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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 $$.

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Illusione Fume D'Amour Viejos (+): I've had the smaller Lagunas vitola a couple of times previously and really liked its sweet & sour, punchy character. This stick is the larger robusto vitola. Pre-light aroma has a bright, sour soup character and the cold draw has an earthy, fruit skin note. After lighting, the cigar opens at a mild-medium body and immediately, the tissue paper-thin wrapper starts to crack as the stick expands. The wrapper ended up cracking and splitting on all sides over the entire course of the stick, and this affected the burn, Thankfully, the cigar stayed mostly-together for the entire smoke. This was a much milder experience compared to the lagunas and the key flavor notes were slightly sour wood with a hint of sweetness. The punchy character that made the lagunas so interesting, however, was mostly absent.

[TacoSauce]

Rojas Street Tacos Barbacoa Short Corona (++): I've had this blend in the Robusto vitola previously and wasn't too impressed. This stick has a sawdust aroma off the wrapper and a bright fruit note on the cold draw. The draw is tight, however the only potential knot was identified at exactly the half-way point on the stick, so I didn't try to use the PerfectDraw. After lighting, the cigar opens with a medium-full body and the flavor is a rich woodiness with some burnt character and little to no sweetness. The retrohale is manageable and nice for a cigar with this body level. There is also a little black pepper, but it is in the background and doesn't cause any issues. A very rich experience, but a little bolder than what I typically enjoy. The tight draw persisted for the entire smoke and limited smoke output, but this wasn't a huge demerit. Compared to the Robusto version, this seemed like a completely different cigar and was a much better experience. I would recommend this to people who enjoy bolder flavors, whereas I wouldn't have recommended the Robusto.

[TacoSauce]

Casdagli Rosetta Maduro (-): A tiny little pyramide (4x46) that sort of reminds me of the size and shape of the little Davidoff Churchill Belicosos. From looks alone, this has great potential for a short winter smoke. Pre-light aroma and cold draw both have a faint fermented aroma -- sort of like an unoffensive sauerkraut. After clipping the head, I notice that there are a number of fat stems/veins visible. I didn't try to extract them because the draw was fine and it looked like if I did remove them, the cigar might end up under-filled. After lighting, the cigar gives an immediate punch, opening at medium-full with a decent black pepper blast. One side started to canoe from the start and from the ash I could see that there was an open channel along one end. As the cigar progressed towards the mid-point, the flavor intensity increased and became more muddled. Occasionally I could tell that there was probably some of that nice mint/cooling leaf that Casdagli likes to use in there, but it was woefully overpowered by everything else. At the midway point, big blasts of ammonia joined which was the last straw. I tossed the stick at this point and was relieved that I didn't have to smoke any more of it.

[TacoSauce]

El Rico Habano Corona Supremo (+++): A brand that I found years ago and I am grateful is still around. This is a well-packed, but splotchy looking stick. Just a faint note of wood off the wrapper pre-light, and the cold draw has a bright, dried fig note. After lighting, the cigar opens with a medium body and the initial flavor is real leather with some fruit leather at the edges and just a touch of chili spice to make it interesting. In the second third, a powdery cherry flavor joins. In the final third the cherry flavor fades and is replaced by a notable nuttiness. Construction and burn were excellent, although there was a conspicuous absence of foot smoke. This is a very different flavor experience than most cigars. Throughout I was reminded somewhat of the R&J Cazadores -- except this isn't particularly strong in the nicotine department. El Rico Habano is a favorite. WTF! Apparently this whole brand was discontinued on Oct 31st, of last year. Seems like so many cigars that I give a high rating to are either already discontinued or discontinued shortly after I discover or re-discover them. A disgrace.

[TacoSauce]

Montecino No.2 Natural (+): Montecino is the ultra-mild blend coming from Fuente. I liked these back when I first started smoking cigars and continued to have the occasional stick throughout the years. This stick had strong notes of dilute chocolate milk off the wrapper and cold draw. The draw itself was wide open, which I recall is typical for this blend. After lighting, the cigar opens with a mild body and the flavor is paper, a bit of sweetness and a faint cooling note. That's it for the entire cigar. The open draw isn't a liability as the stick doesn't overheat and burns well throughout. There is nothing offensive about this cigar and the flavor is consistently good and balanced. However, there just isn't enough going on to find any enjoyment. I was so bored with it that I put it down once I got to the final third. I think this is the last one of these I will smoke.

[TacoSauce]

Rojas Unfinished Business Robusto (+++): I have had the Marevas in this blend previously and I enjoyed it. This is my second experience with the blend. A dark brown robusto with the aroma of dried leaves and a blondie brownie coming off the wrapper and a note of new sneakers coming off the cold draw. After lighting, the cigar opens above medium body and in the first third the flavor is a sour woodiness with some light leather notes. In the second half a smooth, powdery note of aged tobacco joins. In the final third some citrus joins around the edges and the combined flavor experience is excellent. The body is up to medium-full by the end. Construction and burn were excellent throughout. The flavors from this stick reminded me of a "rosado" profile, but with the intensity and toasted/burnt character kicked up a notch. Compared with the Statement blend coming from this same manufacturer, this blend wins by a longshot.

