I really like this and the T.L. Johnson Tempio for that citrus twang, very refreshing!
Glad I'm not nuts about tasting citrus! I always wonder if the flavors can be confirmed by someone else.
It's actually one of the few I can pick up
Those Tempio's look like they might make my "Pretty" cigar list, too. Never seen one in person, but that box press looks cray cray, as Jiunn might say.
With the Regius, it's funny, while I was smoking it I made notes about really good things, but I don't remember just loving it, but as I looked back on it, I realized I really did like it, enough to move it up really high on the Top 5 list I keep updated with my wife. (She asked for the top 5 and I made it a top 10 with other suggestions for things like "Quick Smokes" and "Morning favorites".) I put this at number 2, right under Hemingway Maddy. I think I probably downgraded it while smoking it because of the cold, but I could smoke it at any time of day with lots of different things in lots of circumstances. So there it sits on my favorite list right between Fuente and LFD DL and Ashton VSG (tie).
"The only true "Full" cigar I would buy by the box...and I did. Lots of complexity but with very clear flavors. Citrus makes the full body feel refreshing. Crushed red pepper brings some heat. The wrapper brings some bitter chocolate. Earthy retro. Great cigar if you look for a flavor and feel experience, not just brute strength."
Above is the review I put on the ccom page for this cigar. I will expand it here, but that's the highlights. Let me start by describing what I mean by "full". I smoke full cigars. I like some full cigars, but in general, cigars labeled "full" seem to be a macho test of your intestines. Hovering on the edge of puking is something I didn't like when I was a college student at a party let alone as an adult. Strength, the feel, is harder for me to describe than flavors; it's just an impression. This cigar gives the impression of strength, but it's not a bad thing when it's melded with top notch flavors, great construction, a beautiful look, and smoothness. It is full-powered, but I like it and like it enough to smoke it repeatedly. I also find the flavor profile and the "sharp edges" between flavors something unique in my cigar experience. With many cigars, I have to really ponder the flavors or they seem muddled together. This has very distinct flavors hitting different taste receptacles and olfactory sensors at the same time. It feels more like a salad filled with crisp greens and veggies that pop in your mouth than a salad run through a blender and sipped through a straw.
Okay, now I just need to end that paragraph.
Sorry about that ramble. The smell of these cigars is amazing. You can tell there will be spice, but there's cedar and wood and aromatic herbs, too. The cap tastes slightly spicy with a little of that bitter chocolate (the tiniest bit of sweet is present, but not much). The draw is a little tight, but I find the box press to sit comfortably so that balances the tightness. The draw is never a problem. It is consistent and smooth and nearly perfect but on the firm side.
The highlight paragraph gives the rest of the flavors. Crushed red pepper is the big mainstay. And it's one of my favorite spices, so that's a good thing. Citrus is refreshing, but I rarely find it in a cigar this strong. OR maybe I should say I can't distinguish it in a strong cigar because I usually just get "harsh". This cigar never comes close to the harsh line. Bold, yes. Strong, yes. Spicy, yes. Harsh, no.
What else do you need to know? That's not rhetorical. Ask away if you have questions and I'll be happy to answer because I like this cigar a lot. I did not put it on the favorites list I give my wife because I can assure you I will always have one in my humidor and she won't need to give it as a gift.
Was thinking you would have more of a focus on the wraper/appearance then you did. Also wish you had shot some photos...Im more of a picture book reader.
Was thinking you would have more of a focus on the wraper/appearance then you did. Also wish you had shot some photos...Im more of a picture book reader.
I can get some pics up the next time I smoke one for you. When I smoked the review stick, the battery was dead. And I love the wrapper, but I think we all know that, already! But since you asked...
The Melanio's wrapper is simply put, the most gorgeous wrapper I've ever seen on a cigar. It is set off beautifully by the double band of the "Oliva Series V" on top and the "Melanio" smaller band on bottom. The bands are simple, but good looking, and they compliment the shades of the wrapper quite nicely. I really feel like these cigars glow when the lights hit them right. They have an oily sheen that turns their chocolate-leather shade into gold. The Melanio is an experience for all the senses. The feel of the stick is quite nice, smooth and slick. The smell and taste are as previously described. And when you open the box, you hear birds chirping or something...okay, I went a bit too far there, but you get the point.
This cigar is kind of like Archibald "Moonlight" Graham. Remember that character from Field of Dreams? He's the old doctor who played one major league game for one at bat and didn't do anything in those five minutes. Then he says that isn't tragic, what would have been tragic is if he only got to be a doctor for five minutes. Only the EH is like a minor league guy who should just give it up already and become that doctor, only he refuses to do so, toiling away in futility for years, never to get any recognition and never getting called up. He's got the look, but not the skills, not quite.
This cigar has the look of a major leaguer. It is beautiful as you pull it out of the spiderweb paper wrap. In its unbanded nudity, it sits begging to be examined. When you do so, it is an example of a great cigar. Uniform in color and a perfect figurado, the cigar looks like it's wrapped in chocolate, and it smells like cinnamon. The cap doesn't taste like much when you lick it, just a slight flavor of tobacco. Between the shape and color, I'm reminded of a Hemingway. But this winds up being a minor leaguer, remember...
After cutting the cap with a double guillotine, I'm surprised how easy the draw is on this, and get cinnamon and light chocolate. I get the flavor of toasted coconut after a slow-toast light. Yum! But the first ash falls quickly, circumcising the tip of the cigar and most of the positives after a quarter inch. Okay, there's still a lot of good here, to be honest, but...
