Oliva Serie O Torpedo

Of the three cigars I have smoked so far, two were tasty, mild to medium with little strength and fast burning. The other one, which I smoked first, was full bodied with quite a kick

1. December 23rd, 2021: This is a 6 x 52 Nicaraguan puro torpedo. It was a delicious cigar with a cocoa milk flavour, like a cup of hot chocolate. It started with a nice, zesty, full bodied complexity, settled down to a medium bodied and mellow profile. In the second half spice and strength pushed the cigar up to full body. The final inch delivered a nicotine kick for which I was not prepared.

It is highly recommended by aficionados on Neptune. Here is a persuasive review:

Appearance and Construction: A dark brown, smooth, matt wrapper, not oily. This is a Nicaraguan puro. According to JR Cigars the tobacco comes from Esteli, Jalapa and Condega. But there is no indication of proportions. 

First Puff: Surprisingly full bodied, peppery with a bit of strength for about one cm to an inch before the profile became mellow. This first inch was one of the most enjoyable parts of the cigar, reminiscent of a fine Cuban in balance and intensity.

Draw and Burn: Easy draw and near perfect burn throughout.

Flavour and Complexity: The flavour in the first inch was rich, smooth, complex, and spicy, like a very good Cuban. After about an inch until around the middle, the cigar became more like hot chocolate without any spice. It was still very tasty and complex. Then in the second half, pepper returned and flavour intensified.

Body: Body started full, diminished to medium until around the second half at which point it kept building to full. 

Strength: There was a little strength in the first inch, none in the remainder of the first half and then a steady increase in the second half. At first, the strength was quite balanced and an enjoyable complement to the flavour. But as I reached the nub it hit me. I could feel the sweat emerging. Too late. I had already put out the cigar. I staggered to the fridge, poured a large glass of cold water and then went to my room, where I felt quite dizzy and woozy. Sleep that night was fitful and dreams vivid.

The strength kick at the end is surprising. Here's a quote from Neptune which claims that 'the strength won't spook anyone'.

Finish and Aftertaste: Finish was long and complex. Aftertaste was clean until the final inch or two, at which point it became a bit tarry. I could still taste the tarriness the next day.

Aroma:  Aroma was subtle but complex; very fine. 

Ash: Ash held on well for 23 minutes. Then it dropped all over me. After that I ashed every ten or twenty minutes.

Balance and Consistency: There were two transitions: after the first inch and after the first half. The cigar was balanced and consistently good until I put it out, at which point I suffered from too much nicotine. So, too strong in the final third. 

Time smoke: 95 minutes. I would have been wise to have left it ten minutes earlier. But it's difficult to leave the nub when it's so tasty.

Overall: This was a delicious cigar. I wasn't expecting such a rich, complex profile. Nor was I expecting the kick of strength at the end. I was expecting a much milder cigar than the Serie V after having read a few comments on Neptune, preferring the V to the O. In fact, I didn't find that much difference between the V and O. O certainly is not inferior to V in body, flavour or strength. I need to revisit the V to make a better comparison. 

But for the nicotine kick at the end, very satisfying. 

At the one hour mark: still another 35 minutes left. However, I would have been wise to leave the cigar a bit earlier and avoid the nicotine kick at the nub. 

2. January 3rd, 2022: Not as rich, intense and complex as the previous sample. There was no intense first inch, nor was there any spice or pepper. This cigar was more like the middle section of the first cigar: smooth, mellow and medium bodied at most. There was no strength to speak of. It was also quite fast burning, barely stretching to 70 minutes, compared with 95 minutes of the previous. Aroma was transient and subtle, but quite rich. Overall pleasant to quite satisfying.

3. January 31st, 2022: This cigar resembled no.2, above: very pleasant medium roast flavour but mild to medium body, not much aftertaste or finish, fast burning, very little aroma, no strength. This cigar was perhaps faster burning than no.2. Total smoking time was about 60 minutes, similar to a robusto. Overall pleasant, but not satisfying. There certainly was complexity in the flavour.  But overall it was a little too light. A little more body and burn time would have been more satisfying.

Fast burner: quite tasty but lasted barely 60 minutes. For a 6x52 that's a bit disappointing.

4. February 11th, 2023: Quite light in the hand and fast burning but I managed to eke out almost 70 minutes. Flavour was a delicious medium roast with a nice chocolately aftertaste. Body was medium throughout. There was no strength to speak of. Overall, this was a well balanced, complex, rich, tasty, medium bodied cigar. The fact that it burned quickly goes to show that size doesn't necessarily correlate with burn time. I've had many a robusto that lasts as long. Nonetheless, it was most enjoyable. Very satisfying.

5. July 1st, 2023: Another excellent example of the blend. All of the previous comments apply to this cigar: light in the hand, fast burning, a bit uneven but self-correcting, excellent medium body throughout, with rich chocolatey flavour, and a little pepper developing in the final third. 75 minutes and very satisfying.

September 2nd, 2023: A delicious example of the blend, this one reached full body in the final third and lasted more than 90 minutes. Very satisfying.

February 29th, 2024: Only a few of these morsels left in the box. What a tasty cigar. Very smooth and balanced, medium plus body, delicious lingering after taste. Good to the nub at 90 minutes. Very satisfying.  

