Yes. Much different. Once again, this cheap Dave diverges from the other cheap David.
Cuba Libre is one of those very few cigars that sort of validate my years of treading water in the shallow end of the CI pool.
These are medium and not particlarly complex. The wrapper, however, is a corojo that really sits well with me. Recent ones need to sit a few months to settle down. If you try one and it seems a little sharp, they're probably young and you need to put them down for a little bit - the sharpness goes away in just a couple months. These are one of my cheapo fishing staples. Well enough constructed and, as a bonus, they're box-pressed and won't roll around on the boat seat. My last box of toros cost $25. I'd (very loosely) compare them to Patriarch Corojo, CI Anni, Nic 3K......Just a bit below Nic 3K's, but less per stick.
Speaking of fishing....it is this specific use that makes these better than the CL One to me. For fishing, I need a cigar that is not much disturbed by wind...doesn't get hot or bitter or harsh when hanging out of my mouth for minutes at a time....isn't complex or good enough that I want to concentrate on it much....and box press is a bonus. CL One gets hot and nasty if not sipped. CL fills a specific niche for me and does it well. I'd probably never light one up while relaxing on the patio, however. Unfortunately, the CL One isn't good enough for that, either. Funny.....I'd probably say that overall the CL One is better, but I'm 100% more likely to buy CL.
