Appearance: 4.5
There are two medium veins in the wrapper and it is fairly easy to see where the wrapper was rolled, so we have to deduct a few points there, however the cap was nice. The wrapper is a deep brown and the ring is very nice – simple and classy, but the silver wrapping on the stick was a bit much for me at least…

Construction: 5
The stick is consistently dense, with no soft spots or abnormalities. Measurements appear to be accurate and both the silver wrapper and ring removed with ease.

Aroma: 7.5
I was a little stuffy this evening, so honestly it was somewhat hard to get a good smell in, but the aroma seemed typical of a medium-bodied cigar. Nothing special, nothing offensive, on the stronger side of medium.

Burn/Ash: 7
Even red glow and a puff and we were on our way. Approaching the first third and the burn is even with only a slight wavering. The ash is a light gray, with a few dark streaks. The first ash did fall short, somewhere between 1/2 – 3/4″ and it left a rather flat cherry, but the burn was still good, so I guess it’s not all that bad. This can probably be attributed to the lighter denseness and therefore lighter draw.

Around the halfway point, the burn took to one half and I gave it a touch-up with the torch. That’s another point knocked off there. The second and third ashes had been about the same as the first. After the touch-up, burn is good again. I did manage to lightly drop the stick on my chest as I switched from mouth to hand, but the cherry remained nice and steady.

Subsequent ash lengths and ash color remained consistent throughout the rest of the stick.

Draw/Smoke: 19
Draw is almost a perfect medium – but slightly on the lighter side. But the smoke is absolutely amazing – full of creamy white smoke. I can’t get enough of this smoke. Awesome. Wrapper and cap were mostly covered under the pre-light, so I’ll focus mostly on the draw and smoke. Draw and smoke basically remained consistent throughout the entire cigar. With the lighter draw and the larger ring gauge, some folks may want to use a punch, but I always like to cut. I love big, creamy smoke and consistency so this stick scores high in this category for me. The smoke was extremely creamy and thick at the end.

Flavor: 28
To clarify, I started the first half with water alone. The cigar started out with a leathery and earthy taste along with a hint of spice that I just couldn’t place no matter how hard I tried. The aftertaste was slightly nutty. It seems like there’s a little (non-sweet) chai tea flavor in the aftertaste?

Into the first third and the flavors are becoming a little more bold. That hint of spice is gone, but I taste more earth and leather – definitely the dominating flavors, but not overpowering. Of course as soon as I write that the hint of spice I just can’t place my finger on is gone, it comes back in the aftertaste. Something a little like cloves? With now a cocoa aftertaste. Before we get to the half, the spice and cocoa are gone and now it’s more earth, leather and tobacco flavors. So far the flavors are pretty consistent, but also mostly basic. Not too strong, not too light – a solid medium flavored stick.

That being said, with fairly traditional flavors at the half, it’s time for a glass of scotch (Cadenhead’s Classic Lowland Pure Malt Scotch) to see what we can coax out of this stick flavor-wise.

The leather, earth and tobacco flavors pair well, but I’m still not detecting much of anything else. With each draw a different flavor may be more prevalent than another, but I’m missing a little complexity – some more spice, some nuttiness, a more varied aftertaste from the draw. Nothing to really complain about, but it’s not knock your socks off flavor either. The words “traditional cigar flavors” keep coming to mind.

Into the final third and I’m starting to pick up some more spice notes – in the aroma a bit as well. Definitely not cloves though – something a tad sweet with some pepper. As the wrapper is a bit more moist by this point, I seem to be picking up more flavors from it as well – a hint of sweetness with a hint of tea? But as the heat gets closer, a little bitterness sets in.

To close out, there were a lot of earth, tobacco and leathery flavors with a dry spice & tea flavor in the back of my throat and the slight bitterness actually seemed to go away at the very end. The flavors lingering in my mouth were pleasant and that tea/spice note scored it an additional point or two in the end.

Overall/Value: 10
If you want a medium bodied, slightly light on the draw and full of smoke stick, then this is perfect for you. At $8-9 retail the price isn’t bad, but it’s not a steal of a deal either. If there were some more complex flavors, then it would have scored much higher overall. With smaller quantities I’ve yet to see these sticks for really cheap, so it may not make my regular rotation.

