TacoSauce NC Diary

[TacoSauce]

Black Works Studio Limited Edition S&R Corona Larga (+): An interesting looking stick with a barber-pole wrapper and a tightly coiled pigtail on the cap. The pre-light aroma is mostly rich wood. The cold draw has the slightly off-putting, solventy note of a room full of old paint cans. After lighting, the cigar opens at a full body and the first half has intense notes of wood, pepper, and bitterness. The bitterness is intense, but fades very quickly making it tolerable. Interestingly, this cigar has full intensity, but the flavors delivered are very different than most other full-bodied cigars. There is no earth, or char flavors to be found here. Occasionally, I get a note of old paint -- which is intense and not enjoyable. The second half adds a dark nutty flavor on top of the existing flavors. An interesting and novel stick which aficionados of full-bodied stick would probably enjoy. However, this profile isn't for me.

[TomsRibs210]

On 7/8/2024 at 2:14 PM, TacoSauce said:

EGM Robustos (-): A nice looking stick I picked up as a single from an EGM order. Minimal pre-light aroma. The cold draw reminds me of the smell of a freshly opened box of cheap, consumer-grade fireworks. Strange, but nice. After lighting, the cigar opens with a strong woody flavor. By the 1/4 inch point a strong bitterness starts that ramps up quickly. By the 1/2 inch point the profile was entirely that of intensely bitter construction lumber. Awful. I couldn't get any farther and tossed the stick at the 3/4 inch point. If someone wanted to make a joke stick that epitomized the worst aspects of a Dominican puro, this would be what they would create. Worst cigar so far of 2024. 100% garbage.

Had been curious because of the non-stop promotion on EGM social media. Thanks for the review!

[TomsRibs210]

On 9/20/2024 at 11:28 AM, TacoSauce said:

Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua Sonata Maestro Torpedo (+++): A recommendation from the Lizards' podcast. I have previously tried the Expressivo from Aging Room, and found it to be very flavorful, but a touch to intense. The Sonata is a well packed stick with a dark brown, handsome wrapper. Pre-light aroma reminds me of a leather chair and the cold draw has a slight chemical or plastic note that is a bit off-putting. After lighting the cigar opens just above medium-full body and the initial flavors are wood and milk chocolate. The first third is more intense than I like with a retrohale that can only be tolerated in tiny puffs. Thankfully, starting the second third the cigar settles down somewhere between medium and medium-full. The retrohale smooths out and the flavor shifts to milk chocolate and cappuccino with a bit of wood in the background. These flavors meld together to give a fantastic experience. The construction is excellent and the cigar burns at a slow pace. It gets too hot at the final inch and so I end it there. Recommended.

For this cigar alone, I was glad I started the Lounge Lizards podcast. Even after the podcast I was bearish on trying it. How wrong I was. Great review of great cigar. 

[TomsRibs210]

On 10/16/2023 at 5:09 PM, TacoSauce said:

Dunbarton Muestra de Saka Exclusivo (+): I purchased 5 singles from Dunbarton -- one from each of their main lines. The first 4 were all awful. Construction was so bad that they were either completely unsmokable despite a thorough treatment with the PerfectDraw, or they were barely smokable, but disgusting, bitter, and harsh due to poor draw. I would recommend Swisher Sweets over any of these cigars, they were that bad. Not hyperbole to say that two of these were the worst cigars I have *ever* tried to smoke. In each case, I tossed the Dunbarton stick and smoked a Drew Estates stick ordered from the same vendor, at the same time, and stored under identical conditions (65% Boveda in a wooden humidor): each of the Drew Estates smoked flawlessly.

The final stick from this set was the Exclusivo. When I took this one out of the humidor, I noticed that the upper half of the wrapper had developed multiple 2- to 3-inch long vertical splits. You could tell from gently squeezing the cigar that the upper half was overpacked and this was causing the wrapper to crack/split. I purchased some PerfectGlue and ended up painting the entire top half of the cigar to try to "fix" the issues. After drying, I cut the cap and Hallelujah, there was a decent draw! The first third was mild-medium and unoffensive. The remainder of the stick, however, developed a sweetness and mustiness that was very nice. Despite the happy ending, I will not be revisiting anything from this brand. While Steve Saka might have some skill in blending, it is clear he knows squat about construction. Hard to imagine a NC shop could have worse QC than Tabacuba, but Dunbarton manages to pull it off!