After the ash fall, the draw tightens up. That surprises me a little, because I expect the difficulties in draw to dissipate with a figurado as the burn opens it up. Right at the end of the first third, a harsh bitterness starts to come and go and the cigar loses all sweetness. I had a little bit of a burn issue on one side of the wrapper that I touched up once, though I probably didn't need to quite yet. It was a preemptive act based on pitch count at this point. I will say that the ash always dropped off cleanly and perfectly.
Into the second third, the harshness goes away and there's a really nice pine or herb quality to the smoke. Then I start to taste butter, melted butter. That quickly changes to clarified then browned then burnt butter. Then I feel butter. No, wait, that's a big glop of oozing tar coming out of the tip, which I have to cut again to open up the cigar. I probably didn't cut it big enough to begin with, but oh, this just was not pleasant.
Note the smear of tar in the ashtray. Yes, I played with it.
There was enough good about this cigar that I smoked it down to the end, but it's because I'm scouting the good only to be turned away by the bad. A desperate team may take this player on as a project, but it needs some work. I preferred this flavor profile to the OSOK, but it was a better cigar overall. You're always looking for that utility guy who can switch-hit. He'll play for a long time. That's OSOK. EH is the minor leaguer with a greater upside but so many negatives that he just can't make it.
This cigar has a perfume smell to it. Very floral and musky. I've put off smoking it in favor of prettier sticks several times over. What can I say, I'm a sucker for eye candy. That's a mistake; sometimes the pretty ones are just witches. This one is not very pretty, but not a dog, either. A couple of seams and the wrapper seems to want to peel. As soon as I pulled the cello away from this and took a sniff, I knew it would be intriguing. The cap has some kick to it. I try a punch, but the draw seems firm, so I snip it with the double-G. Much better. I toast it gently with the Bugatti I got from Black Friday. Nice double torch with angled flames to create a nice hot zone. Great on this windy day.
Early on, I notice the cigar wants to be drawn frequently or it doesn't stay lit. The wrapper especially seems resistant to flame, with the inside burning. Not my favorite way to smoke. The ash on this is flaky. It never drops while resting on the ashtray and it just falls into pieces in the air before landing.
I tried out the new chatroom that NewBoots put together while smoking this. I put on there that the draw on this was like sucking through a clogged drainpipe. But yummy. Then, after the draw it puts out a big cloud of smoke. If you don't suck again soon, it wants to go out. But it's yummy, so who cares? It needs one, long draw about every 30-45 or the wrapper won't stay lit properly. Quick draws take too much force so no 2-1 on this thing.
Temperature was nice when I started this thing, but it's dropping fast, and I'm just sitting out in it, not doing anything. I probably won't nub this one. I'll have to track down who gave this to me. I think it was my newbie trade...Medic45 maybe? I'll look into it. If the price is right, I'd smoke this for flavor alone. If the price is really right, this would be awesome as a yard gar where I don't worry so much about maintaining ash or if it stays lit.
I didn't feel like messing with better photography at night, so this is what you get image-wise of this Camacho Maduro. Love the band, with the small band on the foot, this thing looks great. Too bad they changed their marketing strategy over at Camacho.
Well, last night in the v-herf, I was accused of not liking any cigar (even though I might enjoy smoking them.) I tip my warm, fuzzy, you-can-kiss-my-azz-if-you-don't-like-it, thoughtful gift from my wife, leather hat to all of you and offer you this review:
I liked it. A lot. Smell, draw, taste. Everything perfect. My wife even said, I love you enough to kiss you after you smoke, but I actually like this one. And she planted another one on me.
Now, I wouldn't be me if I didn't point out the negative. Somebody took a butter-churn paddle to my stomach after smoking this. Whew, it has some strength! I don't mind a bit of a kick, but this ranks up there with the very first cigar I reviewed, the Perdomo Lot 23. With the Perdomo, I feel it pretty fast; with this one, I felt a little light headed toward the end, but the gut punch with the Camacho happened about five minutes after I put it down. At that point it was burning hot and was feeling squishy, so I didn't quit early.
Still, I would smoke it again, but probably closer to a large meal with something ready to eat after. Thanks Jim for sending this in my "housewarming" package. I enjoyed it.
Looking for a smoke that I wouldn't feel bad if the rain and wind forced me to quit because of bad burn conditions and I found this in the tupperdore. I started to write a review of it on my tablet, but then it went all crazy with downloading updates and crashed the review after like five paragraphs. I'm not going to recreate it here, but I'm going to say I liked this as a value smoke at first. It reminded me of the CAO Brazilia GOL after a bit. But there was this one strange flavor that I couldn't place. for. a. long. time.
Then my wife decided to come visit me. She picked it up to be funny and took a puff. She nailed it. "This tastes like lettuce." And I was done. Like cafeteria salad lettuce that's been sprayed with some anti-browning agent. Other than that it was great, but I couldn't get it out of my head and had to put it down. I hate lettuce. Always have. It's like the first time someone told me root beer tastes like toothpaste and now I always taste it when I drink the stuff. Rarely do anymore. Oh well. I will try to drive this thought out of my head and smoke another sometime because it was pretty darn good otherwise. Needed a lot of water because it was dry on the palate, but what a value. Just. Freaking. Lettuce.
The 6x52 "El Brujito" is a brute of a cigar. It feels bigger than the listed dimensions. It has a rough but not unappealing look. From the pigtail head to the shaggy/closed foot, the wrapper is actually fairly uniform but does appear a little rough around the edges. It smells good, earth, coffee, and cinnamon. There's a little sweetness to a lick, but not much.