Retail Price: $8-9

Appearance: (4.5/5)
Construction: (5/5)
Aroma: (7.5/10)
Burn/Ash: (7/10)
Draw/Smoke: (19/20)
Flavor: (28/35)
Overall/Value: (10/15)
Final Score: (81/100)

Appearance: 3.75
This is a decent looking stick. The maduro wrapper is appealing, as almost all maduro wrappers are, but it has a few veins in it that are medium in size and it’s not too hard to tell where it was wrapped. It is at least free of cracks. The rings are nice and seem to fit the cigar (traditional CAO).

Construction: 3.5
The cigar is a little loosely rolled, as mentioned below under draw and it’s definitely lacking in the ring gauge department, but other than that it’s a pretty decently constructed stick. It appears to be consistently dense, with no issues in the wrapper. The rings are easy to remove.

Aroma: 9.25
The aroma is definitely that of a maduro cigar, but it’s definitely more mild than any of the powerful maduros or full-bodied cigars. It never seems to sting the nose and is quite pleasant and should be appreciated by all. While I personally would prefer something a little stronger, it’s good enough and pleasant to all, so it scores well here.

Burn/Ash: 7
The burn started out good, but after the first inch, it got really wavy. It always seemed to correct itself, however it would stray quite a bit before it corrected itself. The first ash fell after about 2″, however it left behind a very flat cherry – not ideal.

Draw/Smoke:17
The draw on this stick started out a bit lighter than I would like, somewhere in between loose and medium; however it wasn’t like sucking through a straw. The smoke is actually full and creamy and a nice white – very pleasant as it rolls off the tongue. An inch into the cigar, and the draw seems to have corrected itself and it’s now a perfect medium and the smoke is as creamy as it gets.

Flavor: 30.5
Flavors are most definitely mild to medium, but extremely smooth. The aftertaste has a hint of cocoa and maybe some earth or leather to start? A little further into the stick and I’m picking up a stronger cocoa flavor and some definite nuttiness. This would be a great pairing to almost any scotch. The stick never really develops or becomes complex. The nuttiness comes and goes and is replaced with earthy/leathery flavors at times.

Overall/Value: 12.5
While this stick isn’t worth $5.95, at the $2 or $2.50 for which it can be picked up most times, it’s a decent purchase. It looks pretty good, construction is decent, burn corrects itself, and smoke is amazing. The flavors aren’t in your face, but this is a mostly mild stick and it scores well on smoothness, as it should. And lets not forget that it should pair well with almost any scotch.

Retail Price: $5.95

Appearance: (3.75/5)
Construction: (3.5/5)
Aroma: (9.25/10)
Burn/Ash: (7/10)
Draw/Smoke: (17/20)
Flavor: (30.5/35)
Overall/Value: (12.5/15)
Final Score: (83.5/100)

Appearance:
This is a pretty good looking stick. About average in color for a Corojo with a nice wrapper, however it does contain two medium veins and you can see where the wrapper overlaps (due in large part to varying shades on the wrapper itself). The ring is elegant and traditional Pepin.

Construction:
This appears to be a pretty well rolled cigar (I sure hope so since it’s rolled in Miami and is apparently personally overseen by Don Pepin himself). Density appears even throughout and there are no structural issues. The ring removed with ease. It did however come in quite a bit under the stated ring gauge, and it therefore must lose 3/4 of a point.

Aroma:
Aroma is that of a good strong cigar. It’s spicy and has a little of that dried fruit smell, but not too strong as to where it burns the nose. If you like the smell of a strong cigar, then you’ll definitely like this.

Burn/Ash:
Burn so far is pretty good and even. It’s not razor sharp, but it doesn’t really stray, barely wavers occasionally. The ash kind of has a funny yellow-ish almost lightly charred tint to it, but it hung on for a nice 1.5″. The second ash fell a little prematurely at just under 1″, but I did knock it pretty good setting it down. At least both ash drops left behind a nice cone shaped cherry.

