| Raymond Pages Penn Standard Gold Standard Box-pressed Sublime |
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| By: ElCid1986 (06/10/2025 11:35 AM) |
| As someone who enjoys Raymond Pages blends this one was good, but not great. Thick box pressed and used a crown cut with my V cutter. Opened up nicely upon first light and spewed tons of smoke. Flavor profile was light to medium before going to full medium. Notes of toast and some creamy quality with light coffee. Overall a nice experience, but not great. |
| CLE Chele 660 |
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| By: ElCid1986 (06/03/2025 01:18 PM) |
| Right from first puff this has such a smooth quality. Creamy and toasty notes combined with superb construction. Smoke output at first was subdued, but after first third began to billow. Retro was particularly smooth with only a light baking spice quality. Paired this with a French press coffee from the Dominican Republic and it made my early afternoon. This had almost 18 months of humidor rest. Great Connecticut cigar. |
| Alec Bradley Black Market (core line) Torpedo |
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| By: cnyCigarGuy (05/28/2025 09:54 AM) |
| Nice construction. I wasn't a fan of the wrapper sleeve, though I suppose it does provide some protection for the cigar. I agree with the people who say that it could be hiding poor construction. The wrapper was quite attractive with a dark brown oily complexion. I found my draw to be a little tight. The draw improved after the 2nd half. (I do think my humidor might be too humid - side note I've been thinking I should use a box to dehumidify cigars before smoking to help avoid this.) Nonetheless, the cigar was pleasant. Coffee was the dominant note. I had a bit of woodsiness to it with a subtle chocolate flavor. The only other construction issue I found was a minor bit of canoeing in the final third. It is rare that a cigar doesn't nose dive in the final third for my palate, but this was quite good until the end. For the money, this is a nice cigar. |
| Foundation Cigar Co. Charter Oak CT Shade Grande |
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| By: ElCid1986 (05/22/2025 09:07 PM) |
| Very nice Connecticut shade wrapper with smooth lines. First lite produced somewhat hay smell and taste. This transitioned to a creamy and smooth quality. Toasty notes with some carmelized hints. Construction with draw, combustion and smoke output all solid. I found this blend ordinary , but solid. Price point is very reasonable. |
| Macanudo Inspirado White Robusto |
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| By: cnyCigarGuy (05/13/2025 08:35 AM) |
I got this in Macundo's Inspirado Humi-Pack. It was the 2nd I smoked after it sat in my humidor for about 2 months. I had been impressed with green, but I thought this was even better. This had absolutely beautiful construction. An even burn the whole way with an even draw except towards the end of the 2nd 3rd, but that straightened out.
The flavors were smooth and creamy. A hint of pepper to start, then it mellowed out to a nutty caramelly fruit combo that kept shifting between them. Liga Privada's nasty fritas started out similarily, but was plagued by construction issues and turning bitter. This was pleasant throughout. It is a mild/medium bodied cigar, but has a lot of flavors. I'm impressed and would try it again. |
| Perdomo 30th Anniversary Box-Pressed Connecticut Gordo |
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| By: ElCid1986 (05/11/2025 06:49 PM) |
| I enjoy many of the cigars in the Perdomo portfolio and this is their best Connecticut im my opinion. The draw was perfect and smoke was creamy with a very nice bouquet. My wife is normally not a fan of cigar smoke yet she commented on the nice smell. Creamy with floral and baking spice notes. Consistent yet very engaging during the 108 minutes of smoke time. A truly great cigar. |
| Don Pepin Garcia (My Father Cigars) El Centurion H-2K-CT Toro |
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| By: ElCid1986 (05/10/2025 06:39 AM) |
| At first light very much spice forward. More of a rounded baking spice than black pepper. Very hefty cigar in my hand and band colors pop as they are orange. Moves towards a more balanced profile with woodieness and a hint of citrusy notes. Construction was a typical My Father cigar and flawless. Overall a nice medium plus Connecticut stick. |
| Kristoff GC Signature Series Robusto |
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| By: cnyCigarGuy (05/07/2025 10:11 AM) |
| Coffee and Cocoa start. Beautiful construction.... I love the pigtail. Pepper seems to be coming in the 2nd third along with molasses. If the pepper didn't keep getting stronger, this would be a 5-star stick. I wish I got some fruit notes that others have reported in this stick. The draw was nice to start but tightened up in the final third. |
| West Tampa Tobacco Co. Red Toro |
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| By: ElCid1986 (05/05/2025 10:40 AM) |
| Very nice toothy Mexican wrapper starts the experience. First light produced vaque sweetness and overt black pepper spice. Construction was superior with smooth draw and continued combustion. Transitioned to a espresso and strong spice notes. Overall a very good smoking experience. |
| Foundation Cigar Co. Charter Oak CT Broadleaf Toro |
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| By: cnyCigarGuy (05/05/2025 10:29 AM) |
| The construction was very nice until the end when the wrapper came apart. The smoke was very smooth. The retrohale had a peppery spice that was a little too much, but the palate was a delicious nutty cocoa flavor. It was pretty steady from start to finish only getting a little stronger at the end. For the money, it is a banger. |
