Review on CAS Last Cigar Standing

Review: CAO Last Cigar Standing

When we were at Alcorns last week, I found an interesting package with cigars in it.  I read the place card on it and found it is a cigar promotion from CAO where the smoker gets to “pick” the next production cigar.  In order to get the tin with the cigars, you have to buy six (6) CAO cigars and you get the tin with the cigars free.  Not too bad a deal so I scooped one up.  Here are my reviews for the three cigars.  Please note that I don’t have any concrete information on the blends, tobaccos or history behind each cigar.  I only know that each was a robusto size (5x50). 

Review C:   Of the three, this was the worst.  The only good thing about it was the construction.  There was almost no flavor or aroma and it was very one dimensional. 

Review A:  Of the three, this was the most balanced cigar.  I wasn’t a HUGE fan of any ONE of them, but this one has the most potential.  I think this is a Honduran Rosado wrapper.  Flavor was decent and construction was EXCELLENT.  I wish it had just a little more oomph.  Good but not great.  By far the best of the three. 

Review O:  If this one had just a little less Ligero, it would have been tops in my book.  I normally like stronger cigars but this one was just a little harsh and the Ligero I think made it burn uneven and I had to relight it several times. 

Final thoughts:  Honestly this is a great marketing concept and will no doubt get a lot of buy in from the people who sample the cigars.  Depending on the price point of these, I could see myself picking up a few of the A version if it wins.  No way in hell on the C version. 

Matt

REVIEW: PINAR DEL RIO HABANA SUN GROWN

Cigar Name: Pinar Del Rio Habana Sun Grown
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic Criollo 98
Filler: Dominican Republic
Size: Torpedo 6.5” x 52

Strength: Full
Body: Full
Price: $2.00-8.00/each

Smoking Time: Hour and a Half

This is my second Pinar Del Rio (PDR) review and I am excited to do it.  Again, these are a great value and I can’t recommend them enough.     

Appearance: This has a reddish wrapper with lots of oils.  The label is brown with gold and red and it has a good looking red ribbon around the foot.  It is striking how smooth the wrapper is.  10/10
Construction:  Well made with no seams, stems, cracks or soft spots.          9/10

Burn:   No problems at all.  There was lots of smoke production and it never got hot.      9/10

Aroma:  Spice and leather.  Lots of pepper.        8/10

Draw: Nicely made and there were not any issues.  These were all very consistent.  10/10

Flavor:  More spice but there were some floral notes on the back 3^rd.  It was a nice contrast.    9/10

Availability: I don’t know of any stores that carry them locally but I know they are making the rounds around the country.  Easy to find online.         8/10

Personal Overall Experience: I cannot stress enough how much of a value this is.  I was able to find these for less than $2.00 each online.  This is not a dog-rocket but a good cigar at a rock bottom price.    28/30

Total: 91/100

Matt

Review: Man O War Virtue

Cigar Name: Man O War Virtue
Wrapper: Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Churchill 7.5” x 52

Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Price: $2.00-7.50/each

Smoking Time: Hour and a Half

I have done a couple of reviews on other Man O War’s but this is the first on the Virtue.  Considered to be their “lightest” of the blends, the Virtue is still blended by A.J. Fernandez. 

Appearance: This is a very pretty, golden Connecticut wrapper.  No veins and smooth to the touch.  The band is silver and blue and is pleasing to the eye.             8/10

Construction:  Well made with no seams, stems, cracks or soft spots.          9/10

Burn:   The only issue I ever have with these is keeping them lit.  Not anything on their part but when I enjoy them, it is usually in the morning when I am driving or playing golf.  I can get easily distracted and it does not hold the flame long.    7/10

Aroma:  Grass and hay.          8/10

Draw: Nice and smooth.  No issues here.  10/10

Flavor:  For a Connecticut it is spicy.  Not overpowering at all but just a nice healthy shot of pepper on the back of the palate.  Very pleasant but there is not a lot going on.  These are one dimensional.      8/10

Availability: These are only available online at Cigars International, Cigar.com and Cigarbid.           7/10

Personal Overall Experience: For me, this is a very good morning cigar.  It is pretty one dimensional so you don’t have to concentrate too hard on it but it is just enjoyable.  When you can get them cheap on the auction site, I recommend it.  24/30

Total: 81/100

Matt

REVIEW: Pinar Del Rio Reserva Limitada

Cigar Name: Pinar Del Rio Reserva Limitada
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Size: Torpedo 6.5” x 52

Strength: Full
Body: Full
Price: $2.00-3.50/each

Smoking Time: Hour and a Half

Pinar Del Rio is a true Boutique cigar maker.  They make a few blends and are under the radar for the most part.  You can find them online and in brick and mortars.  Because they are small, they don’t seem to advertise a lot.  However, if you search online for them, you will find a STRONG following.  For two reasons 1.) they are very inexpensive and 2.) they are GOOD.  I was unsure myself so I picked up a few samplers.  This is my first of many PDR’s!     