The foot has some trouble lighting evenly. I might consider making a clean cut on the end to get rid of the shag if I smoke another. But once I got going this burned strongly for the first half. There were some uneven spots, but they corrected. The ash on the cigar was white but didn't hold super-firm. The draw was light at first, but firmed up. After half of the cigar, I ran into some burn broblems, with one side of the cigr not wanting to remain lit. I only needed one touch up, but I got light headed at one point from trying to puff it awake. Either that or the nic was starting to hit me. Maybe both.
Aside from the draw/burn problem at halfway, this, like most Drew products could be described as a chimney as much as a cigar. The smoke output was tremendous. It had a rich flavor that stayed pretty consistent, just with the flavors increasing/decreasing in relation to each other as you progressed. It was interesting and enjoyable because of that.
If you like Drew Estate products and want something in the solid medium strength and flavor range, this will satisfy. It has a lot of characteristics that remind me of the Undercrown, but if anything the flavors are a little more rich yet a little less strong. There is a different flavor profile, but I would definitely not be surprised on a blind taste if this had been unveiled as a DE cigar. I enjoyed it and would smoke it again. The cigar was really fresh, and I suspect that's the best way to smoke these, but I should maybe have waited another couple of weeks before burning it. That may be the cause of my burn issues...that and weather conditions.
I didn't feel like messing with better photography at night, so this is what you get image-wise of this Camacho Maduro. Love the band, with the small band on the foot, this thing looks great. Too bad they changed their marketing strategy over at Camacho.
Well, last night in the v-herf, I was accused of not liking any cigar (even though I might enjoy smoking them.) I tip my warm, fuzzy, you-can-kiss-my-azz-if-you-don't-like-it, thoughtful gift from my wife, leather hat to all of you and offer you this review:
I liked it. A lot. Smell, draw, taste. Everything perfect. My wife even said, I love you enough to kiss you after you smoke, but I actually like this one. And she planted another one on me.
Now, I wouldn't be me if I didn't point out the negative. Somebody took a butter-churn paddle to my stomach after smoking this. Whew, it has some strength! I don't mind a bit of a kick, but this ranks up there with the very first cigar I reviewed, the Perdomo Lot 23. With the Perdomo, I feel it pretty fast; with this one, I felt a little light headed toward the end, but the gut punch with the Camacho happened about five minutes after I put it down. At that point it was burning hot and was feeling squishy, so I didn't quit early.
Still, I would smoke it again, but probably closer to a large meal with something ready to eat after. Thanks Jim for sending this in my "housewarming" package. I enjoyed it.
i really like this smoke...it's kind of one dimensional but if it's good it's good. I got a old box that came with no cellos and smells like stinky feet...once you get passed that well it's like certain cheeses,they might smell bad but damn it's good
I didn't feel like messing with better photography at night, so this is what you get image-wise of this Camacho Maduro. Love the band, with the small band on the foot, this thing looks great. Too bad they changed their marketing strategy over at Camacho.
Well, last night in the v-herf, I was accused of not liking any cigar (even though I might enjoy smoking them.) I tip my warm, fuzzy, you-can-kiss-my-azz-if-you-don't-like-it, thoughtful gift from my wife, leather hat to all of you and offer you this review:
I liked it. A lot. Smell, draw, taste. Everything perfect. My wife even said, I love you enough to kiss you after you smoke, but I actually like this one. And she planted another one on me.
Now, I wouldn't be me if I didn't point out the negative. Somebody took a butter-churn paddle to my stomach after smoking this. Whew, it has some strength! I don't mind a bit of a kick, but this ranks up there with the very first cigar I reviewed, the Perdomo Lot 23. With the Perdomo, I feel it pretty fast; with this one, I felt a little light headed toward the end, but the gut punch with the Camacho happened about five minutes after I put it down. At that point it was burning hot and was feeling squishy, so I didn't quit early.
Still, I would smoke it again, but probably closer to a large meal with something ready to eat after. Thanks Jim for sending this in my "housewarming" package. I enjoyed it.
i really like this smoke...it's kind of one dimensional but if it's good it's good. I got a old box that came with no cellos and smells like stinky feet...once you get passed that well it's like certain cheeses,they might smell bad but damn it's good
I do enjoy these and have a few boxes from before the change, I don't know that I would go with stinky feet (I wear work boots) but they do have a distinct aroma! I Like It.
I didn't feel like messing with better photography at night, so this is what you get image-wise of this Camacho Maduro. Love the band, with the small band on the foot, this thing looks great. Too bad they changed their marketing strategy over at Camacho.
Well, last night in the v-herf, I was accused of not liking any cigar (even though I might enjoy smoking them.) I tip my warm, fuzzy, you-can-kiss-my-azz-if-you-don't-like-it, thoughtful gift from my wife, leather hat to all of you and offer you this review:
I liked it. A lot. Smell, draw, taste. Everything perfect. My wife even said, I love you enough to kiss you after you smoke, but I actually like this one. And she planted another one on me.
Now, I wouldn't be me if I didn't point out the negative. Somebody took a butter-churn paddle to my stomach after smoking this. Whew, it has some strength! I don't mind a bit of a kick, but this ranks up there with the very first cigar I reviewed, the Perdomo Lot 23. With the Perdomo, I feel it pretty fast; with this one, I felt a little light headed toward the end, but the gut punch with the Camacho happened about five minutes after I put it down. At that point it was burning hot and was feeling squishy, so I didn't quit early.
Still, I would smoke it again, but probably closer to a large meal with something ready to eat after. Thanks Jim for sending this in my "housewarming" package. I enjoyed it.
i really like this smoke...it's kind of one dimensional but if it's good it's good. I got a old box that came with no cellos and smells like stinky feet...once you get passed that well it's like certain cheeses,they might smell bad but damn it's good
I do enjoy these and have a few boxes from before the change, I don't know that I would go with stinky feet (I wear work boots) but they do have a distinct aroma! I Like It.