Draw/Smoke:
Draw is a little tighter than I would like, but just by a little bit. The smoke is about average to start – plentiful, but nothing really special. An inch and a half in and the smoke has increased a bit and is a little creamier. Past the half way mark and the smoke is now much fuller and creamier, up there with the better sticks.

Flavor:
Flavor is to start is very Pepin-esque based on my experience. It’s peppery on the back of the throat, with a nutty, earthy, peaty aftertaste. A 1/3″ in and this cigar is a total pepper bomb, overriding the other flavors. Approaching an inch into the stick and the pepper is mellowing down a bit and the nuttiness and peaty-ness are back. There is a good cedar flavor on the draw, mixed with some pepper. Half way in and the pepper has mellowed even more, less on the back of the throat now and more on the tongue. A cedar & earth note is still there and the pleasant peaty/nutty aftertaste continues. These flavors pretty much continued throughout the remainder of the stick.

Overall/Value:
At retail this stick might be worth a purchase here and there, but it’s not really worth retail on a regular basis. Luckily this stick sells for quite a bit below retail and can be had for $3 (often in DPG samplers). In that price range, this is a great stick to keep in the rotation and a pleasure to smoke. It’s not very varied throughout the stick, but flavors are pleasant and complex enough to be enjoyable.

Retail Price: $7.00

Appearance: (4.25/5)
Construction: (4.25/5)
Aroma: (9/10)
Burn/Ash: (8.5/10)
Draw/Smoke: (17/20)
Flavor: (31/35)
Overall/Value: (13.5/15)
Final Score: (87.5/100)

Appearance:
This is a good looking stick, but there is definitely a major vein and you can see where the wrapper was rolled – some definite detractors. If it wasn’t for that, the dark wrapper is tasty looking and the ring is elegant and not overdone – what you’d expect from a fine cigar.

Construction:
The stick appears well rolled and evenly dense throughout. As mentioned above, you can however tell where the wrapper was rolled and it does come in a little under the stated ring gauge. The ring removes with ease and there is no cracking or splitting anywhere.

Aroma:
The aroma is amazing – not typical of a maduro or a full cigar, but full of sweetness and spice – a definite pleasure to anyone around. It is not weak, but makes you think this stick is mellower than it really is (in a good way). Half way around the aroma is almost nutty and less sweet, with quite the spice.

Burn/Ash:
The burn is definitely not perfect or razor sharp, but it manages to hold it’s own and correct itself. It was wavier at first, but after an inch or so in, it’s pretty sharp and straight. The first ash falls at 1 1/2″ (right on my chest) and it leaves a decent cone cherry. The second ash falls at about the same, but leaves a slightly flatter cherry and it finishes by ashing around 1 1/2″ each time with a mostly sharp burn.

Draw/Smoke:
The draw started out tight, but after the first 1/2″ it progressed into medium-tight, which is a little better. And after a full inch, we are much closer to medium, which is ideal. The smoke started out really light when the draw was tight, but it has increased as the draw has approached medium. It’s not quite as full or creamy as the best smokes, but it’s decent. Half way in and the draw is a little tighter than medium, but the smoke continues to increase and become creamier.

Flavor:
The flavors on this cigar are surprisingly good and already complex right after lighting. I taste nuttiness, cocoa, some coffee, some earth and a definite sweet & nutty aftertaste which is pretty divine. Approaching the first inch and the flavors have already changed. There is some pepper at the back of the throat, still a sweetness on the aftertaste, and more leather on the draw. A little further in and the pepper abates some, but not entirely and there is a woody sweet nutty taste. It’s a solid medium-full stick. Approaching the half-way point and there is both less sweetness and pepper, but more leather and earth. An interesting development. Approaching the final third and I’m picking up an interesting earthy and smoky nuttiness with a hint of sweetness.

Overall/Value:
At retail price, this stick is quite affordable given the complex and changing flavors. Given that Perdomo’s can be had for under retail, this is an even better and solid pickup. On bid, this stick can be had for $2 – 3 each and there isn’t much to complain about at that price. The flavors are among the best of non-full sticks and therefore it scores high here, especially if you can overlook the vein and seeing where the wrapper was rolled. The draw is a bit tight, but the smoke ends up being surprisingly good.

