona gorda, there was no ammonia blast at the end. A solid stick overall and would recommend.

[TacoSauce]

Southern Draw Rose of Sharon Desert Rose Lonsdale (+++): I think I had a Lancero version of this stick in the distant past. I wasn't keeping notes at the time, but remember liking it. This is the Lonsdale version of the slightly different "Desert Rose" blend. I have no idea what is the difference between the original "Rose of Sharon" and the "Rose of Sharon Desert Rose". This particular stick comes from a recommendation from @KCCubano. The aroma off the pre-light wrapper is intense! It reminds of opening a box of chocolate praline truffles. The cold draw is similar but more closely hints at peanut brittle. After lighting, the cigar opens at a solid medium with a strong almond butter flavor and some lip tingles coming off the wrapper. This nutty profile remains for the entire stick, but is joined by some toasted bread notes in the final third where the body almost reaches medium-full. The intensity and flavors coming from this stick are surprising given that it seems like it might be an ordinary CT stick before you light it up. One of the most flavorful CT sticks. I think this is better than the Undercrown shade.

[TacoSauce]

Rocky Patel Number 6 Robusto (+++): This is my second tasting of this cigar. I was impressed the first time, so here's to seeing if that was a fluke or not. Once again, I am flummoxed by the enormous band. Sure it stands out as something novel, but it is so large that you have to take the band off before you even get into the second third. Obnoxious. The pre-light aroma is woody with some floral and spicy aspects. The cold draw has a faint sweet raisin note. After lighting the cigar starts at a medium body and the retrohale is initially to intense to enjoy. The retrohale settles after the first 1/2 inch and is nice for the remainder of the stick.  In the first third, the flavor is sweet and floral cedar wood. At the half-way point pastry and coffee notes join with some citrus at the edges. The combined experience is of a fancy pastry from a high-end cafe. The sweetness is maintained throughout. No other changes. This was a great cigar. It seems fashionable to dunk on Rocky Patel cigars. I am guilty of it myself -- offering scorn on RP for having a million "different" blends that are all essentially the same thing. However, this is a flavorful cigar that I would recommend. I'm going to try the corona next.

[TacoSauce]

Ramon Bueso The Project Robusto (++): This is a favorite cigar of mine going back years before I had my first CC. This is a dark looking stick. Looking at the foot, all of the tobacco is a uniform dark color. It is solidly constructed, but still has a reasonable draw. Pre-light aroma has a slight earthy aspect. The cold draw is also faintly earthy. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium body with an easy retrohale. The flavor is light earth with some toasted tobacco at the edges. That's it for the entire smoke. Very simple, but I love it -- just classic, easy-going, Honduran tobacco. The flavors aren't Cuban, but the delivery and experience is certainly in the same ballpark. I still love this stick and it is a great deal at around $6 a smoke.

[TacoSauce]

H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon Corona (+): I had the Belicoso version of this stick a year ago and was impressed by its Cubanesque delivery. I bought this corona as a follow-up, but am just now getting to it. Nothing coming off the pre-light aroma or cold-draw. That is unusual since this had a cedar sleeve. After cutting the cap and appraising the bunched tobacco underneath, I notice that once side of the stick is packed much more densely than the other. Having seen the same thing from innumerable CCs, I recognize that this likely means draw trouble. Sure enough, the draw is way too tight and there are dense knots in the stick just above the band. Wow, a very Cubanesque experience so far! A few treatments with the PerfectDraw, and things seem to be manageable. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium body and there is a bit of a twang of sorts. However, while the smoke output is acceptable, I can tell from the taste that I'm not getting full combustion. You can tell by the slightly bitter, tar-like taste that creeps through -- again a very Cubanesque experience! By the second third, I've managed to massage the stick into a condition that minimizes (but doesn't eliminate) the slight tar taste. At this point, the flavor is slightly sweet Cameroon over a toasted bread background. Once I smoked it down to the point that intersected the PerfectDraw channel it got hot and I stopped it there. As much as I wanted to hate this cigar for all the grief it gave me, I really like the flavor profile towards the end. This one gets a single '+', but I think there is still promise with this blend, and so I will try another in a larger ring gauge.

[TacoSauce]

Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva 8-5-8 Natural (++): Another Cameroon wrapped Fuente, for which I am an enthusiast, so there is a bias going into this review. I get sweet cocoa and leather off the wrapper. The cold draw has a sweet raisin note. After lighting, the body is mild-medium and the flavor is sweet and nutty with some raisin notes at the edge. This is the profile for the entire stick. It is a classic Cameroon Fuente experience. No changes or anything that requires your attention, so you can focus on other tasks while smoking. A solid smoke!

[TacoSauce]

The Tabernacle Havana Seed CT #142 Lancero (+++): This has been sitting in the coolidor for a year. It is a fantastic looking stick. A deep brown wrapper with solid construction. Pre-light aroma has just a faint hint of leather and the cold draw has just a hint of dried plum. After-lighting, the cigar opens at a medium body and the retrohale is immediately smooth and flavorful. The first half of this stick has a tangy rosado flavor profile w/ the occasional dried stone-fruit note. I've always had trouble describing "rosado," but I am starting to understand that "Rosado wrapped" overlaps strongly with "Habano wrapped." In the second half, the body creeps up to medium-full and an extra musty/aged flavor joins. I also get a little bit of green peppercorn spice at the edges. Construction and burn were excellent -- even in 35 mph gusts. Recommended.