 

EDIT: I was asked about how long these sticks had acclimated after purchase, since they may have arrived over-humidified. For the 4 sticks that smoked terribly, they were stored using 65% Boveda in a wooden humidor for a minimum of 4 weeks before the first one was smoked. The last of those 4 duds was probably smoked after 8 weeks of acclimation. These were purchased with a huge order of singles that all arrived and were stored together. The Dunbartons were the only ones that had this issue.

I took a nine year break from smoking cigars before restarting in March 2024, and in that time Steve Saka became a niche superstar. I really want to like his products because I like his persona but beyond Sobremesa Brûlée Blue, it’s not my wheelhouse. I’ve tried all product lines in some vitola or another but it feels like those Magic Eye posters when everyone saw some hidden object but I didn’t. 

[TacoSauce]

Black Works Studio NBK Corona Larga (++): A 6x46 stick with a closed foot - love the size! The aroma off the wrapper was wood bark and a slight canned fruit note. The cold draw also gave the same canned fruit note. After lighting, the cigar opened just under medium-full and the flavor was varnish and earth. Initially the retrohale was too strong to enjoy, but it settled down and was manageable after one inch. At this point, some black coffee and a pronounced date-like flavor joined. The date flavor is the star here and was delicious. In the final third, the body jumped to just above medium-full. The date flavor disappeared and the dominant flavors were now varnish and petrachor. I didn't like this new profile so I tossed the stick at this point. For the duration with the date flavor, this was excellent and '+++' worthy, however the last third ruined the experience for me.

[TacoSauce]

Sanj Patel Industry Killer Deluxe Habano (++): Had the Cameroon previously, and now trying the Habano. Like the Cameroon stick I tried, this is a strangely spongey stick. It is likely under-packed and probably intentionally so. Pre-light aroma and cold draw are both baseball glove leather. After lighting, this stick opens at a mild-medium body and the flavor is mostly pencil shavings. As I get further into the first third, the pencil shavings disappear and the flavor shifts entirely to roasted nuts. It maintained this profile until the last inch, when a nice note of smoked meat joined. It stayed mild-medium until the end. The light packing made this cigar smoke a bit fast and slightly hot, but it didn't reach the point where it was considered a detriment. This was a very good, albeit one-dimensional experience. I liked the Cameroon version a little more than this one.

[TacoSauce]

PuroExpress Bespoke Bespoke 48 (+): A fat shorty coming in around 4.25 inches and 48 ring gauge. This was shared with me by FOHer @trader1974. It arrived with no band or identifying info, so I was smoking it blind. It has a pigtail and a closed foot. Absolutely no aroma from the wrapper pre-light and only a faint sourness on the cold draw. The wrapper feels a little crunchy even though it has been stored for months at 65%. All this taken together makes me think that this stick has quite a bit of age on it. After lighting the cigar opens just under medium-full. There are black pepper, charred wood, fudge, and dried stone-fruit flavors from the start. Pepper and wood is dominant with the fruit note showing up just on the edge. The fudge notes are gone after the first inch. This stick produces a crazy amount of smoke and the smoke has a thick and slightly gritty texture -- this is different and kind of fun. The body builds to just over medium-full by the end, but the flavor notes stay consistent. Overall, this was an interesting smoke, too much punch & pepper to make me want to go back for another.

[trader1974]

4 hours ago, TacoSauce said:

PuroExpress Bespoke Bespoke 48 (+): A fat shorty coming in around 4.25 inches and 48 ring gauge. This was shared with me by FOHer @trader1974. It arrived with no band or identifying info, so I was smoking it blind. It has a pigtail and a closed foot. Absolutely no aroma from the wrapper pre-light and only a faint sourness on the cold draw. The wrapper feels a little crunchy even though it has been stored for months at 65%. All this taken together makes me think that this stick has quite a bit of age on it. After lighting the cigar opens just under medium-full. There are black pepper, charred wood, fudge, and dried stone-fruit flavors from the start. Pepper and wood is dominant with the fruit note showing up just on the edge. The fudge notes are gone after the first inch. This stick produces a crazy about of smoke and the smoke has a thick and slightly gritty texture -- this is different and kind of fun. The body build to just over medium-full by the end, but the flavor notes stay consistent. Overall, this was an interesting smoke, too much punch & pepper to make me want to go back for another.