Retail Price: $4.50

Appearance: (3.75/5)
Construction: (4/5)
Aroma: (9.75/10)
Burn/Ash: (7.75/10)
Draw/Smoke: (17/20)
Flavor: (33/35)
Overall/Value: (14/15)
Final Score: (89.25/100)

Appearance:
This is a fairly good looking stick. A nice solid brown wrapper, good in color for a Corojo, but it has a few medium veins and shows a crack or two. This stick was shipped to me from a fellow BOTL, so I don’t exactly know how much it’s been around, so I won’t hold that against it too much. The ring is large, but I like it. It’s tropical looking and makes me want to smoke this stick. Everytime I see it in the humi, it’s enticing.

Construction:
Construction is pretty solid. As mentioned above, it has a few small cracks in the wrapper, but I don’t know whether that is attributable to its journey to me from another BOTL or due to the stick itself. Density is consistent and the ring removes with ease. It comes in almost spot on for ring gauge too.

Aroma:
The aroma is pretty strong and it’s hard to describe. It doesn’t have much sweetness to it and it doesn’t smell spicy either. Honestly, if one weren’t a cigar smoker, this one wouldn’t smell very good. Unfortunately this stick loses points here.

Burn/Ash:
Burn is close to razor sharp and it keeps burning even when unattended a few minutes at a time. The first ash comes at a little over 1″ and leaves a nice cone cherry behind. Burn is not perfect, but close to it, with no real issues.

Draw/Smoke:
Draw is a light to medium. A little lighter than I’d like, say an 8.5 out of 10, but the smoke is amazing. The smoke is full, rich and plentiful and quite creamy. A 9.5 out of 10. The draw stayed consistent throughout the stick and the smoke remained full and plentiful.

Flavor:
This cigar starts out as a total pepper bomb. It’s in your mouth and at the back of your throat. That’s all I can taste the first few draws. But then after a few more draws, after the initial pepper, I’m picking up other flavors. For now it’s a hint of earthiness followed by a toasty aftertaste (with some pepper still in the back of the throat). Almost an inch in and the stick has mellowed out some. It’s toastier, has a hint of nuttiness, some more earth, and maybe some bitter coffee to it. There is still some pepper, but it’s not as pronounced. A little further in and there is more coffee flavors up front, followed by earth. Just past 1/3 of the way through I’m picking up coffee and a hint of bitter cocoa with some spice followed by a hint of earth, pepper and toastiness in the aftertaste. This is this stick’s sweet spot. And this stick managed to stay in the sweet spot until the last 1/3 of the stick. Into the last third there is more spice and some more pepper is creeping back in. The coffee and cocoa are gone as is mostly the toastiness.

Overall/Value:
Retail price is a bit steep, but that’s the case for many sticks, however this one is harder to find for a good price, unless it’s part of a sampler. I just don’t see many sales on a 5′er or 10 pack of these. But that’s probably a good thing, since this stick is pretty strong in its flavors and it wouldn’t be a regular smoke for me, but it does make for a nice alternative for when one is in the mood for something like this. It’s complex in flavors (and has good flavors) and keeps a cigar aficionado quite entertained. But, this isn’t something you’d want to pass on to a buddy who’s just getting started with cigars b/c they wouldn’t think much of it (most likely would be overwhelmed by the pepper). If picked up in the $3 – 4 range, it can truly be a good deal.

Retail Price: $7.60

Appearance: (4.25/5)
Construction: (4.25/5)
Aroma: (5/10)
Burn/Ash: (9/10)
Draw/Smoke: (18/20)
Flavor: (34/35)
Overall/Value: (12.25/15)
Final Score: (86.25/100)

Appearance:
This is one of my favorite sticks from an appearance standpoint. It is truly gorgeous. Not only is it a Salomon, which tapers beautifully, but it has a barber pole wrapper. It looks extremely delicious and it has been expertly rolled. There is a medium vein running through the Habano and Connecticut wrappers. The ring is my only issue – the blue, gold and silver is a tad cheap looking for such a gorgeous stick, but as soon as you remove it, that problem is solved.

