TacoSauce NC Diary

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Puro Desnudo N8 Queen Corona (+): My second tasting from a 5-pack. Pre-light aroma has a light baseball glove leather smell. A slight sweetness from the cold draw. I notice that this cigar is massively under-filled. The packing is sparse and there is a spot half-way down the stick with a big depression suggesting that half of the tobacco is missing in that area. This worries me since I recall I had to toss the first Queen Corona I tasted due to construction issues. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium+ body and the flavor is light leather, velvety wood, and a sizable cayenne pepper punch. Very tasty. The first half of the cigar burns through in about 12 minutes -- very fast due to the under-filling.  The ash falls off every half-inch or so -- mostly onto my lap. At the half-way point the ash falls off again revealing an area mostly devoid of tobacco. I was easily able to re-light and get the stick back on track. Flavors were unchanged during the second half, but the whole profile got a bit more bitter. Total burn time was an amazingly fast 35 minutes. I can see some promise with the flavor from this blend, but construction has been poor so far.

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Dapper Desvalido Dilsa Lonsdale (++): This is my second tasting of this stick. The first time I was highly impressed and so I bought a second single to see if a box purchase was justified. In the interim I had tried the non-Dilsa version of the Desvalido blend I was not impressed. The pre-light wrapper gives off an intese peppery varnish aroma and the cold draw has a note of peanut shells. After lighting, the cigar opens at medium-full and the predominate note is burnt peanut shells and wood bark. No sweetness. This profile lasts for the first two thirds. In the final third some sweetness joins and the flavor melds together in a nice way. However, this only lasts for about 3/4 inch, then the body ramps up to full and some ammonia creeps in. This is surprising since this stick has been in the humidor for almost a year. I tossed the stick with almost 2 inches remaining because it was too intense. This tasting wasn't as good as the first one. And while I think there is a lot of nice flavor here, the overall lack of sweetness and high intensity makes me less excited about trying this stick again.

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Foundation Cigar Co. Foundation Highclere Castle Edwardian Petite Corona (+): A great sized petite corona. Pre-light aroma reminds me of paper grocery bags and the cold draw has the faintest note of the smell of powdery bubble gum. After lighting, the cigar opens witha mild body and the core flavor is just smooth, mild tobacco. There really isn't much flavor on the palate. The only notable flavor is on the retrohale and it is a slight cooling sensation. This cigar is very close to smoking nothing. Great construction, and not "bad" in any way, but there is nothing here for me.

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Rocky Patel Vintage 2006 San Andreas Robusto (++): A solid-feeling, slightly reddish stick which, according to the label, has a San Andreas wrapper. I really enjoyed the Churchill in this blend. Pre-light aroma had a strong petrachor note that was also the most dominant note on the cold draw. This was crazy different compared to the Churchill, which had a floral orange-blossom pre-light note. After lighting, the cigar opens above medium body and the flavor is a deep earth and a heavy dose of cedar pencil shavings. This was the consistent flavor profile throughout, however the body increased to medium-full by the half-way point. At points around the middle of the cigar, I was reminded of a heavily charred QD50. This was a completely different experience compared to the first Churchill that I smoked -- I'm not sure which experience is more representative of the blend in general.

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Roma Craft Intemperance VO 1920 Senator Volstead Robusto (++): A new-to-me blend from Roma Craft. This solid feeling robusto gives a faint wood note from the pre-light wrapper and the cold draw strangely tastes of boiled crabs. After lighting, the cigar opens above a medium body and the first few puffs have a delicious toasted bread flavor. The retrohale is easy and nice from the start. After settling in, the flavor shifts to a smooth, oily leather and charred wood bark. In the second third, a sweetness joins which brings everything together nicely. By the final third the body is solidly medium-full, but the flavor profile is unchanged. A very flavorful smoke that fall somewhere between the EC and BA blends in terms of body.