I was very interested in getting your take on these. I thought they were pretty good, especially for the price point. Much like yourself, I found these to be a little "different", but not quite sure why. I really like the size on these. Thanks for the review.

[TacoSauce]

Dapper El Borracho San Andreas Toro BP (++): Another stick from Dapper. I've had mixed experiences from this blender so far. This is a sizable stick with a nice looking wrapper. Pre-light aroma is strong barnyard and the cold draw reminds me of walking through the lumber section at the hardware store. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium body and the first third is a familiar Nicaraguan flavor profile of sourness, wood, and orange peel. I can't pinpoint where I've tasted this profile before, but it is familiar. The retro is easy and enjoyable. In the second third, a creaminess and raspberry note joins on top of the other flavors. This combination suggests a creamy fruit smoothie and is superb. In the final third, the body kicks up a little and charred wood begins to dominate the flavor profile with the creaminess dropping out. Overall, the first third was enjoyable but generic, the second third was a top-notch flavor experience, and the final third disappointed. I'll be trying another one of these to see if I can duplicate that middle-section experience.

[TacoSauce]

Black Works Studio Paper Crane Corona Gorda BP (+): This is an interesting looking CT stick. It has a unique oval press and is way shorter than most Corona Gordas. The pre-light aroma off of the wrapper has a faint canned fruit note that seems to be present in other Black Works Studio sticks. Nothing on the cold draw. After lighting, the cigar opens with a mild body and the initial flavor is tissue paper and a slightly sweet cereal note. The flavor profile remained unchanged for the entire smoke with the body reaching mild-medium by the end. Decent for a mild CT stick, but not much going on to interest a seasoned smoker.

[TacoSauce]

Rojas Bluebonnets Mareva (++): I smoked the Corona Gorda in this blend previously and wasn't impressed. However, given how much these sticks are beloved by other CC smokers looking for NC alternatives, I wanted to give it another try. This time I chose the smaller Mareva vitola. Pre-light aroma had a very tangy aroma. The cold draw gave nothing other than a faint sugar candy-like note. After lighting, the cigar opened at medium full. The initial flavor was toasted cedar which quickly faded and was replaced by tree bark, dark chocolate and black coffee. The retrohale was too intense to enjoy at this point. After the first inch, the cigar settled down a bit and the retrohale could be managed in small portions. In the second half of the cigar, the flavors started to meld together more harmoniously and the profile reminded me of the Rojas KSG, but woodier and less fruity. Notably, this cigar had the most even burn of any cigar I've smoked this year. This stick was much better than my experience with the Corona Gorda and I see now why people like them. However, the intensity of this stick is several fold greater than any CC, so I don't agree that this stick is at all Cubanesque.

[TacoSauce]

Tatuaje Conoju 2006 (++): Another Tatuaje courtesy of @trader1974 A rustic looking belicoso with absolutely nothing coming from the pre-light wrapper or the cold draw. After lighting, the cigar opens at medium-full with some mild pepper, coffee, and popcorn notes to start. After the first half inch, the flavor profile settles into a nice butterscotch and bread profile with a lot of the flavor coming through on the retrohale. Interestingly, while the overall experience coming from the cigar is medium-full, I would say the flavor delivery is only at a medium level. The remainder of the intensity comes from the sensation on the lips from the wrapper and an intensity from the smoke. At the half-way point, occasional sweet and fruit notes join making things interesting. This stick brought a lot more complexity and a broader range of flavor notes than most other sticks in the Tatuaje lines that I've tried.

[TacoSauce]

Charter Oak Connecticut Rothschild (+): A solid-feeling stick with a smoooooooth CT wrapper. Pre light aroma reminded me of a new leather wallet. Only a faint wood note on the cold draw. After lighting, the body opened at mild-medium and the flavor profile was that of cream, black pepper, and pine wood. Occasionally, a grain note came through which was nice. All in, this is mild-ish CT stick with enough flavor to set it apart from most other CT sticks. I would rank the Undercrown Shade higher than this one.

[TacoSauce]

Dapper Siempre Sungrown Robusto (+): A dark looking robusto from Dapper. The wrapper is so toothy that it feels like a cat's tongue when you run your finger across it. The aroma off the wrapper has only a paper smell and the cold draw gives off a slightly sweet dried fruit note. After lighting the cigar opens at medium-full and the first third tastes of bittersweet charred wood. It isn't great. In the second third an aged and musty flavor joins which makes the overall flavor experience better -- enjoyable even. In the final third the charred wood flavor expands to include the blackened skin of a bell peper that has spent too long on the grill. While these final flavors were certainly interesting, the body is full by this point and too intense for me.