Appearance: This has a dark maduro wrapper with lots of oils.  The label is white with gold and silver and it has a good looking ribbon around the foot.  It is very impressive looking cigar that is well put together from top to bottom.            10/10

Construction:  Well made with no seams, stems, cracks or soft spots.          9/10

Burn:   There were a couple of touch ups but nothing to be concerned about.    8/10

Aroma:  Leather, coffee and tobacco.        8/10

Draw: Cold it was very good.  Once lit, it was a dream.  This is very well made for the price.  This is better made than some $15.00 cigars I have had.       10/10

Flavor:  Cedar, leather and dirt.  Lots of coffee.  10/10

Availability: I don’t know of any stores that carry them locally but I know they are making the rounds around the country.  Easy to find online.         8/10

Personal Overall Experience: For such an inexpensive cigar, this smokes like a dream.  I never found myself wanting for more or less of anything.  For the price, this could be considered a yard cigar but it could easily be given as a gift and someone would think you spent a lot on it.    Seriously, this is a FANTASTIC value.  I hope it stays that way.  28/30

Total: 91/100

Matt

REVIEW: Nub Maduro 464

Cigar Name: Nub Maduro 464
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Torpedo 64 x 4”

Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Price: $2.00-8.00 Each

Smoking Time: One hour

The Nub cigar is a neat concept that was the brain child of Sam Leccia of Olivia Cigars.  Sam left the company in 2010 but Olivia still makes these.  As I have mentioned before, Olivia is one of my favorite manufactures because of their consistency.  The Nub is designed to be the “sweet spot” of the entire cigar.  Let’s see.     

Appearance: Very toothy with a good looking, dark maduro wrapper with a torpedo shape.    8/10

Construction: I can only imagine how hard it is to make this small of a cigar while still maintaining the flavor profile.  That said it seems they accomplished what they wanted to.  Very solid and no soft spots or blemishes.          9/10

Burn:   Not bad.  The edge held for the entirety of the cigar but towards the end I did feel the heat from the flame on my lips.           8/10

Aroma:  Not a lot of aroma really.  Some coffee and sweetness but not much.      6/10

Draw: The draw was good considering the size of the cigar.  I think the torpedo shape helped that.       9/10

Flavor: Some coffee and campfire notes.  Not very complex and didn’t hold my attention for very long.    7/10

Availability: Easy to come by.  You can get these anywhere.  I got mine from Alcorns for about $4.60      10/10

Personal Overall Experience: Meh.  The concept is neat but it just is not my cup of tea.  I don’t really like the large ring cigars although this one was not too bad.  The ash did hold for a good 2/3 of the cigar which was cool but it didn’t add too much to the experience for me.  I think these would be good for a beginner but for me, they just didn’t get a rise out of me.    23/30

Total: 80/100

Matt

REVIEW: ROCKY PATEL RENIASSANCE

Cigar Name: Rocky Patel Renaissance
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua and Dominican
Size: Toro 6-1/2” x 52
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Price: $3-11 each (bundle)

Smoking Time: About 1-1/2 hour

When this cigar was introduced a couple of years ago, it was said to be replacing the Rocky Patel Edge Sumatra.  I believe it really only used the same wrapper with different filler because this does not have the same strength as the Edge Sumatra.  It is however a good cigar… 

Appearance: This is a very rich looking, oily cigar.  It is a dark chocolate brown with several veins throughout but no blemishes.  8/10

Construction: No soft spots and seems pretty solid.  8/10

Burn:   This burns extremely well.  I did have to set a couple of them down for extended periods but they relit right up with no problem.    10/10

Aroma:  Very grassy and nutty.  It was not exceptionally exciting but pleasant.    8/10

Draw: Excellent.     10/10

Flavor: Flavor was nice.  Lots of coffee, almonds and just a hint of spice.  8/10

Availability: All over.  I got mine on cigarbid for about $3.00 per stick but you can walk into any brick and mortar and buy them off the shelf.    10/10

Personal Overall Experience:  I like these a lot.  Especially in the afternoon.  This is defiantly more on the medium side of things but has a good and unique flavor.  I don’t know if I would put this on any top ten lists, but it is probably in a top 25 of mine and certainly the top 5 for Rocky Patels.        25/30.

Total: 87/100

Matt

Review: CAO Italia Piccolo

Cigar Name: CAO Italia Piccolo
Wrapper: ?
Binder: ?
Filler: Mixture, predominately Italian
Size: Petite 4” x 38

Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Price: $1.00-3.00/each

Smoking Time: 30 minutes

I have been a fan of CAO cigars for a while because when I started smoking, they were probably the most innovative marketers out there and they put out a good product.  Now days, if I reach for a cigar, more than likely I will not reach for a CAO.  Not that they not good, I just think my taste has developed and changed.  The CAO cigars that I do really seek out are their Petite lines, in particular these Italias. These are inexpensive and great for a quick smoke.  I couldn’t find too much on the wrapper or binder but rather the filler is marketed as one of (if not the only) cigar that has Italian tobacco in it.      

Appearance: I imagine it is hard to make a small cigar like this and I think that comes through in the appearance.  It is rather rough looking but the packaging is cool.  You can buy these in tins of 5 or bricks of 50 and the little tins are just plain cool and easy to carry in your pocket if you so desire.        8/10

Construction:  Again, it seems a little rough.  7/10

Burn:   Considering the small ring gauge, this burns okay but there are usually several touch ups to do.              6/10

Aroma:  Tobacco and leather but that is about it.        7/10

Draw: Pretty decent actually.       9/10

Flavor:  This is pretty one dimensional.  There is a little bit of pepper, but there is no real “experience” to smoking this but then again, what do you expect for a 30 minute cigar for around a buck.    6/10

Availability: These are easy to find.           10/10

Personal Overall Experience:  For what it is, this is pretty good.  You won’t knock many people’s socks off with this, but if you only have a few minutes to relax you really can’t go wrong with the CAO Italia Piccolo.  23/30

Total: 76/100

Matt