Hmmm. Stinky feet. I like stinky cheese, soooooo maybe. But I hate feet. I have a foot aversion-like the opposite of a foot fetish. Keep those things covered!
I enjoyed this smoke. And the Nica Rustica. Other than those, I've been on a down cycle, except for some consistent favorites.
I always wonder when I have an issue with a cigar whether its me, my storage, or what. I give the benefit of the doubt to the manufacturer, but I had some burn issues with this cigar requiring several minor and two major touch-ups to keep it burning. Seems like I'm not alone in this after a google.
But after that warning, the first 2/3 of the cigar were great. It looked great, even if the band somehow managed to be at once busy and boring. But the cigar itself looked great. I got an intense tropical fruit kind of smell from the cigar, heavy on the pineapple. Great pre-light flavor on lick and a draw after the cut.
After a toast this thing is ready to go. It smoked pretty quickly, and you had to be careful because too fast and it seemed like it was going down the road to tasting like what I imagine urine tastes like. Too slow and it wanted to go out. But at the right speed, I was getting perfect, even ash drop; I just thought the necessary speed was a bit too fast.
I don't want to be super negative so on with the good. Perfect amount of pepper. Good nic kick, but not too much. Some interesting flavors, until it kind of went downhill at the end. The pineapple only lasted a short while at the start of the cigar, but it kind of reminded me of a less sweet version of my special grilled pineapple with lime, honey, and fresh cracked black pepper. I decided that water wasn't doing this thing justice so I grabbed a couple of fingers of Elijah Craig Small Batch because that stuff tastes like bananas. It worked nicely with the cigar, with each kind of masking the negatives of the other for a while. And actually made for a really pleasant experience (aside from the company on the vherf...oh wait, that was good too.)
The last third, the flavors got muddled and mild and started tasting not so great. I think the burn issues caught up with the flavor profile. If I was only ranking the first 2/3 of the cigar it would get really high marks on everything except burn. But as a whole, this thing has to get marked down some. I'd not seek it out, but wouldn't turn it down, either. Not so bad to get "dog rocket" or "yard gar" designations; just a solid middle of the road and perhaps overhyped semi-premium stick with tantalizing potential that isn't quite reached.
I always wonder when I have an issue with a cigar whether its me, my storage, or what. I give the benefit of the doubt to the manufacturer, but I had some burn issues with this cigar requiring several minor and two major touch-ups to keep it burning. Seems like I'm not alone in this after a google.
But after that warning, the first 2/3 of the cigar were great. It looked great, even if the band somehow managed to be at once busy and boring. But the cigar itself looked great. I got an intense tropical fruit kind of smell from the cigar, heavy on the pineapple. Great pre-light flavor on lick and a draw after the cut.
After a toast this thing is ready to go. It smoked pretty quickly, and you had to be careful because too fast and it seemed like it was going down the road to tasting like what I imagine urine tastes like. Too slow and it wanted to go out. But at the right speed, I was getting perfect, even ash drop; I just thought the necessary speed was a bit too fast.
I don't want to be super negative so on with the good. Perfect amount of pepper. Good nic kick, but not too much. Some interesting flavors, until it kind of went downhill at the end. The pineapple only lasted a short while at the start of the cigar, but it kind of reminded me of a less sweet version of my special grilled pineapple with lime, honey, and fresh cracked black pepper. I decided that water wasn't doing this thing justice so I grabbed a couple of fingers of Elijah Craig Small Batch because that stuff tastes like bananas. It worked nicely with the cigar, with each kind of masking the negatives of the other for a while. And actually made for a really pleasant experience (aside from the company on the vherf...oh wait, that was good too.)
The last third, the flavors got muddled and mild and started tasting not so great. I think the burn issues caught up with the flavor profile. If I was only ranking the first 2/3 of the cigar it would get really high marks on everything except burn. But as a whole, this thing has to get marked down some. I'd not seek it out, but wouldn't turn it down, either. Not so bad to get "dog rocket" or "yard gar" designations; just a solid middle of the road and perhaps overhyped semi-premium stick with tantalizing potential that isn't quite reached.
Hmm, I've burned maybe 4 of these and haven't had any issues other than minor touch ups on the home stretch, Love the profile!
I always wonder when I have an issue with a cigar whether its me, my storage, or what. I give the benefit of the doubt to the manufacturer, but I had some burn issues with this cigar requiring several minor and two major touch-ups to keep it burning. Seems like I'm not alone in this after a google.
But after that warning, the first 2/3 of the cigar were great. It looked great, even if the band somehow managed to be at once busy and boring. But the cigar itself looked great. I got an intense tropical fruit kind of smell from the cigar, heavy on the pineapple. Great pre-light flavor on lick and a draw after the cut.
After a toast this thing is ready to go. It smoked pretty quickly, and you had to be careful because too fast and it seemed like it was going down the road to tasting like what I imagine urine tastes like. Too slow and it wanted to go out. But at the right speed, I was getting perfect, even ash drop; I just thought the necessary speed was a bit too fast.
I don't want to be super negative so on with the good. Perfect amount of pepper. Good nic kick, but not too much. Some interesting flavors, until it kind of went downhill at the end. The pineapple only lasted a short while at the start of the cigar, but it kind of reminded me of a less sweet version of my special grilled pineapple with lime, honey, and fresh cracked black pepper. I decided that water wasn't doing this thing justice so I grabbed a couple of fingers of Elijah Craig Small Batch because that stuff tastes like bananas. It worked nicely with the cigar, with each kind of masking the negatives of the other for a while. And actually made for a really pleasant experience (aside from the company on the vherf...oh wait, that was good too.)