[TacoSauce]

Black Works Studio Killer Bee Petite Corona (+++): I've had this stick before in the CT wrapper and found it to be "just okay." This one is the normal, much darker wrapper. Aroma off the pre-light wrapper is pungent, spicy, varnished wood. It was hard to get much from the cold draw as this stick had a closed foot that prevented airflow. After lighting, the stick opened above medium body and the initial flavor was cocoa powder, dark wood, and a mystery savory flavor that I haven't experienced in a cigar before. Very intriguing. By the second third, the body was down to medium, but the flavor was still punchy and interesting. The burn, smoke output and retrohale were all performing well. In this stage, the mystery savory note partially resolved into a nutty flavor, but there was still some part of the flavor that seemed separate and unidentifiable. Really a stand-out cigar. I intend to smoke many more of these -- hopefully this will enable me to nail down the mystery flavor note.

[TacoSauce]

Micallef Experiencia La Crema (+): A giant 7 x 52 stick with a nice looking natural wrapper. This is another one of those sticks that showed up in my humidor without me remembering why or how I purchased it. I usually don't smoke sticks this big. Pre-light aroma has a very light leather note. Cold draw is also very light and is slightly reminiscent of a generic, made-from-a-box-mix vanilla cupcake. After lighting, the cigar opens with mild-medium body. The initial flavor was all light chocolate milk -- nice. The chocolate milk disappeared as soon as it arrived and was replaced by a bitter and astringent wood profile. Uh oh, had I accidentally lit a Dominican puro?! Nope, but this stick does have some Dominican filler. I was getting close to tossing this stick, but at the one inch mark, the bitterness was replaced by a little cream and a raspberry note at the edges. This new profile was still mild-medium and mostly pleasant. No changes for the rest of the stick. I was bored with it in the final third and tossed the stick with 2 inches remaining.

[TacoSauce]

Dapper La Madrina Habano Robusto (-): This stick sports a handsome dark brown wrapper that looks more chocolate than maduro. Pre-light aroma vaguely smells of soil. The cold draw has a faint hint of beef bouillon (without the saltiness). After lighting, the cigar opens with a full body. However, the flavor isn't full bodied; in fact, on some draws, there is no discernible flavor at all. The overall experience is so intense it isn't pleasant. When you get a draw that delivers flavor, it is is of overly-burnt nuts. By itself, it is an interesting flavor. However, it can't compensate for the otherwise unpleasant intensity. I didn't make it even to the half-way point: stick tossed.

[TacoSauce]

Ozgener Family Firsat F52 (+): A rubusto-sized stick that weighs almost nothing in the hand. It has a lumpy box press and this stick had a big chunk of the wrapper missing which was initially hidden by the foot band. A strange indole scent on the wrapper and nothing notable on the cold draw. After lighting, the cigar opened at a mild-medium level and the predominate flavors were light leather and light coffee notes. The delivery of these flavors did have some Cubanesque character (but no real twang). Big issue is that the draw was so open and easy that the cigar burned hot. This was manageable in the first half with slow puffing, but in the second half caused a bitterness that wouldn't go away. Stick was tossed at the mid-way point. The first half was interesting so this manages to retain a single '+'.

[TacoSauce]

Armistice Commemorative Series First Edition Salomone (-): A monster-sized stick that feels well constructed for being a massive figurado. The pre-light wrapper gives off an intoxicating hot-fudge aroma. Not much from the cold-draw, which makes sense given that the foot of the cigar is practically closed off. After lighting, the cigar opens with a mild body and there is just a faint note of wood and fudge. Even after the tapered foot burned away, it is still hard to get much smoke through the stick, even though the draw doesn't feel obviously plugged. I kept cutting more and more off the head of the cigar until I reached about a 48 ring gauge. This helped a little, but there still wasn't great smoke output. Also, there wasn't much flavor and the flavor that came through definitely had that "under-combusted" taste. I gave the stick another inch and since there was no improvement I tossed the remaining 5 1/2 inches directly into the trash.

