Buenaventura makes some good smokes. I plan to explor that line a little further. Nice reviews guys.

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Z-pak #2

Bout a 6x52-54 with a very well constructed , very dark wrapper and a nice triple cap.Opens with some white pepper which dissipates quickly as cocoa and leather take over.This continues thru the first third.The second third is much the same..........this cigar may be one dimensional but in a very good way.The final third is much the same but much richer.....more of a wet leather and milk chocolate at this point.My thoughts are this is a very good cigar.This stick screams Padron (Thousand Series) but the wrapper seemed different,less rustic than any Padron I have smoked.

I dug it and I would smoke it again but in a smaller vitola if available..........this stick would really shine in a 42-46 ring gauge IMO.


Thanks Jamie

From your lips to God’s ears.

Finally............Z-pak #3

This is a beautiful chestnut semi-pressed 6x52ish stick.Construction is spot on with a gorgeous triple cap.Not much on the pre light draw but it is perfect.........just the slightest redistance.Initial light is sweet tea,absolutely delicious sweet tea.In this first third the sweet tea opens up some stronger coffee notes intermingled with leather.By the second third the coffee notes progress to a sweet cappuccino........a stout sweet cappuccino dancing with leather.In the last third some black pepper kicks in and really over powers the earlier coffee notes.As the black pepper starts to settle dark chocolate and dark roasted black coffee kick in and last all the way to the nub.This was a very good cigar that I would smoke again,hopefully in a smaller vitola,I think a robusto might be perfect.


Thanks Jamie..............much appreciated Brother

Nice reviews Ron and appreciate your willingness to step outside your norms.

Cigar #1
Wrapper Sumatra
Origin Honduras

Pile on the pleasure!

CAO took their time with this one. Initially, CAO introduced pilón fermented tobaccos in 2015 with the 90-rated CAO Pilón. The pilón process creates premium leaves that are rich and smooth with a touch of spice, that are worth the wait. Despite CAO using a process that takes longer to cure their leaves, they added in an additional two years of aging that provides a well-balanced experience.

The name Pilón Añejo roughly translates into "aged pile," which is a technique that has been around since the 19th century to cure tobacco. Rick Rodriguez, CAO’s blender, choose a new blend for this release. A combination of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers bound by a Honduran binder. To complete this well-aged cigar, CAO went with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. This cigar clocks in with a medium-full profile and is great to pair with rye, rum, or porter! Only 5,000 boxes were made, so you need to grab these today if you want to give these a try!

(Every day)


Cigar #2

Wrapper Maduro, Nicaraguan
Origin Nicaragua

Additions worth the wait!

To celebrate 20 years of the Perdomo Reserve line being on the market, Perdomo Cigars wanted to create an addition to the line that honored their brand and its history. In addition to their new sun-grown version, they went above and beyond and created Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Box-Pressed Maduro too.

These Maduro treasures are a beautiful box-pressed Nicaraguan puro that utilizes six-year aged Cuban-seed Nicaraguan wrappers and filler tobaccos hand picked from their prestigious farms in Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa Valley for the blend. The wrapper is a Maduro Nicargauan leaf, that has been bourbon barrel aged 14 months and produces a medium to full-bodied blend with notes of a natural sweetness with hints of dark cocoa and espresso. You're gonna be back for more. Trust us!

(Mid tier)

Cigar #3


Wrapper Nicaraguan
Origin Nicaragua

Joya turns 50

50 years is a long time. You don’t believe me? Let’s journey back to 1968 – the year the oldest cigar factory in Nicaragua was established. The Beatles were still a band, the legal drinking age was 18, gas was 34 cents, and the internet wasn’t even a thing. While all this has changed, Joya de Nicaragua has been perfecting the craft of premium handmade cigars. 50 years of accumulated knowledge, experience, and resilience all come full circle with the Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Decadas.

This cigar celebrates an impressive milestone, so the Joya team worked tirelessly to create a Nicaraguan cigar of unparalleled elegance. The blend has not been disclosed but we do know it’s a medium to full-bodied Nicaraguan puro made exclusively with the companies best extra-vintage leaves. Cinco Decadas was originally rolled up in two specially selected sizes – the Diadema and El General - the first sizes ever rolled at the factory. The Funadador was created to exhibit the best possible tobacco for this blend, and pays tribute to the founders of Joya de Nicaragua. Quantities of these special cigars are very limited, and it's only a matter of time before they're gone. Grab a box today, and toast to 50 years with some of the best tobacco on the planet.

