TacoSauce NC Diary

[TacoSauce]

Illusione Rothchildes Connecticut (++): A well constructed robusto perhaps with some age on it as the cello was deeply stained yellow after I removed the cigar. Pre-light aroma was peppery paper bags and the cold draw reminded me of walking into a school pool room after the pool had been drained for maintenance. After lighting, the cigar opened above medium body -- which was surprising for a CT stick. The flavor notes were white pepper, paper, and some almond at the edges. At the half way point I started getting the occasional burst of caramel, which was nice. A solid CT experience that delivered flavors with more body than most CT sticks -- a nice change from the norm, but this stick doesn't beat the Desert Rose Lonsdale or the Undercrown Shade.

[TacoSauce]

Xhaxhi Bobi Mi Hermano (++): This is the last of these small 4 x 43 short smoke sticks I received in a Xhaxhi Bobi sampler. I get sneaker leather off of the pre-light wrapper and fruit skins on the cold draw. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium body and the flavor is a nice mix of mild leather, cookie, and dried berry notes. This stays unchanged for the remainder of the smoke. Very nice and a great short smoke for the cold weather. All of these little Xhahi sticks are great choices for cold weather smoking. Nothing overly complex, but a good range of profiles for a quick smoke in the cold.

[TacoSauce]

Foundation The Tabernacle Corona (+++): I've had the Habano seed version in lancero before, but this is my first tasting with the original wrapper. A handsome stick that doesn't come in cello. The pre-light aroma is muted and the cold draw has just a hint of sweet woodiness. After lighting, the cigar opens at medium body and the flavor is a woody bread pudding. After the first inch, the flavors meld together better and the overall experience is reminiscent of a chocolate granola bar with a lot of aged tobacco character. Top notch flavor delivery. My only wish is that it was a touch sweeter. Great construction and burn, even on a windy day. Over the course of the smoke, the body did inch up, but never quite made it to medium-full. Excellent.

[TacoSauce]

Foundation Charter Oak Maduro Rothschild (++): A shorter stick well-suited for the colder weather. The pre-light aroma is of spicy sawdust. Not much on the cold draw due to the closed foot impeding air flow. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium body and the initial flavors are black pepper and sweet cedar. Once into the second third, the flavor has evolved to be wood bark, sweet cedar, and a little salt. This is a great combo that lasts until the end. Nothing fancy here, but the flavor profile and delivery were excellent.

[TacoSauce]

Emilio Cigars LJZ Lonsdale (+++): Previously, a vendor sent me an Emilio LJZ Robusto single as a substitute for a cigar that was out of stock. It was on the heavier side bodywise, but it was very flavorful. This is my second tasting of this blend -- this time in Lonsdale format. The pre-light wrapper aroma is reminiscent of wicker furniture and the cold draw has a faint note of a leather goods store. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium-full body with a core leather flavor and some burnt notes at the edges. After settling in, the retrohale becomes manageable and pleasant and a delightful fresh fruit note joins with a little sweetness. The fruit is some hybrid of cherry and peach. This profile is maintained to the end. This profile is a little bolder than what I usually go for, but the leather/fruit combo is unique and is done very well.

[TacoSauce]

My Father Fonseca Petite Corona (++): I tried the Cosacos before and loved it. This is a smaller vitola form the same line. The pre-light aroma reminds me of the woody and green aromas that you get from a flower arrangement. Nothing but a slight sweet note from the cold draw. After lighting the cigar opens just under medium-full bodied -- a bolder experience than the Cosacos, which might be explained by the smaller ring gauge. There is much more pepper in this vitola. I get black pepper as well as cayenne as dominate flavors, but these don't overwhelm. Beyond the pepper there is also a nutty/woody note throughout. Overall, this was a satisfying short smoke for the colder weather, but this isn't as good or an nuanced as the Cosacos.

[TacoSauce]

Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No.3 Natural (+++): A great Corona-sized stick with a handsome, dark Cameroon wrapper. Pre-light aroma is a potent hit of wood and brown sugar. The cold draw has notes of sweet, varnished furniture. After lighting, the stick opens above medium body and the flavor notes are almond, wood, and a slight cotton candy note from the wrapper. The second third melds these together with a toasted bread note to give the impression of an almond croissant. This profile remains until the end where the body had increased to just under medium-full. A fantastic smoke that embodies the best of the Fuente blends.