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El Gueguense Corona Gorda (+): A 5 5/8 x 46 stick that looks picture-perfect. Pre-light aroma reminds me of a sweet box of chocolate pralines. The cold draw has a dominant chocolate milk aroma. After lighting, the cigar opens above medium bodied and the initial retrohale is sharp and stingy. The flavor in the first third is wood and nuts with no sweetness. In the second third some sweetness joins helping balance out the profile. At the start of the final third the ash abruptly fell and the flavor soured quickly. I noticed a large void in the filler at this point which likely caused this issue. This corrected after 1/2 inch and the profile went back to match the second third. A higher than usual amount of nicotine with this stick. Aside from the void issue, the construction and burn were excellent for this stick -- with the smoking time being almost twice what i expected based on its size. Overall, this was a refined smoke with a lot to recommend for the right palate, but it was far outside what I like and so I won't be going back for another.

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Aladino Corojo Reserva Robusto (+): My second tasting from this blend. The first was the LE No 4. Similar to my previous experience, this is a heavy stick for its size. Also similar: the pre-light draw is tighter than normal, but not plugged. Not much aroma off the wrapper and the cold draw has a slight ice-wine note. After lighting the body is just under medium-full and the flavor is a strong toasted tobacco. This stick delivers this profile for the first two thirds. A tiny bit of sweetness joined in the final third, but the profile was still mostly punchy, straightforawrd tobacco. Similar to the LE No 4, there were no extra flavor notes, complexity, or nuance. Unless you love plain tobacco flavor, there really isn't anything else here. I typically love Honduran tobacco, but this Honduran puro doesn't exhibit any of the classic Honduran goodness I expected.

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Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon Robusto (-): I had one of these a few years ago and had a positive memory of the experience. I ordered another single to see if that would reproduce. This stick had a pre-light aroma reminiscent of a bag of mixed nuts with the shells still on. The cold draw had a faint note of canned fruit. After lighting, the cigar opened just under medium bodied and the initial flavor was light pencil shavings with a slight sweetness coming off the wrapper. In the second third, a slight bitterness joined. The draw and construction were excellent, but overall this profile wasn't enjoyable and so I tossed the stick around the start of the final third. I usually love Cameroon sticks, so this was a disappointment.

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Bond Roberts - Petit 109 Linea D No.06 (++): My second tasting from a split. Pre-light aroma has a light leather scent. The cold draw has a faint smell of a bag of candy. After lighting, the cigar opened at mild-medium and the predominate flavor was of light leather and slightly sweet bread. After the first inch, a bit of citrus peel joins at the edges. At the half-way point the sweetness intensifies and a well-aged mustiness joined -- allowing the overall flavor profile to meld together into something very refined. This flavor profile was maintained through the rest of the smoke. By the end, the body had increased to medium. Construction, draw, and smoke output were excellent. Overall, this was on the milder side for my taste. I imagine if this was rolled as a lancero, the body might be kicked up a notch and would be a beter fit for me.

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Davidoff Signature 2000 (++): I've tried a range of Davidoff blends and mostly concluded that the experience doesn't justify the price. Exceptions to that have been the Yamasa blend and a Signature No.2. Here I revisit the Signature blend, this time with the 2000 vitola. Pre-light, the aroma reminds me of an orchestra pit. The cold draw has a strange note of fish tanks and aquariums. After lighting, the cigar opens at a mild-medium body and the flavor is sweet challah bread with a hint of wood and the occasional vanilla note. The draw is very easy and I notice that there is an empty channel in the ash that seems to span the length of the cigar -- this is probably allowing more airflow than expected. I had this same issue with the previous Signature cigar that I smoked. At the half-way point a nice butter note joins and the body creeps up just a bit. At this point, this is a very smooth and refined flavor profile. Lots of smoke and a good burn line. Overall, this was a better experience than the No.2, and an experience better in-line with the price. However, the overall profile is too mild for me to return to regularly.