The last third, the flavors got muddled and mild and started tasting not so great. I think the burn issues caught up with the flavor profile. If I was only ranking the first 2/3 of the cigar it would get really high marks on everything except burn. But as a whole, this thing has to get marked down some. I'd not seek it out, but wouldn't turn it down, either. Not so bad to get "dog rocket" or "yard gar" designations; just a solid middle of the road and perhaps overhyped semi-premium stick with tantalizing potential that isn't quite reached.
Hmm, I've burned maybe 4 of these and haven't had any issues other than minor touch ups on the home stretch, Love the profile!
That's why I hate doing reviews on only one cigar, so when it had issues I googled other reviews and the first three I randomly clicked on had burn issues. Not a scientific study, but enough to make me wonder, especially when the pics on one looked exactly like the one I burned.
It was one of those flavor profiles that was tantalizingly close to being great but never got over the hump for me. Really interesting combinations and I'd think it was getting there and then it'd go back downhill.
I spend too much time processing after I write the review. My reviews are pretty spontaneous, off-the-cuff affairs; semi-stream-of-consciousness things. After I get them down in organized fashion, I really start to analyze the smoke a whole lot more. Sometimes the result is that I remember the positives more than the negatives, and that's kind of happening with this cigar. The only negative I remember standing out is the burn problem, but I'm remembering the good aspects of the profile a whole lot more than the bad.
IMO it's a good cigar but the hype around it made it more disappointing...this is why I hate some reviews lol things get hyped up in your head then you just become disappointed with a ton of great cigars!!
IMO it's a good cigar but the hype around it made it more disappointing...this is why I hate some reviews lol things get hyped up in your head then you just become disappointed with a ton of great cigars!!
There's also something to be said about discovering something on your own. That said, I read a lot of reviews and will write off a cigar if the reviews point towards flavor profiles or strengths I don't care for.
IMO it's a good cigar but the hype around it made it more disappointing...this is why I hate some reviews lol things get hyped up in your head then you just become disappointed with a ton of great cigars!!
Maybe I should just pull the bands off all my cigars and smoke 'em blind. I guess I'd have to label them with a code and check what they were after smoking them in order to label the review.
I've wanted to try this smoke for a while and onestrangeone sent me one after I posted in the top three I want to try. I was just throwing out there that my go-to B&M doesn't carry this one LFD for some reason. The less convenient B&M sometimes has them, but when I go there, I always wind up spending the budget on something else. I was worried it might be stronger than I care for, but it looks great and I have a friend who swears it's his favorite.
So the looks. The dark-ish wrapper has very few veins but has an oily sheen. I'm fascinated by the pattern of the wrap around the chisel tip. The cigar smells like herbs and cinnamon sticks. Licking it adds some spice. I pinch the tip to open it up after debating a punch from both sides like Litto Gomez says it's designed for. Sorry, but the pinch works perfectly.
Without going into a formal third by third review, this thing has some cedar, but not too much. Some dark coffee, but not too much. Spice, but it's most intense on the retro or if you hold it in your mouth a long time. The predominate flavor is that of fennel. Herby and licorice mixed. Now, all these flavors come and go in varying intensities throughout the smoke, but it is really good the whole way through. Flavor gets an A.
Strength is more than I typically like, but since the cigar was so balanced I didn't mind. I was saving this cigar for a time when it could follow a good meal. Ribeye was on sale this week and it warmed up a bit, so I fired the grill, crusted the steaks, cooked to medium. Spaghetti squash, broccoli and cheese, mashed taters, and rolls on the side. Led perfectly into the cigar. About halfway through, though, water wasn't cutting it as a sole partner, so we incorporated some Schlafly coffee stout into the deal. Perfect. When I was done, I needed a snack. But I never felt sick or overpowered. A- for my preferences.
Burn was a little uneven, but I never touched up, I just had to baby it a couple of times by puffing extra. That sped up the smoke from what I wanted to do, but it was never bad. I didn't set the clock on this one, but I know it was over two hours. Not sure how much over. A-- (I didn't want to drop this into the B+ range, but it almost did at one point.)
So, long story short, I have another LFD near the top of my list. I wouldn't smoke this one every day; I think meal and pairing are going to be important, but it was a great blend with great balance and flavor. Burn was nothing to mark down, but it deserved watching.
Take that! All of you who say I never like the cigars I review.
Broke into a package of Jim's C4 and grabbed this Camacho, but with the repackaging of this brand, I'm not entirely sure which cigar it is. I think it might be the Criollo. Wrapper looks right. Both yellow banded. Some google searches lead me to think I might be right, but not 100%.
Sorry for the fuzzy picture, but the kids were shouting at me to come help build a snowman with our dusting of snow, before it melted. Really, it was going to be an ambush, and I knew it, but figured I'd humor the little snowball monsters.
And melt the snow did, after getting pelted a few times, but giving better than I got (teach them not to gang up on people and to respect their elders!) I was able to hear it drip, drip, drip off the eaves while I relaxed on the back porch. The day was just warm enough to be tolerable without the space heater. I was even able to do some typing with no gloves on for brief periods.
So, no burn problems for me, at all. The small rg may have helped with this. I did notice twice that one edge was burning a lot faster than the other, but I just turned the cigar and it straightened right up. That trick doesn't work as well on larger rg's for me.