[TacoSauce]

Vega Fina Master 2012 (+++): A 5 x 52 Robusto sized stick with a darkish wrapper. Pre-light aroma was spicy wood and the cold draw had no discernible taste, but was very tingly on the lips. After lighting, the cigar opened just under medium-full and the initial flavor was charred meat. That flavor disappeared after the first 1/4 inch and was replaced by a slightly burnt English dessert pudding with cinnamon, bread, and a little vanilla. Delicious! In the second half, the baking spices became more prominent and the profile was joined by a mustiness and slight cooling sensation. A top notch dessert cigar experience until the end. It reminded me of some of the flavors that came off of the CAO BX3, but delivered at a more intense level. Recommended.

[TacoSauce]

Tatuaje Escasos E (+++): I received this stick as part of a Pay-it-forward exchange with @gormag38. A nice looking lancero stick. After cutting, the remaining cap as well as the wrapper hear the head tore open -- apparently because it was too tightly packed in that region. Nothing a little cigar glue couldn't easily restore. Absolutely nothing off either the pre-light aroma or the cold draw. After lighting, the cigar opened at a mild-medium body with a light coffee, wood, and the classic Tatuaje fried corn chip notes. Very smooth, even on the retrohale. A nice start. In the second third, some lemon peel and berry notes joined along with some sweet cream. Top notch! I had to put the cigar down at the transition point to the final third and it extinguished. After re-lighting, the cream and fruit was gone, but a nice nutty note joined. It ended at a solid medium body. An excellent experience and my favorite Tatuaje to date.

[TacoSauce]

Sanj Patel Industry Killer Deluxe Maduro (++): Had the Cameroon and Habano versions previously, and now trying the Maduro. This stick feels more well-packed than the previous two, which is nice. Pre-light aroma and cold draw are both spicy suede leather. After lighting, this stick opens just under medium bodied and the flavor is light earth and vanilla cream. The cigar immediately starts to canoe and it is clear that there are unfilled channels. Despite this, there are segments where the smoke output and flavor experience is top notch '+++' worthy. There is a section about half-way through where I can't get the cigar to remain lit and the flavors go sideways. Finally, the last third behaves similarly to the first third with a frustrating burn, but some amazing flavors. The flavor profile of this stick when it is burning correctly is superb and would have qualified this stick for a '+++' rating, but the construction and burn were atrocious. Given my experience with the other two sticks in this line and given that these are cheap sticks, I worry that it might be impossible to find a correctly rolled version of these. A shame because the flavor profile is excellent.

[TacoSauce]

Sanj Patel Industry Killer Deluxe Connecticut (+): This is the last of the wrapper varieties to try in this blend. Pre-light aroma and cold draw are both spicy suede leather -- very similar to the other wrapper types. After lighting, this stick opens at a mild-medium body and the flavor is sweet bread with the occasional nutty note. This profile remains unchanged until the final third where some bitterness creeps in. The bitterness became the predominate flavor and so I tossed this stick early. While the first two thirds of this cigar represent a notable entry into the world of NC CT sticks, I found it to be a little mild and monotonous for me. This one ranks last place among the 4 wrapper types in this blend.

[TacoSauce]

Curivari Reserva Limitada Reserva 2000 Robusto (++): This was a favorite brand of mine from years ago before I was exposed to CCs. This is a *solidly* built stick. So much so that I was worried it would be plugged. However, after cutting, the draw has no issues. The pre-light aroma is strangely of sour cheese. The cold draw has a light note of chicken bouillon. After lighting, the cigar opens just under a medium body and the initial flavor is of sweet bread. As the cigar develops, there are some nutty flavors that occasionally join. This flavor profile was consistent for the entire smoke; and while this wasn't especially complex, the experience felt very refined and satisfying. Notably, even though the body started at medium and ended at medium-full, the flavor delivery felt like it was mostly in the bass spectrum -- making the cigar feel heavier than expected. This reminded me of how a Trinidad Coloniales delivers a heavy-bass experience which makes it distinct. Even thought he flavors aren't a match, this stick might be the Trinidad version of the NC world from a flavor delivery perspective.

[TacoSauce]

Vega Fina Toro (-): I've had a couple of the Vega Fina derivative blends, but this is my first tasting of the original/main Vega Fina blend. Pre-light aroma has a faint paper bag aroma. The cold draw has a very slight sweetness. After lighting there is immediately a strong sweet wood flavor which is a nice opener. The body of the cigar is mild-medium. By the 1/2 inch point a Dominican bitterness stars to creep in. The heavy dose of sweetness helps balance this out at first, but by the half-way point the bitterness dominates and I tossed the stick.