Pick Joe's Smoke
OK.. I don't smoke that often, and am getting back into it after a 10-year (or so) layoff (aside from a few a year in between). I've acquired a few samplers of cigars to get started, just to see what I like. As experts, I'd love it if you all can help me find something I will enjoy. Let me kick it off by listing everything I've smoked since Father's Day, and how I felt about it.
1. Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Toro
I didn't really care for this. The flavor was essentially of second-hand smoke. I wanted to smoke this cigar for myself, not taste the product of somebody nearby. It had a very mild body, but burned well with very little maintenance. I enjoyed it with some nice rum, but by itself it did nothing for me.
2. Montecristo Classic Toro
I pulled this out because I remember the Montecristo being an excellent smoke. I immediately remembered why I thought it was so great -- a perfect, tight white ash (I said ASH). No maintenance on the burn, and easy to take all the way through. I also remembered why I was reluctant to fork out the $8-10 for one. The taste just isn't there. Thanks for the papery flavor and notes of sucking on my dirty belt, but I'm not inspired here. Fine for a casual smoke, but not a value.
3. Royal Jamaica Gold Toro
This cigar was part of a sampler my wife bought me for Father's Day. I know nothing about the cigar, and couldn't find much about it on the web except that it's cheap. I pulled it out this weekend to smoke at a neighborhood party we were hosting, figuring it'd be a fine way to have something in my mouth but not be consumed by dissecting its quality/flavor. I was very surprised to find that this smoke had a smooth, creamy texture and flavor. The burn required quite a bit of maintenance (a little finger-licking, some torching to remove the canoeing, etc). The roll quality obviously was sub-par. But the tobacco tasted great. There was no body to this, but it turned out to be a perfect choice to complement a long day of drinking and socialization. I was pleasantly surprised by this.
4. Camacho 1962 Robusto
This is the whole reason I'm writing all this tonight. I just came inside after smoking this cigar. I selected it because I needed a short smoke to at least preserve my outside chance of scoring some nookie from the Mrs. later. Also, I wasn't particularly excited about this cigar, and wanted to make way for some of the better stuff in my box. The scent of this cigar was full of flavor as I pulled it out of the cellophane. I can discern tastes at about the depth of 3 levels mentioned in another recent thread, so I was stunned to immediately identify the taste of chocolate on the first draw.
Early into this experience, I already found myself regretting I had only 5 inches of tobacco in front of me. I loved the flavor of this cigar so much I found myself preferring to suffocate rather than expel the smoke from my mouth. I compromised and let it go in a chain of very small breaths extended so long as to deprive my brain of much needed oxygen. By the time I had burnt my fingertips down to bloody, exposed bone, I knew I had to let go of this cigar, but I just couldn't bear to part with it. I contemplated dumping the remaining scraps into a dish, lighting them on fire, and draping a towel over my head like I was trying to relieve a massive sinus infection. Instead, I resigned myself to coming in here, sitting down, and writing this in hopes that somebody has had this cigar, and can recommend another like it for me to try. This wasn't particularly full-bodied, but with as much time as I spent holding this smoke, I wonder if something fuller would have me on the floor or in the hospital.
So there you have it. My personal reviews have a scoring system, but I won't bore you with the details. If you feel so inclined, recommend something I may like based on what I've said so far. And golly, if you haven't tried that Camacho, and are into a milder smoke, give it a go and let me know what you think.
Duty