Strength was a solid medium. It gave me no gut punch or lingering feeling. And my wife kissed me several times after smoking it. That could be because I'm irresistible; however I have noticed a curtailing of smooches after some smokes, so you can draw your own conclusions. There was a pleasant lingering flavor after I was done.
Flavor was top-notch, too. Some spicy complexity from the wrapper overlaid a foundation that was slightly sweet. Well blended cigar stayed great until the nub. Nothing off about it except for one puff right near the end that told me it was time to put it down. Corona-ish size lasted over an hour. Oh, and the ash even held on pretty strong while dodging snowballs!
So if anyone can confirm what this is (Jim thinks it might be a d/c'd blend, sad face) I'd be much obliged. If it is the Criollo, I'd like to hear from someone who's tried the new ones. I'm curious what happened to the blend. Great smoke.
Wait, that's two positive reviews in a row! What is wrong with me?
Comments
With the Regius, it's funny, while I was smoking it I made notes about really good things, but I don't remember just loving it, but as I looked back on it, I realized I really did like it, enough to move it up really high on the Top 5 list I keep updated with my wife. (She asked for the top 5 and I made it a top 10 with other suggestions for things like "Quick Smokes" and "Morning favorites".) I put this at number 2, right under Hemingway Maddy. I think I probably downgraded it while smoking it because of the cold, but I could smoke it at any time of day with lots of different things in lots of circumstances. So there it sits on my favorite list right between Fuente and LFD DL and Ashton VSG (tie).
Above is the review I put on the ccom page for this cigar. I will expand it here, but that's the highlights. Let me start by describing what I mean by "full". I smoke full cigars. I like some full cigars, but in general, cigars labeled "full" seem to be a macho test of your intestines. Hovering on the edge of puking is something I didn't like when I was a college student at a party let alone as an adult. Strength, the feel, is harder for me to describe than flavors; it's just an impression. This cigar gives the impression of strength, but it's not a bad thing when it's melded with top notch flavors, great construction, a beautiful look, and smoothness. It is full-powered, but I like it and like it enough to smoke it repeatedly. I also find the flavor profile and the "sharp edges" between flavors something unique in my cigar experience. With many cigars, I have to really ponder the flavors or they seem muddled together. This has very distinct flavors hitting different taste receptacles and olfactory sensors at the same time. It feels more like a salad filled with crisp greens and veggies that pop in your mouth than a salad run through a blender and sipped through a straw.
Okay, now I just need to end that paragraph.
Sorry about that ramble. The smell of these cigars is amazing. You can tell there will be spice, but there's cedar and wood and aromatic herbs, too. The cap tastes slightly spicy with a little of that bitter chocolate (the tiniest bit of sweet is present, but not much). The draw is a little tight, but I find the box press to sit comfortably so that balances the tightness. The draw is never a problem. It is consistent and smooth and nearly perfect but on the firm side.
The highlight paragraph gives the rest of the flavors. Crushed red pepper is the big mainstay. And it's one of my favorite spices, so that's a good thing. Citrus is refreshing, but I rarely find it in a cigar this strong. OR maybe I should say I can't distinguish it in a strong cigar because I usually just get "harsh". This cigar never comes close to the harsh line. Bold, yes. Strong, yes. Spicy, yes. Harsh, no.
What else do you need to know? That's not rhetorical. Ask away if you have questions and I'll be happy to answer because I like this cigar a lot. I did not put it on the favorites list I give my wife because I can assure you I will always have one in my humidor and she won't need to give it as a gift.
Love the review.
Was thinking you would have more of a focus on the wraper/appearance then you did. Also wish you had shot some photos...Im more of a picture book reader.
The Melanio's wrapper is simply put, the most gorgeous wrapper I've ever seen on a cigar. It is set off beautifully by the double band of the "Oliva Series V" on top and the "Melanio" smaller band on bottom. The bands are simple, but good looking, and they compliment the shades of the wrapper quite nicely. I really feel like these cigars glow when the lights hit them right. They have an oily sheen that turns their chocolate-leather shade into gold. The Melanio is an experience for all the senses. The feel of the stick is quite nice, smooth and slick. The smell and taste are as previously described. And when you open the box, you hear birds chirping or something...okay, I went a bit too far there, but you get the point.
This cigar has the look of a major leaguer. It is beautiful as you pull it out of the spiderweb paper wrap. In its unbanded nudity, it sits begging to be examined. When you do so, it is an example of a great cigar. Uniform in color and a perfect figurado, the cigar looks like it's wrapped in chocolate, and it smells like cinnamon. The cap doesn't taste like much when you lick it, just a slight flavor of tobacco. Between the shape and color, I'm reminded of a Hemingway. But this winds up being a minor leaguer, remember...
After cutting the cap with a double guillotine, I'm surprised how easy the draw is on this, and get cinnamon and light chocolate. I get the flavor of toasted coconut after a slow-toast light. Yum! But the first ash falls quickly, circumcising the tip of the cigar and most of the positives after a quarter inch. Okay, there's still a lot of good here, to be honest, but...
After the ash fall, the draw tightens up. That surprises me a little, because I expect the difficulties in draw to dissipate with a figurado as the burn opens it up. Right at the end of the first third, a harsh bitterness starts to come and go and the cigar loses all sweetness. I had a little bit of a burn issue on one side of the wrapper that I touched up once, though I probably didn't need to quite yet. It was a preemptive act based on pitch count at this point. I will say that the ash always dropped off cleanly and perfectly.
Into the second third, the harshness goes away and there's a really nice pine or herb quality to the smoke. Then I start to taste butter, melted butter. That quickly changes to clarified then browned then burnt butter. Then I feel butter. No, wait, that's a big glop of oozing tar coming out of the tip, which I have to cut again to open up the cigar. I probably didn't cut it big enough to begin with, but oh, this just was not pleasant.