[TacoSauce]

La Unica #500 Maduro (-): La Unica was the first line of cigars that I found and enjoyed when I discovered cigars years ago, so this brand has a special place for me. I've had the natural version multiple times in the past, but never the maduro. Pre-light aroma is a faint hint of barnyard and the cold draw has a slight  fruit cocktail note. The draw is on the tighter side. After lighting the cigar opens at mild-medium and the flavor has a pretty generic sweet maduro profile. I'm not getting very much smoke from this stick as the draw seems to be restricting airflow, and I didn't have any of my tools available to try. The tight draw also caused tar to start to accumulate at the head. In the final two inches the draw loosened up and the flavor intensified, but it was too late at this point since too much bitter tar had accumulated. I tossed the stick at this point. Given this performance I have to give this a '-' rating, however my affinity for La Unica will make me try again with a maduro stick.

[TacoSauce]

Aladino Cameroon Lonsdale (++): I tried the robusto vitola in this blend previously and wasn't impressed. I had to try again because there was a Lonsdale available. This was a medium-bodied smoke with a profile that is predominately paprika / bell pepper and toasted tobacco. There is the tiniest bit of woody sweetness coming from the Cameroon wrapper. This is a stark contrast to the Fuente Cameroons which always have a nice cotton candy sweetness. I wonder if this is related to the difference between Cameroon leaf coming from Ecuador vs Cameroon proper. At times, this stick did remind me of a bell pepper forward CC -- which is a nice merit. Overall, it comes up short if I compare it to a Fuente Cameroon, but if I evaluate it on its individual merits alone, it is a nice experience and I would have it again.

[TacoSauce]

Alec Bradley Tempus Terra Novo Natural (++): I found this stick years ago at a point where I was ready to abandon my interest in cigars. It became one of my favorites at that point and kept me in the game by giving me a new understanding of Honduran tobacco. Since then Alec Bradley was acquired by the big boys and the blends have changed a bit, but it is still one I keep in my humidor. This stick had a sawdust note on the pre-light wrapper and a faint sweet/dried fruit note on the cold draw. After lighting, it opened at a mild-medium level and the flavor was light, sweet cedar. As it developed bread and a very faint chocolate note joined. In the final third the body was up to a medium level and the sweetness intensified. Construction and burn were flawless. There is nothing fancy here, but it delivers a solid flavor profile that is cuban-adjacent for the entire duration. I still love these sticks.

[TacoSauce]

El Rey del Mundo Rectangulares Natural (+++): My second tasting of this blend in the same vitola. I really enjoyed it the first time. This time I didn't get much of anything from the pre-light aroma or the cold draw. This was sitting in my humidor for about a year before I got to it so perhaps it mellowed a bit. After lighting, the cigar opened at a mild-medium body and the flavor was light cedar, light earth, and a light cinnamon spice immediately on the draw. Same as before, the finish is very short-lived. At the halfway point, the body increases to medium, with each of the flavors bumping up in intensity. This was a milder/mellower experience than the first stick I tried, but I still really enjoyed the profile. The satisfaction to price ratio for these is off the charts.

[TacoSauce]

Padron 1964 Anniversary Corona Natural (+): I bought a 5-pack of these back in 2021. I smoked one and found it to be too punchy and peppery and so I left the rest in the coolidor. Four years later I am going back and having the second one. By this point there is nothing notable from the pre-light aroma or cold draw. After lighting, the cigar opens just above medium body and notably there is almost no pepper or punch. The flavor in the first third is straightforward, aged tobacco. The second third gets sweeter with a light caramel note and some dry walnut flavor. In the final third, the body jumps to medium-full and the flavor profile goes back to straight aged tobacco with an added bitterness. I found the second third to be a very nice experience, but the other 2/3rds were not interesting. This further confirms my long-held opinion that there isn't much above the standard 1000 series Padron that is worth the $$.