(Upper tier)

Unfortunately these blends don’t have size options, I’ve bitched to Nick before about it and he talked costs I in return asked why the Cameroon petite Coronas are so cheap then…..this is why I chose these for you though 2/3 I like a lot.

Yes I have bitched to Nick for years.............of all the cigars no longer available the P2 Torfecto's in the Cameroon (natural) wrapper are the most missed of all.

Anyway the Perdomo and the Joya were very good smokes,have to keep my eye on them and see if they decide to make a 50rg or down.


Thanks Brother

Part of time thinks Nick has stuck with 3 rg choices is covering the biggest demographic as possible and making the construction as fool proof as possible for QC sake’s.

The 10th maduro is a winner. Haven’t tried the other two in the review but yeah. If they had a toro in 50 I’d own some. It is a good blend. Very good

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I’d settle for a 50rg robusto……but a corona gorda or a lonsdale would be amazing.

I’ve been eying the Connecticut 10th on here. Are they good?

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I don’t generally smoke Connie’s when I do they’re usually Sobremesa Creme brûlée

I'd recommend giving that Isabela a try. It was an interesting one, especially for a connie

Some nice reviewing, gentlemens. The rest of you not so gentle types too

I do have some various Isabella stuff. Including the sparkle. It’s a Connie. Yeah I concur. Digging the reviews

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Blind Review #2
Cigar number 2 was a deep brown…darker than the 1st one. Box press. Seems to be a fairly loose roll, cigar is a little “squishy”…should draw nicely once lit. I got a distinct body wash type of smell to the cigar, pre-light. Pre-light tase has zero pepper to it. Used the V-cut and was able to inhale smooth and easy.

As I thought, very easy light and a very light draw produced a crap load (official term) of smoke.

1st Third had a very chocolatey taste…and was very easy to keep lit. At times a bit of bitterness would sneak through the chocolate.

2nd Third…the cigar really starts to come into its own. The occasional bitterness has completely gone away and now I just get a steady, smooth chocolatey flavor. Not overpowering and not overly chocolatey…just nice.

3rd third…no change to the flavor profile but as I got toward the nub it definitely was harder to draw. Used telecaster’s nub tool to finish it on up.

Overall, the cigar surprised me…started off with a bit of intermittent bitterness and then really hit its stride. It hit its stride so well that I totally forget to keep up on the notes.

I am going with the medium one for this one. It was good but really kept to one note.

Blind Review #3
Cigar number 3…very dark brown, showing some glue residue on a larger than average amount of the cigar. I am going to guess that the cigar had a large ring on it.

Pre-light there was a mild sweetness. Very easy cigar to light and had a ruler straight burn throughout the smoke.

1st third…I am having a lot of trouble trying to figure out the multitude of flavors. Unlike cigar #2, this one was jumping all over with different flavors. I am not very good at picking out the subtle flavors in cigar…seems to be the case on this one too.

2nd third…my normally shotty flavor recognition skills are beaten into submission. I am actually able to catch some of the flavors coursing through this cigar. I am definitely getting some chocolate, leather and hay. It is pretty hard to convey this “taste”. The taste “feels” like smooth leather. I know, doesn’t make sense but that it what kept coming to mind.

3rd third…flavor smooths out and some of the subtle hints have faded away. As I wrap up this cigar…the nicotine starts to sneak in and hit home.

Overall, this seems to be a bit more complex cigar than the other two.

I am going to say this is the high end cigar.

So, to recap…I went in order.
1. Low
2. Medium
3. High.

Delta, great selection of cigars. Thank you very much. I have a feeling that my guesses are going to suck but oh well, that is usually the case.

David.

I I enjoyed the reviews, David. I'm noticing a pattern of the reviewer thinking poorly of their own work, myself included, but the audience loving it.

Also, I was running the numbers and the chance of success in this exercise is not very high. The options are get them all correct, get them all wrong, or get one correct. 33% is still a failing grade and getting only two right is impossible.

Wade Boggs went 1 for 3 and made the Hall of Fame

Pretty sure Wade Boggs drank 1 out of three beers in Boston during his playing days.

Nice reviews, stinger...

you are correct that the #3 was the high end. It was a Plasencia Alma Fuerte.

the #1 was the medium tier, Joya de Nicaragua Cuatro Cinco.

#2 was the low end, CLE Prieto...just barely low end because I was able to find them for about $5/each...


thanks for hosting this fun exercise, David.

My Eiroa hoeness is hurt by that classification