Note the smear of tar in the ashtray. Yes, I played with it.
There was enough good about this cigar that I smoked it down to the end, but it's because I'm scouting the good only to be turned away by the bad. A desperate team may take this player on as a project, but it needs some work. I preferred this flavor profile to the OSOK, but it was a better cigar overall. You're always looking for that utility guy who can switch-hit. He'll play for a long time. That's OSOK. EH is the minor leaguer with a greater upside but so many negatives that he just can't make it.
Early on, I notice the cigar wants to be drawn frequently or it doesn't stay lit. The wrapper especially seems resistant to flame, with the inside burning. Not my favorite way to smoke. The ash on this is flaky. It never drops while resting on the ashtray and it just falls into pieces in the air before landing.
I tried out the new chatroom that NewBoots put together while smoking this. I put on there that the draw on this was like sucking through a clogged drainpipe. But yummy. Then, after the draw it puts out a big cloud of smoke. If you don't suck again soon, it wants to go out. But it's yummy, so who cares? It needs one, long draw about every 30-45 or the wrapper won't stay lit properly. Quick draws take too much force so no 2-1 on this thing.
Temperature was nice when I started this thing, but it's dropping fast, and I'm just sitting out in it, not doing anything. I probably won't nub this one. I'll have to track down who gave this to me. I think it was my newbie trade...Medic45 maybe? I'll look into it. If the price is right, I'd smoke this for flavor alone. If the price is really right, this would be awesome as a yard gar where I don't worry so much about maintaining ash or if it stays lit.
I didn't feel like messing with better photography at night, so this is what you get image-wise of this Camacho Maduro. Love the band, with the small band on the foot, this thing looks great. Too bad they changed their marketing strategy over at Camacho.
Well, last night in the v-herf, I was accused of not liking any cigar (even though I might enjoy smoking them.) I tip my warm, fuzzy, you-can-kiss-my-azz-if-you-don't-like-it, thoughtful gift from my wife, leather hat to all of you and offer you this review:
I liked it. A lot. Smell, draw, taste. Everything perfect. My wife even said, I love you enough to kiss you after you smoke, but I actually like this one. And she planted another one on me.
Now, I wouldn't be me if I didn't point out the negative. Somebody took a butter-churn paddle to my stomach after smoking this. Whew, it has some strength! I don't mind a bit of a kick, but this ranks up there with the very first cigar I reviewed, the Perdomo Lot 23. With the Perdomo, I feel it pretty fast; with this one, I felt a little light headed toward the end, but the gut punch with the Camacho happened about five minutes after I put it down. At that point it was burning hot and was feeling squishy, so I didn't quit early.
Still, I would smoke it again, but probably closer to a large meal with something ready to eat after. Thanks Jim for sending this in my "housewarming" package. I enjoyed it.
Then my wife decided to come visit me. She picked it up to be funny and took a puff. She nailed it. "This tastes like lettuce." And I was done. Like cafeteria salad lettuce that's been sprayed with some anti-browning agent. Other than that it was great, but I couldn't get it out of my head and had to put it down. I hate lettuce. Always have. It's like the first time someone told me root beer tastes like toothpaste and now I always taste it when I drink the stuff. Rarely do anymore. Oh well. I will try to drive this thought out of my head and smoke another sometime because it was pretty darn good otherwise. Needed a lot of water because it was dry on the palate, but what a value. Just. Freaking. Lettuce.
The foot has some trouble lighting evenly. I might consider making a clean cut on the end to get rid of the shag if I smoke another. But once I got going this burned strongly for the first half. There were some uneven spots, but they corrected. The ash on the cigar was white but didn't hold super-firm. The draw was light at first, but firmed up. After half of the cigar, I ran into some burn broblems, with one side of the cigr not wanting to remain lit. I only needed one touch up, but I got light headed at one point from trying to puff it awake. Either that or the nic was starting to hit me. Maybe both.
Aside from the draw/burn problem at halfway, this, like most Drew products could be described as a chimney as much as a cigar. The smoke output was tremendous. It had a rich flavor that stayed pretty consistent, just with the flavors increasing/decreasing in relation to each other as you progressed. It was interesting and enjoyable because of that.
If you like Drew Estate products and want something in the solid medium strength and flavor range, this will satisfy. It has a lot of characteristics that remind me of the Undercrown, but if anything the flavors are a little more rich yet a little less strong. There is a different flavor profile, but I would definitely not be surprised on a blind taste if this had been unveiled as a DE cigar. I enjoyed it and would smoke it again. The cigar was really fresh, and I suspect that's the best way to smoke these, but I should maybe have waited another couple of weeks before burning it. That may be the cause of my burn issues...that and weather conditions.
Hmmm. Stinky feet. I like stinky cheese, soooooo maybe. But I hate feet. I have a foot aversion-like the opposite of a foot fetish. Keep those things covered!
I enjoyed this smoke. And the Nica Rustica. Other than those, I've been on a down cycle, except for some consistent favorites.
But after that warning, the first 2/3 of the cigar were great. It looked great, even if the band somehow managed to be at once busy and boring. But the cigar itself looked great. I got an intense tropical fruit kind of smell from the cigar, heavy on the pineapple. Great pre-light flavor on lick and a draw after the cut.
After a toast this thing is ready to go. It smoked pretty quickly, and you had to be careful because too fast and it seemed like it was going down the road to tasting like what I imagine urine tastes like. Too slow and it wanted to go out. But at the right speed, I was getting perfect, even ash drop; I just thought the necessary speed was a bit too fast.