Construction:
Construction is nearly flawless. Not only are Salomons one of the most difficult shapes to roll, it’s a barber pole wrapper, which requires a whole ‘nother level of skill. It’s equally dense, well tapered, and almost perfect. I say almost b/c after cutting the head of the stick, there were quite a few smaller pieces of tobacco that ended up in my mouth. For that reason it loses a few points. The ring was removed without any issues.

Aroma:
The aroma is pleasant. It’s not as strong as a full-bodied cigar tends to be, but it has a lot of the same characteristics. It’s sweet and spicy, yet doesn’t burn the nostrils if you get a big whiff. It makes you want to smoke this stick and shouldn’t offend anyone around.

Burn/Ash:
So far burn has been almost razor sharp. I decided to cut the tip just a little bit since I’ve had better lighting and initial burn success with Salomons if this is performed. The ash is a white to light gray, with a few dark spots, and the first ash drops in between 1.25 – 1.5″ and leaves behind a perfectly shaped cherry. Almost half way in and the burn is a little wavy, but it did correct itself. The second ash fell at just over 2″.

Draw/Smoke:
Draw is a perfect medium – just the way I like it. No effort, but some resistance. Smoke is plentiful and probably an 8.5/10. It’s somewhat creamy and has a good feeling as it rolls off the tongue. The draw and smoke continued to be the same throughout the entire stick.

Flavor:
Flavors at first were more on the mild side, with just a hint of earth and some other flavors I couldn’t quite pick up. But 3/4″ in and I’m picking up some pleasant toastiness and stronger earth flavors. There is a hint of cocoa on the aftertaste and a slight sweetness in the aftertaste as well. 1″ in and there’s definitely more sweetness along with earth and still a hint of cocoa. 2″ in and the smoke has become creamier. More of a cedar flavor and still some sweetness. A nice development, but a little more mild now. A little further in and the creaminess is fading and I’m starting to pick up some spice. Half way in and the flavors are back to creaminess, a little toasty and maybe a hint of some nuts? But now with some pepper in the aftertaste. Approaching the final third and the stick keeps changing flavors (none of which are very strong). The pepper comes and goes, currently it’s mostly on the aftertaste. The draw starts with some earth and a hint of spice, then changes into creaminess, and is followed by the pepper and a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste. A solid medium stick.

Overall/Value:
I’m not quite sure who would ever pay retail for this stick and it’s definitely not worth that, but for the $3 for which I recently picked some up on CigarBid and for the 5 pack madness price on CI (along with 2 Sopranos sticks), these are a solid purchase. Definitely one of the best sticks around for a gift to a non-serious smoker. It’s not too strong, but complex and changes flavors and most of all it’s gorgeous and well rolled. Were the flavors a little more pronounced or were the stick a little stronger it would have scored a bitter higher in flavor and overall, but still a solid smoke for the occasion when I’m not looking for a full-flavored stick (and have some time on my hands as it took 2 hours to smoke).

Retail Price: $22

Appearance: (4.75/5)
Construction: (4.75/5)
Aroma: (9.25/10)
Burn/Ash: (8.75/10)
Draw/Smoke: (18.5/20)
Flavor: (31.5/35)
Overall/Value: (12.5/15)
Final Score: (90/100)

Appearance:
This appears to be a nicely rolled stick with the Perfecto shape and all. The wrapper is a nice rich brown and there are a couple of medium veins, but it’s impossible to tell where this stick was rolled. The ring is a bit large for my taste, but the Perfecto shape makes up for any loss in points there…

Construction:
This stick is quite dense – evenly so, but dense. Given the difficult roll it earns some points there, however it came in under on both stated length and ring gauge – two serious disappointments for the Rolls Royce of cigars. The large ring does remove with ease and there are no issues with the wrapper.

Aroma:
The aroma of this cigar is quite heavenly. It has a spicy full cigar smell, yet it never seems to burn the nostrils, no matter how much you inhale. It has a hint of dried fruit as well and it just begs to be smoked. A little strong for bystanders, but not pungent.

