Oliva Serie O Maduro Double Toro

Size: 6 X 60

Wrapper: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Binder: Nicaragua

This is my last stick from a box of 10. I usually always save the last from a box for a few months before I’ll smoke it and today is the day to smoke this big bold Maduro cigar. From experience, I make sure to smoke it on a full stomach.

I head to the valley to meet up with a friend and afterward I head to the smoking room at my lodge to sit and relax with this cigar and a large bottle of smart water. I put on a cd that I made a while ago and it has tracks consisting of ultra-lounge music mixed with Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Wayne Newton, Dave Brubeck and others.

This dark chocolate stick looks delicious with its light veins. I took a sniff at the foot before I pulled the whole cigar out of its clear cocoon and I smelled chocolate. It was very prevalent. I took the rest of the stick out and barnyard is the aroma I smelled.

I clipped the cap with a table cutter that offers four different cuts and I chose the biggest hole to clip the cap off. I placed it in my mouth and took a nice open draw and I tasted cocoa and hay.

This cigar ignited instantly with one wooden match and the first draws embraced hints of pepper. Roasted coffee and cocoa notes took over as the stick perfectly burns on. The smoke was full and very creamy.

The shades of grey colored ash had spots of black with a brown dusting. It held its form and eventually fell off around one third in and the black mascara colored burns edge underneath the ash is thick.

Hints of cocoa, cedar and wood dominated the second third of this cigar. The smoke remained full and the burn even.

 

The last third encompassed notes of wood and leather. As I got to the end, roasted coffee flavors return. The smoke never let up from this stick with it fullness and the burn never wavered from its even burn. When I looked down at the foot of this stick, I can see an orange glow underneath the ash.

Make sure you put aside about 90 plus minutes for this smoke. I was enjoying it so much, I lost track of time and had to dash out and finish the last few puffs of cigar while driving to my next destination. I didn’t want to waste a single bit.

If you like a nice bold, strong flavored cigar you should get a few of these for your humidor. This is another great cigar in the Oliva line of cigars. - March 12, 2013

Robert Anthony Meyers

robert@cigarassessor.com

Padron 5000 Maduro

Size: 5 1/2 X 56

Wrapper : Nicaragua

Filler : Nicaragua

Binder : Nicaragua

  

Today, I visited an old friend. A friend I visited over 200 times but not in recent times. The Padron 5000 Maduro. My old go to cigar which is a very consistent cigar that never let me down. I reviewed this bold stick after not paying much attention recently in this industry of the boutique cigar flooding the marketplace.

The drink I chose for this regal event is Glenlivet 15 year single malt scotch. The music is the from the album, Phenomenology by New York based trumpeter Liam Sillery. I pulled a chair to the table by the pool on this 70 degree day and pinched the dark chocolate stick with very visible veins out of its wrapper.







The band is simple and to the point. It's brown with white lettering and lines. Padron arching along the top of the circle and Handmade underneath the logo.

The prelight smell was earthy and reminded me of a baseball field smell. I clipped the cap and the very open smooth draw of this cigar contained a peppery and cocoa taste.

I lit the cigar with a wooden match and pepper and cedar were the flavors embracing the smoke entering my mouth. The white smoke flowed freely and was full and creamy.

  

The grey ash with its black highlights fell about a quarter of the way in and exploded into dust. This hasn’t been a common occurrence during my reviews as most of the ash that falls from the previous cigars stays in its shape for the most part.

The second third of this even burning stick has notes of coffee and cedar and the smoke was pumping out full and strong.

A leather note appeared in my palate during the last third and the flavor remains full. The smoke never let up and the burn stayed even throughout.

I smoke this cigar until I felt the heat on my lips. I placed in down and instantly the bell begins ringing from local Catholic church nearby.



The Padron 5000 Maduro has it's own distinct flavor of all the cigars I have smoked. It's not overly powerful but bold in its own right. If you haven't smoked one yet, you should. You won't be disappointed. -March 11, 2013

Robert Anthony Meyers

robert@cigarassessor.com

Garo Centum Salomon

Size: 7.5 X 58

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador

Binder: Habano Honduras

Filler: Nicaragua

 

 

Daylight savings began today which means I can enjoy a cigar while enjoying more of the sun's light as I smoke. This evening I will give it a try to celebrate.

A very good friend of mine is a huge fan of this cigar and handed this one over to me to review. I smoked one before because of his generosity but was in a small room of other cigar smokers and wasn’t reviewing at the time. I remember it being a good smoke but let’s see how it is now.

I sit in my usual place by the Jacuzzi and set up my event. This evening I will be drinking homemade Starbucks Italian Roast ice coffee. I like to put any leftover brewed coffee from the pot from the morning into the refrigerator and use it as ice coffee. I chose Pandora with my Hurricane Smith station as my music of the night.

This cigar came unwrapped and is light brown in color and with very light veins. The humble band is efficient.  I place it under my nose and sniff and coffee and barnyard is the scent that’s exhumed. The cut was smooth and clean. No pieces hanging. The prelight draw and I detect cinnamon stick. The draw on this cigar is slightly tight and isn’t as open as I’m used to. But it isn’t bad. I love the foot on this cigar. It reminded me of a missile and lighting it was easy with one wooden match.