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Dapper El Borracho San Andreas Robusto (+++): I've had the toro in this blend before and liked it enough to order the robusto. There is an impressive box-press on this stick and the wrapper has a gorgeous, velvety appearance. Pre-light aroma and cold draw both remind me of walking through the lumber section at the hardware store. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium body and the flavor is intense oak and pine wood. Notably, there is a little sweetness and none of the bitterness that often accompanies woody cigars. The retro is easy and enjoyable. In the second half, some toasted nut skins joins the profile. I didn't get any of the fruit/citrus notes that I got with the toro. There is nothing fancy or refined about this stick -- just  a superb delivery of woody/nutty flavors for the duration. I found it extremely enjoyable.

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Casdagli Daughters of the Wind "The Pony" Robusto (+): A handsome looking robusto that feels solid. The pre-light aroma reminded me of a pungent woodworking shop and the cold draw reminded me of walking through a spice store. After lighting, the cigar opened just under medium-full and the initial flavor was very Montecristo-esque: woody chocolate. That initial flavor quickly vanished and the flavor for the rest of the first inch was very sour wood. I was very close to tossing the stick at this point, but was too comfortable in my chair so I stuck with it. After the first inch, the sourness moderated a bit and a slight musty sweetness joined, however sour wood was still the main flavor. This was the profile for the rest of the stick. The sourness came back in full force at the final inch and so the stick was put down there. Burn and construction was absolutely perfect: the cigar only ashed once at the half-way point. From a flavor perspective, however, this was a disappointment.

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Casdagli Cabinet Selection Rosetta Natural (++): I've had the maduro version of this previously, and it was pretty bad. This is the natural version. I had clipped this and put it back in the humidor before smoking and so when I got back to it there wasn't much going on in terms of pre-light arom and cold draw. After lighting, the cigar opened at mild-medium and the initial flavor was light cedar wood and a hint of campfire on the finish. A very unique finish in that the campfire note would hit on the finish and then disappear immediately. Kind of fun. At the half-inch point, the cigar smoothed out and the main flavor was a sort of nougat -- the Three Musketeers of the cigar world. Construction and burn were very good. The cigar was up to medium by the end. A very short smoke so there wasn't much more. This would be a great cold-weather short smoke.

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Drew Estates Liga Undercrown 10 Factory Floor Lonsdale (+): I've had the Corona Viva and the Robusto before and really liked the experiences. When I saw that there was a Lonsdale available, I felt compelled to try it. I was disappointed to observe that this really wasn't a Lonsdale as I have come to understand the vitola. At 6 x 46, this is much closer to a Churchill than a Lonsdale in my opinion. This becomes apparent as you hold the cigar in your hand. It feels wrong; it feels like disappointment. The pre-light aroma matches what I recall from the earlier cigars in this blend: a pungent and delicious chocolate fudge aroma. The cold draw tasted like solvent-y paint. After lighting, the body is medium and the flavor is wood and furniture polish. Not bad, but not what I expected. I note that while there was a *crazy* amount of smoke pouring from the foot, I needed to take triple-puffs to get any smoke output from the head of the cigar. This was perplexing since I did not detect any draw issue during the cold draw. The cigar smoked like this until the half-way point where the wrapper started to split and bulge in an area just below the band -- indicating that a knot or plugged area was expanding. Once this occurred, the draw issues were gone and the flavor profile quickly changed to the musty and chocolatey profile I expect from this blend. The remainder of the cigar smoked and tasted as expected, but overall this stick disappointed in size-and-shape as well as construction and performance. My guess is that this was a "special release" vitola that no one in the factory knew how to roll. I will stick with the Corona Viva.

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Casdagli Gran Cafe Maduro Lancero (-): An impressive looking stick with a closed foot and a pigtail cap. Pre-light aroma has a faint note of sawdust and the cold draw is sweet and jammy. After lighting, the cigar opens at a medium body level and the initial flavor is cacao with some nice stewed fruit flavor. However, there is a sour woodiness with occasional bitterness that overshadows all of the good flavors. In the first third there is also a canoeing issue, which seems to be the result of a lopsided roll. In the second third, the construction gets better and the sourness/bitterness becomes less pronounced. For a brief period, the cacao and stewed fruit is joined by a nice, aged tobacco note. Just past the half-way point the sourness comes back in full-force and the cigar becomes too much to tolerate. I tossed it at this point. This cigar had some real promise with the types of flavor notes it was delivering, but I think poor construction torpedoed its chance for greatness.