Burn/Ash:
Burn so far has actually been pretty good. Sometimes there can be issues starting out with the burn on a Perfecto and I thought it started to canoe right from the start, but I just held the lighter to it a bit longer and it all evened out. The ash was very impressive as the first one held on until 3″ in and the second until nub.

Draw/Smoke:
Unfortunately the draw is quite disappointing, as is the smoke. The draw is super tight and the smoke is weak. I tried rolling it around a bit, cutting some more off the head and a few other tricks, but nothing seems to work. Maybe a coat hanger would, but I don’t resort to those tricks…. Moving an inch and a half into the stick the smoke is starting to pick up a bit, approaching more of a medium level, but the draw remains pretty damn tight.

Flavor:
The flavors are decent, though not as strong as I would have hoped. On the draw I taste some definite earthiness and maybe a hint of cocoa? On the aftertaste it’s some cedar, earth, and something rather dry. 1 1/2″ in I’m starting to pick up some pepper, more in the aftertaste, but also in the draw. 2″ in and it’s earth, cedar, some leather and pepper. Pretty much the same on the aftertaste, but maybe a hint of cocoa. Throughout the rest of the stick it tasted about the same as it did at 2″ in. No development and no real complexity.

Overall/Value:
I think if you were to pay $15 for this cigar you’d have to be pretty much nuts. It’s definitely not worth that. These made it into my hands by a fluke of CI – they were in a shipment of mine but I never purchased them and they definitely weren’t on the receipt. So at free.99, they’re a good deal. The best two qualities of this cigar are the aroma and burn/ash. Otherwise the draw/smoke sucks and the flavors aren’t that impressive. It’s not disgusting or anything, but it just didn’t do much for me – lacked powerful flavors and lacked development.

Retail Price: $15.00

Appearance: (4.5/5)
Construction: (3.75/5)
Aroma: (9.5/10)
Burn/Ash: (9.5/10)
Draw/Smoke: (12/20)
Flavor: (25/35)
Overall/Value: (7/15)
Final Score: (71.25/100)

Appearance:
This is a pretty good looking stick. A darker wrapper with one medium vein. If you start to look closely you can tell where the wrapper was rolled though. It has one nice understated, yet somewhat “modern” for a cigar, ring. A step up from a regular Oliveros, but not a show stopper.

Construction:
The stick appears to be rather well rolled. It comes in over on length but under on ring gauge? Unless this is a size I don’t see online at the moment? (Don’t think that’s the case b/c these are pretty limited as it is). Density seems consistent throughout. After cutting the head, the wrapper did come apart a little, but I did cut less off of the cap then usual, so we’ll chalk most of that up to that…

Aroma:
Aroma isn’t necessarily strong at first, but it’s powerful when you get a whiff. Has a ting (spiciness) to it along with those full flavored cigar notes. A little sweet with plenty of spice. Not quite sure where to put this one… So, since I wasn’t sure where to place it at first, I had to refocus on the aroma a little further in and I have to say, it’s stronger now, yet less powerful – creating a tastier combination. A lot of the “ting” in the nostrils is gone and there’s now a pleasant spiciness. None of those dried fruit spice notes though from some of the other full sticks.

Burn/Ash:
Burn into the first third has been fairly good. Pretty sharp and no issues whatsoever. The first ash fell at 1.25″. Burn continues to be good and the second ash falls at 1.25″ again and so on for the rest of the stick.

Draw/Smoke:
Draw is a bit on the tighter side – I’d have to place it as a medium-tight. It’s bearable, but takes a serious puff. And therefore smoke is on the lighter side. Not too plentiful and it seems to lack the creaminess I desire. Now that we’ve moved about 1 1/2″ in, the draw is still rather tight, but the smoke has considerably increased – definitely a welcome surprise.

Flavor:
The flavors are hard for me to decide on… there’s definitely some earth and leather in the aftertaste, but the draw is actually somewhat mellow for a full cigar – almost a creamy earthiness with some nuttiness. Definitely a hint of spice, but it seems like the aftertaste becomes fuller than the draw. A little further in and now there’s a hint of pepper in both the draw and aftertaste. Almost 2″ in and there’s a little more earth and leather with a hint of pepper in the draw, and the aftertaste is now mostly the same. Continuing through the stick, the flavors didn’t develop too much and they never became much stronger… They were always pretty good, but not as full flavored as I would have hoped.