[TacoSauce]

Puro Desnudo N1 Lancero (++): This is my second tasting of the Nudies Lancero. My first experience was excellent, so I looked forward to this stick. Similar to the last one, the pre-light aroma had Perique twang that reminded me of the Nudie Petite Corona; and the cold draw had a light leather note and a touch of sourness. After lighting, the cigar opens above medium bodied and the flavor was a smokey cookie dough and spicy cayenne pepper. This cigar had a very punchy character, allowing each draw to keep your attention. This makes this stick stand out against most other cigars. This time, however, the punchiness manifested with a sharp sour/bitter assault on the tongue with each draw that hit hard and then faded fast. By the half-way point, my tongue had had enough of this and so it became a demerit. I didn't experience this at all with the first stick, so we will see if this persists when I go for the third tasting.

[TacoSauce]

CAO BX3 Robusto (+++): This is my second tasting of this stick. The first time it rated very highly. This stick had a spicy wood aroma on the cold draw and both a heavy dried fruit as well as a canned fruit note on the cold draw. After cutting, I notice that this is a densely packed stick, however I was getting decent airflow so I left it as-is. After lighting, the cigar opened at a medium body and the initial flavor was harsh and muddled. Based on this I gave it a quick treatment with the PerfectDraw and that corrected the flavor issues immediately. The cigar was now putting out a light wood note with lots of cream and baking spice. Similar to my previous experience, the best of these flavors is experienced on the retrohale. If you can't retrohale, you will miss out on most everything this cigar has to offer. There is also a bit of a cooling note, similar to what you get with most Patoro cigars. I can't think of another NC stick that gives intense backing spice flavors at a similar level to this stick. This experience held up well compared to my initial tasting. This represents one of the most Cuban-adjacent NC sticks I have come across.

[TacoSauce]

MOFOH Trinity Robusto (-): My second tasting of this stick. The first one I had was very good. This stick had only a muted leather note coming off the pre-light wrapper and cold draw. The draw was significantly restricted after cutting. Looking at the tobacco, I could see several thick veins and an overpacked and uneven distribution in the leaves. A single use of the PerfectDraw seemed to open it up a enough. After lighting, the flavor was vegetal and bitter -- characteristics of restricted airflow causing incomplete combustion. I used the PerfectDraw to ream out two additional channels in the head of the cigar. This seemed to open the airflow a bit more, but it didn't improve the flavor profile. I kept smoking for 3/4 inch, but nothing improved. I tossed the stick at this point.

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Liga Privada No 9 Toro (++): I bought two of these as single a few years ago. I smoked and reviewed the first of these previously and was not impressed. The poor construction and performance on that first stick precluded having a good experience. This stick had a nice sweet Spanish cedar note coming from the pre-light wrapper. i think this was probably from the humidor rather than from the cigar. Nothing notable on the cold draw. After lighting, the cigar opened just below medium-full and the retrohale was immediately smooth and enjoyable. The flavor was mostly rich leather and aged tobacco. There was also a nice zing on the lips coming from the wrapper. Hitting the second third, a sweetness joined that rounded out the profile nicely. The body was up to medium-full by this point. In the final third, the musty aged tobacco flavor intensified and there was an occasional vanilla note on the edges. Construction was excellent and I didn't experience any of the issues I struggled with in my first tasting. A nice experience overall. Only complaint is that the stick was too big. I will try a smaller vitola next time.

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Puro Desnudo Carlota N3 (++): My second tasting of this stick. The first one I had was very good. Pre-light aroma had a touch of Perique twang that reminded me of other Nudies. After lighting, the cigar opened at medium body and the flavor profile was immediately punchy. I remember this from my first tasting -- it is a nice experience. The flavor profile was burnt graham cracker, dark honey, and light leather with an intense and gritty retrohale. This combination reminded me of the profile of a Trinidad Reyes. The similarity to the Trinidad remained throughout the entire smoke. Trinidad isn't my favorite Marca, but I enjoyed this profile in a NC stick. Very nice!

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Espinosa Laranja Reserva Lancero (+): My second tasting of this particular stick. Pre-light aroma reminds me of a bran muffin and the cold draw reminds me of raisin bran cereal. After lighting, the cigar opened just under medium bodied and the flavors were strong black pepper and a citrus tang/sourness. The strong pepper was very flavorful, and not irritating -- which was nice. At the half-way point the flavors started to meld together to give a sort of citrus dessert character, however this only lasted less than an inch. In the final third, the sourness picked up. If I smoked faster and kept the stick hotter, the sourness would diminish slightly, but that was too much work for me so I ended the stick early. The draw on this stick was slightly restricted, but nowhere near plugged. This might have had some effect on the overall performance.

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Warped The Devil's Hands (++): This is my second tasting of this stick. Pre-light aroma reminds me of leather and dry dog food. The cold draw has a light leather note. This is a solidly packed cigar, which worried me, however the draw was reasonable. After lighting, the cigar opened at a medium-full level and the flavor was that of gritty, slightly burnt cornbread. The burn rate was very slow -- taking 30 min to get through the first inch. In the second third, the body reduced slightly and the sweetness level increased. The whole experience melded into a nice, dessert-like profile. Although, I'm not sure which desserts use cornbread as their base. Since the burn was so slow, I ran out of smoking time once I got to the final third and had to abandon the stick. After smoking I could feel the nicotine level was on the higher side from this cigar. If I had smoked the whole thing, I may have been in trouble. Construction and burn were the best I've experienced in 2025 -- the smallest draw produced a huge amount of smoke without any effort.