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ADVentura Blue Eyed Jack's Revenge Corona (++): A spongy feeling 6 x 44 stick from ADVentura. The pre-light aroma was an unremarkable spicy sawdust smell. The cold draw reminded me of wood glue. After lighting, the cigar opened above medium body and the initial flavor was pencil shavings and a slightly sour tang that reminded me of a habano wrapper -- even though this has a San Andreas wrapper. As the cigar progressed, a sour cherry/plum note joined at the edges. The cigar got too hot once I hit the final inch and a half point and so was tossed at this point. An easy smoke with a higher-than-average nicotine hit. I imagine this could have been better with a more dense packing.

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Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Churchill (++): This is my second tasting of this blend. First time was the Robusto, this time its the Churchill. After lighting, I immediately get that Honduran Rocky profile, which I like. The cigar opens at mild-medium and the initial flavor is bittersweet cedar. More sweet than bitter. By the second third the body is up to medium and a nutty note has joined. The whole experience is very mellow and smooth. I really like this profile. Just past the half-way point, the flavor gets wonky and sour and I notice that there is a giant 1/4 inch hole of missing tobacco at the center of the stick. hard to tell, but it seemed to extend quite a ways towards the head of the cigar. Since the clouds were threatening, I tossed the stick at this point, rather than try to push through the problem spot. I liked the first half enough that I will definitely be going back to this blend. This and the Number 6 are my current favorite Honduran blends from Rocky.

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Cavalier Genève Regional Exclusive USA Robusto (+): I had the petit corona previously and enjoyed the experience. This, my second experience, is with the Robusto. A nicely sized, dark looking stick with the customary diamond of gold foil applied directly to the wrapper. Cold draw and pre-light aroma both give off notes of fancy wood incense. After lighting, I get that initial blast of grain and sugar typical of a Cavalier, but similar to the petite corona before, this one had a touch of chocolate. The initial flavor transitions after the first 2-3 puffs and is replaced by toasted pastry with a hint of cedar. The profile maintains the powdered sugar note throughout, but there is also a slightly bitter wood note, reminiscent of Dominican tobacco, that also lasts the entire smoke. This bitterness kills the experience for me and I won't be going back to this blend.

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KBF - Smoking Jacket Classic Line Favoritos (-): A handsome looking corona from a new-to-me company. The pre-light wrapper smelled faintly of wet dog and the cold draw had a sweet straw note. After cutting the head I notice that this is a tightly packed cigar with a singular GIANT stem in the filler; however the draw had no noticeable issues. After lighting, the cigar opened at a mild-medium level and the initial flavor was sweet, woody with a hint of a hard-to-pin-down floral note. This was a nice opening, however that classic Dominican bitterness started creeping in at the same time the cigar started to canoe slightly. Examining the ash shows this cigar has the classic problem of a sloppy entubado roll leaving an under-filled area along one edge of the cigar. There were moments when the bitterness faded enough for the other flavors to shine. In those moments I found the profile intriguing and difficult to describe. There was a sweetness being delivered in a novel way, but I had no opportunity to dwell on it because the bitterness would surge to the forefront before anything could be learned. Once I hit the final third, a large void opened up in the filler and it began to tunnel and get quite hot. I tossed the stick at this point.

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Dapper Cubo Sumatra Robusto (++): I've had the corona gorda before and found it interesting. This time I've got the Robusto. The pre-light aroma off the wrapper is reminiscent of a woody version of hot fudge topping. Cold draw has an almost artificial sweetness. After lighting, the cigar opens near medium-full bodied and wood and nut notes predominate. There is also a nice tanginess coming through on the lips from the wrapper. it is sour, but not over the top. The nuty flavor is somewhere between toasted peanut and toasted pecan, with some burnt edges. Once I get into the second half, there is crazy easy smoke output that makes it fun to smoke. And the nutty flavors are intense! This was a bit more bold than most of the sticks I usually smoke, but the experience is novel and one I would recommend.