Overall/Value:
Overall this is a pricier stick, especially for an Oliveros. On sale on CI (currently) it’s about $3.50/stick, which puts it up there with some rather serious contenders. I just don’t know that the flavors wow me enough to spend that kind of coin on this stick. I think I’d prefer a JJ maduro, Diesel, MOW, Intenso, Serie ‘A’ or many others before this stick.

Retail Price: $6 – 10 (depending on where you look)

Appearance: (4.25/5)
Construction: (4.5/5)
Aroma: (8.5/10)
Burn/Ash: (9.5/10)
Draw/Smoke: (13.5/20)
Flavor: (27/35)
Overall/Value: (9/15)
Final Score: (76.25/100)

Was rummaging through the humidor and had to find something shorter to smoke and this is what I dug out. I’ve seen it in a number of samplers and I have a few, so I figured it was time to give it a try.

Appearance:
This is a pretty good looking stick. A nice corojo wrapper with a medium vein. It takes some attention to notice where the wrapper was rolled and it’s cloaked in the standard DPG double ring. A nice touch. Nothing about this stick really draws points away from itself.

Construction:
Construction seems to be spot on, coming in a .5 over the stated ring gauge (can’t complain about that). The density is consistent, the rings remove with ease and there just isn’t much more to say…

Aroma:
The aroma almost reminds me of a full maduro… just not quite as sweet. There is spice and that typical full flavored cigar smell, yet it’s not too strong in the nose and shouldn’t quite offend anyone. I would like for it to be a tad stronger though….

Burn/Ash:
Burn so far into the first third is impressive – razor sharp. The first ash fell at 1″, but it was surprisingly firm and intact when it hit the ground. Burn continues to be razor sharp. The second ash also fell at 1″ but was also surprisingly firm and intact… Normally such a firm ash can hold much longer. Burn is still razor sharp and continues as such to the end.

Draw/Smoke:
Draw is spot on – meaning a perfect medium. Smoke is full and creamy, but more of an 8 out 10. Not a show stopper, but still rather full and creamy. I would like to see more though for a perfect score.

Flavor:
Upon lighting the flavors are full of earth, pepper and spice with a hint of walnut. A dry bitter set of flavors. A few draws in and the stick has mellowed some. Less spice, still plenty of pepper and a toasted flavor along with a hint of cedar. Approaching the first third and there is still pepper, earth and cedar, with some toastiness and now more spice. Sweetness is starting to creep into the aftertaste. At a third of the way through I’m picking up more toasty flavors in the aftertaste with plenty of earth, pepper, leather and spice on the draw. Past the first third and the aftertaste is that of toasted nuts with a hint of cedar. Haven’t tasted this in awhile, but I enjoy it. A dry goodness that would pair well with a sweeter whiskey/bourbon. About half way through the stick and flavors are more of the same as experienced earlier. Not too much development, but there is a little bit of complexity.

Overall/Value:
At full retail price for Don Pepin’s strongest or fullest smoke, this isn’t too bad. It could definitely be worse. Considering I’ve only picked it up in samplers in the $2.50 – 3.00 range, it’s a steal of a deal. Scoring high in appearance, construction, burn/ash, and draw/smoke, what is there really to complain about? If you like earth and leather and pepper and spice, with some toastiness and just the lightest hint of sweetness, then this is your stick. There isn’t too much complexity and barely any development throughout the stick, but the flavors are there, and if you like those flavors, this is a winner. For me, I’d like a little more variety, maybe some cocoa/coffee notes, but it can still earn a spot in the rotation through DPG samplers….

Retail Price: $6.50

Appearance: (4.75/5)
Construction: (5/5)
Aroma: (9/10)
Burn/Ash: (8.75/10)
Draw/Smoke: (18/20)
Flavor: (30/35)
Overall/Value: (12/15)
Final Score: (87.5/100)

Appearance:
This is a pretty good looking stick. The wrapper has a few minor veins, no major ones, and you have to look pretty damn hard to see where the wrapper was rolled. I like the double rings – classy, not overdone. And I wasn’t so sure about the two flags on the side of the ring, but now I like them quite a bit.