I don't want to be super negative so on with the good. Perfect amount of pepper. Good nic kick, but not too much. Some interesting flavors, until it kind of went downhill at the end. The pineapple only lasted a short while at the start of the cigar, but it kind of reminded me of a less sweet version of my special grilled pineapple with lime, honey, and fresh cracked black pepper. I decided that water wasn't doing this thing justice so I grabbed a couple of fingers of Elijah Craig Small Batch because that stuff tastes like bananas. It worked nicely with the cigar, with each kind of masking the negatives of the other for a while. And actually made for a really pleasant experience (aside from the company on the vherf...oh wait, that was good too.)
The last third, the flavors got muddled and mild and started tasting not so great. I think the burn issues caught up with the flavor profile. If I was only ranking the first 2/3 of the cigar it would get really high marks on everything except burn. But as a whole, this thing has to get marked down some. I'd not seek it out, but wouldn't turn it down, either. Not so bad to get "dog rocket" or "yard gar" designations; just a solid middle of the road and perhaps overhyped semi-premium stick with tantalizing potential that isn't quite reached.
Hmm, I've burned maybe 4 of these and haven't had any issues other than minor touch ups on the home stretch, Love the profile!
It was one of those flavor profiles that was tantalizingly close to being great but never got over the hump for me. Really interesting combinations and I'd think it was getting there and then it'd go back downhill.
I spend too much time processing after I write the review. My reviews are pretty spontaneous, off-the-cuff affairs; semi-stream-of-consciousness things. After I get them down in organized fashion, I really start to analyze the smoke a whole lot more. Sometimes the result is that I remember the positives more than the negatives, and that's kind of happening with this cigar. The only negative I remember standing out is the burn problem, but I'm remembering the good aspects of the profile a whole lot more than the bad.
I've wanted to try this smoke for a while and onestrangeone sent me one after I posted in the top three I want to try. I was just throwing out there that my go-to B&M doesn't carry this one LFD for some reason. The less convenient B&M sometimes has them, but when I go there, I always wind up spending the budget on something else. I was worried it might be stronger than I care for, but it looks great and I have a friend who swears it's his favorite.
So the looks. The dark-ish wrapper has very few veins but has an oily sheen. I'm fascinated by the pattern of the wrap around the chisel tip. The cigar smells like herbs and cinnamon sticks. Licking it adds some spice. I pinch the tip to open it up after debating a punch from both sides like Litto Gomez says it's designed for. Sorry, but the pinch works perfectly.
Without going into a formal third by third review, this thing has some cedar, but not too much. Some dark coffee, but not too much. Spice, but it's most intense on the retro or if you hold it in your mouth a long time. The predominate flavor is that of fennel. Herby and licorice mixed. Now, all these flavors come and go in varying intensities throughout the smoke, but it is really good the whole way through. Flavor gets an A.
Strength is more than I typically like, but since the cigar was so balanced I didn't mind. I was saving this cigar for a time when it could follow a good meal. Ribeye was on sale this week and it warmed up a bit, so I fired the grill, crusted the steaks, cooked to medium. Spaghetti squash, broccoli and cheese, mashed taters, and rolls on the side. Led perfectly into the cigar. About halfway through, though, water wasn't cutting it as a sole partner, so we incorporated some Schlafly coffee stout into the deal. Perfect. When I was done, I needed a snack. But I never felt sick or overpowered. A- for my preferences.
Burn was a little uneven, but I never touched up, I just had to baby it a couple of times by puffing extra. That sped up the smoke from what I wanted to do, but it was never bad. I didn't set the clock on this one, but I know it was over two hours. Not sure how much over. A-- (I didn't want to drop this into the B+ range, but it almost did at one point.)
So, long story short, I have another LFD near the top of my list. I wouldn't smoke this one every day; I think meal and pairing are going to be important, but it was a great blend with great balance and flavor. Burn was nothing to mark down, but it deserved watching.
Take that! All of you who say I never like the cigars I review.
Sorry for the fuzzy picture, but the kids were shouting at me to come help build a snowman with our dusting of snow, before it melted. Really, it was going to be an ambush, and I knew it, but figured I'd humor the little snowball monsters.
And melt the snow did, after getting pelted a few times, but giving better than I got (teach them not to gang up on people and to respect their elders!) I was able to hear it drip, drip, drip off the eaves while I relaxed on the back porch. The day was just warm enough to be tolerable without the space heater. I was even able to do some typing with no gloves on for brief periods.
So, no burn problems for me, at all. The small rg may have helped with this. I did notice twice that one edge was burning a lot faster than the other, but I just turned the cigar and it straightened right up. That trick doesn't work as well on larger rg's for me.
Strength was a solid medium. It gave me no gut punch or lingering feeling. And my wife kissed me several times after smoking it. That could be because I'm irresistible; however I have noticed a curtailing of smooches after some smokes, so you can draw your own conclusions. There was a pleasant lingering flavor after I was done.
Flavor was top-notch, too. Some spicy complexity from the wrapper overlaid a foundation that was slightly sweet. Well blended cigar stayed great until the nub. Nothing off about it except for one puff right near the end that told me it was time to put it down. Corona-ish size lasted over an hour. Oh, and the ash even held on pretty strong while dodging snowballs!
So if anyone can confirm what this is (Jim thinks it might be a d/c'd blend, sad face) I'd be much obliged. If it is the Criollo, I'd like to hear from someone who's tried the new ones. I'm curious what happened to the blend. Great smoke.
Wait, that's two positive reviews in a row! What is wrong with me?