The first taste is of roasted nuts and the smoke is a full creamy smoke swirling around. As I smoke on I taste hints of wood, ginger and clove, a very interesting array of notes. The burn is even with a strong black edge and warm orange glow inside.

 

 

The grey and black spotted ash is holding strong into the second third. I taste a blend of leather piquant mixed with a mild pepper and the burn remains even. The smoke is still kicking on full and thick.

The ash falls at the halfway point, about 4 inches in. I find that to be very cool.

 

 

The last third and I taste raisin, nuts, and pepper. Once I tasted salt on the back of my throat. I smoke this stick until I can’t smoke it anymore. It never had to be touched up or relighted and the burn remained even throughout.

 

This is a very fine, enjoyable cigar and thanks to my friend or I would have never got the chance to smoke one. I have never seen it in any of the cigar shops I visit. Here is a link to their website. http://garohabano.com/centum-by-garo-fine-cigars.asp - March 10, 2013

 

Robert Anthony Meyers

 robert@cigarassessor.com

 

Miami Cigar & Company Anoranzas Toro

 

Size: 6 X 52

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro

 Binder: Nicaragua (Dual Binder)

 Filler: Nicaragua

 

 

Needing a warm day to thaw out after sitting in the LA Kings practice center with the family was  what I needed to enjoy the afternoon sun along with a nice cigar, some good music and scotch. I walk over to the humidor and decided to pick a Miami Cigar and Company’s Anoranzas Toro that was recommended by a friend. Off to the pool with the kids.

 

Once I get the kids all set up for a couple hours of swimming, I set up my mobile office with a ritual of wooden matches, Lotus torch lighter, Xikar cutter, ash tray, camera, smartphone and computer. The music I choose is the Paris Cafe station on jazzradio.com and the drink of the event is Glenlivet 12 year single malt.

 

This milk chocolate color cigar with visible veins has a more unpolished look than other cigars I usually smoke, but I never judge a cigar by its wrapper (at least before I light it). The band is too nice to be on this average looking stick. The coolest thing about the band is where it attaches is a small circle, like a button of the company’s name.

 

I take my prelight smell and I get hay and mushroom.  I cut off the cap and get a nice open draw of cocoa. I light the foot with a wooden match, take my first draws and my taste buds are awakened by notes of cedar. Further in this third, wood and light pepper take over the flavor. The smoke is full and the stick is burning even.

The grey ash with specks of black falls about a third of the way in.

The second third of the cigar has flavors of roasted coffee and nuts and this where the burn starts becoming uneven. The smoke is still kicking full on this stick.

 

 

 

The uneven burn enters the last third and when I take the band off, I notice the cigar has a pretty big crack in the wrapper.

 

 

 

 

 

The crack gets worse as I continue to smoke.  The wrapper opens like double doors. Leather is very strong in flavor with cedar as a minor note. Smoke is still full and the ash is hold strong.

 

 

This cigar went out with about a quarter left to go and it was in such bad shape, I didn’t bother to try and relight it.

This wasn’t an awful cigar but with many great cigars at this price point, I would skip it and get another brand. Just read my other reviews for help.

If I get my hands on another one of these, I will revisit and update this review. -March 9, 2013

                                 Robert Anthony Meyers

                                  robert@cigarassessor.com

Torano Single Region Serie Jalapa Robusto

 

Size: 5 x 50

 Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa Valley)

 Binder: Nicaragua (Jalapa Valley)

 Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa Valley)

 

A mild afternoon and I decided it was about time for a smoke and splash of scotch. The slow melodic walk over to the humidor and the ceremony of lifting the cover and smelling the sweet aroma that perpetuates the area is something that I look forward to. I take it in and glaze over the selection. What to smoke? What to smoke? I received a Torano 5 cigar sampler with the box of the Signature Collection (reviewed February 26, 2013) that I recently purchased, Therefore, I will choose one of these. I pick the Torano Single Region Serie Jalapa Robusto and pour a splash of McCallan 12 year in a glass and head out to the carport with the kids. They will play while I relax as much as one can watching three kids. I pop open the trunk and place the computer inside and cue up Ultra-Lounge Volume Fourteen: Bossa Novaville. Here we go.

 

I pull this chocolate brown stick out of its wrapper and the smell is of sweetness and hay. It is wrapped with double bands that are a simple elegance on this cigar. The wrapper has very minimal veins. One cut of the cap with my Xikar cutter and the first draws taste like a cinnamon stick. I then light the foot with my Lotus cranberry colored torch lighter with a cutter on the back. The first draws and hints of cocoa swirl around my mouth while a light pepper hits the back of my throat. The smoke is full and smooth.

 

 

The uneven burn of the first third has an ash introducing a hotchpotch of greys, streaks of black and a dusting of brown. As the burn creeps toward the halfway point it is fighting to even out and almost gets there until it falls off. Notes of leather and cedar are prevalent. The heavy smoke is in high gear.

 

 

The last third and pepper kicks back in and mixes with a woody note and some sweet raisin. The smoke never lets up but the burn is very uneven and I have to chip off some of the wrapper with a piece of cedar. I smoke this stick until I can't hold it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall this was a nice full flavored smoke with and the only downside was the uneven burn from beginning to end which took about an hour. -March 6, 2013

Robert Anthony Meyers

robert@cigarassessor.com