Construction:
This stick came in spot on for length and ring gauge. That’s always impressive. And while the foot looks slightly box pressed, this stick is definitely not box pressed. I’ve always liked belicosos and this one is nicely rolled. It’s even and density is consistent, but at the foot there was an odd bit of tobacco sticking out, which I did remove, so it loses half a point there. The rings removed without incident. Approaching the last third, the wrapper cracked for no apparent reason and came slightly undone (docks it another half point).

Aroma:
The aroma is spicy and typical of a full flavored stick. It has a spice to it but lacks the dried fruit or sweetness of a maduro. It’s also not as intense as some other sticks, making it a little more bearable to non-cigar smokers, but the spice without the sweetness may be a bit of a turn off.

Burn/Ash:
Burn so far is sharp, but not razor sharp. It’s had a wave or two, but again, I lit with a match, which I’m not used to doing, thanks to my lighter refilling mishap a few days ago. The first ash did something different, it was 1″ long and about .5″ fell off as I was setting it down. It’s usually all or nothing. The burn has managed to straighten itself out each time it’s begun to stray though. The second and third ashes both fell at an inch. Despite the wrapper unraveling a bit at the last third (see Construction above) it didn’t affect the burn. It’s been a little wavy, but always corrected itself.

Draw/Smoke:
Draw is a perfect medium and I always love the feel of a torpedo or belicoso in my mouth, the ability with which you can slightly compress the head with your teeth. Smoke is super plentiful and very creamy. About a third of the way into the stick the draw has become a little lighter and the smoke has decreased to about average. The draw and smoke are better now, sort of. It benefits from two consecutive draws, the first being light, and the second perfect with plenty of smoke. Most sticks are too hot for two consecutive draws, but oddly that is what suits this stick best. Can’t quite figure out why that is.

Flavor:
The flavors are definitely a complex mix, so they’re sort of hard to pick out on this one. I definitely taste some cedar, earth, and leather with pepper and spice towards the end of the draw and into the aftertaste. Actually more spice on the back of the throat than pepper taste on the tongue. As you let the flavor of the cigar linger in your mouth, I pick up a walnut taste with a hint of bitter (in a good way) on that after aftertaste. Getting past the beginning and towards the first third, the flavors are a bit more toasty and the spice and pepper have mellowed some. Arriving at about the third and there is definite toastiness with spice and earth. Between the first third and the half, the spice and pepper have mellowed and it’s mostly a toasty earthiness with some earth and leather. This stick definitely has a long aftertaste – it’s not overly strong, just right, but it sticks around for quite some time… and I love good aftertastes. I read somewhere that this stick is “buttery smooth” and just past the half way point I’m definitely getting a buttery smoothness feeling left behind in my mouth as I exhale the creamy smoke. It may sound a little weird, but I like it. A definite cedar taste on the tongue with a bunch of leather and a hint of spice now. Those flavors continued throughout the remainder of the stick with the buttery smoothness and long aftertaste.

Overall/Value:
Retail price for this stick is almost $10 and that’s most definitely steep. Luckily the ones I picked up were part of samplers and were more in the $2.50 – 3.00 range. If I want to make these a serious addition to the regular rotation I’m going to have to find them on sale somewhere – and that somewhere isn’t CI (at least I haven’t seem then on sale yet). The bid site currently has a special running, but I have no clue where the price will end…. Anyways, at retail, it’s steep. At under $3, it’s a steal. This is a complex stick with lots of flavors – they change throughout the smoke and they’re always well balanced. If you like cedar, spice, leather and buttery smoothness with creamy smoke, this stick is for you.

Retail Price: $9.75

Appearance: (4.75/5)
Construction: (4/5)
Aroma: (7.75/10)
Burn/Ash: (7.5/10)
Draw/Smoke: (17/20)
Flavor: (32.75/35)
Overall/Value: (13/15)
Final Score: (86.75/100)