AJ Fernandez San Lotano Requiem Connecticut Torpedo

December 20th, 2021: This cigar is a 6.5 x 52 torpedo with Connecticut wrapper and multinational binder and filler.

This was the first time that I had tried a Connecticut wrapper. I was curious to try this category of cigar, but reluctant and put off the decision to order for months. Most reviews dismiss the blends as being mild and lacking flavour. I was finally persuaded to take the plunge after reading this review on Neptune. 

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I wasn't disappointed.

Appearance and Construction:  This is a very attractive golden brown cigar. The torpedo is especially stylish. The gold and brown label complement the stylish package. 

The cigar is light in the hand. This was reflected in the fast burn time. 

Quite a beautiful cigar with colour coordinated bands.

According to Neptune, the cigar is quite a multinational concoction. The wrapper is Ecuadorian Connecticut, binder is Honduran and the filler is Nicaraguan and Dominican. 

First Puff: The first puff was quite spicy, medium bodied, with a surprising amount of flavour and complexity.

Draw and Burn: Draw was easy, with no resistance. Burn was almost perfect throughout but faster than I would have preferred.

Flavour and Complexity: Flavour was a sweet, light roast with mild versions of some of the flavour of the Enclave blend. The intense, spicy, initial full bodied flavour dissipated a bit after the first inch, but flavour was still complex enough to be enjoyable. It reminded me somewhat of the fake Cohiba I reviewed a few months ago (which was quite enjoyable).

Body: Body was mostly medium with an occasional dip into mild around the middle. 

Strength: There was a bit of strength, but nothing overwhelming. 

Finish and Aftertaste: Finish was medium and the aftertaste was quite complex. 

Aroma: Aroma was excellent, rich and intense; similar to the Pinar del Rio Cuban aroma.  

Ash: Ash held on valiantly for more than 20 minutes, but given the light packing of the cigar, I didn't want to tempt fate. 

Balance and Consistency: Excellent balance of complex flavours, medium body, intense aroma and mild strength. The cigar was almost consistently good: there was a weak patch in the middle.  

Time smoke: Barely 75 minutes. For a torpedo that was disappointing. The cigar was a fast burner. The mild patch in the middle section made for faster puffing.

At the one hour mark.

 

Overall: A very pleasant and quite satisfying cigar.
It is clearly a blend that stands out from other non-Cubans. The flavour was sufficiently complex and body was adequate to make the cigar enjoyable from start to finish, as can be seen from the nub. My only regret was the fast burn. And extra ten or twenty minutes would have been more satisfying.

Good to the nub

January 12th, 2022: This cigar seemed to be a bit fuller in body and stronger than the previous cigar. It also burned slower. It was surprisingly delicious throughout: sweet cocoa with a little pepper. There was only a brief moment when flavour dissipated, but it intensified after the second half. There was also a pleasant frisson of strength towards the end. The cigar lasted around 90 minutes, whereas the previous cigar barely made 75 minutes. Draw was easy and burn was good. The only issue was a spot of glue connecting the band to the wrapper. On removing the band a chunk of the wrapper dislodged, revealing how delicate and tender the Connecticut wrapper is. Overall, very satisfying.

The band took off a chunk of wrapper

January 27th, 2022: This one was milder than the last, resembling more the cigar of December 2021. It also burned faster, barely reaching 80 minutes - more like 75 minutes. There was some strength in the second half. But body was lacking. Flavour was much the same as the January 12th sample, but toned down and without much spice. I'll be interested to try more and find out whether the more full bodied cigar of January 12th was the rule or an anomaly.  77 minutes. Pleasant, but not very satisfying. 

March 31st, 2022: Excellent long finish, easy draw, medium body, quite rich and complex flavour reminiscent of Pinar del Rio both in flavour and aroma. Much better than the previous cigar of January 27th. Quite satisfying. 78 minutes.

May 12th, 2022: Light in the hand and spicy pre-light aroma. I think 'barely 75 minutes' is the norm for this lightly packed, easy drawing cigar. Flavour and aroma were quite pleasant: there was still an element of complexity about the cigar. Altogether, quite balanced and satisfying, if a less than medium bodied cigar is required. 

June 12th, 2022: Much the same as the reviews above. This is a very tasty mild to medium bodied cigar with flavour and aroma resembling the mild Cuban from Pinar del Rio. As with the cigar of January 12th, a spot of wrapper came off with the band. There was also a nice, but gentle, boost of strength towards the end of the cigar, making a very pleasant conclusion. As with the other samples, the cigar lasted around 75 minutes. Very satisfying in complexity and balance, despite the mildness. 

August 3rd, 2022: This one was a bit of a fluff: fast burning, it lasted a mere 55 minutes and lacked body and offering no boost of strength at the end.  Not satisfying.

August 25th, 2022: An excellent example of the blend. Flavour was rich and complex while maintaining the mild to medium body - perhaps medium plus - towards the end. Aroma was also rich and satisfying. Aftertaste was sweet and spicy. There was a pleasant complement of strength in the final third. Draw and burn were perfect. 90 minutes and very satsifying. 

November 3rd, 2022: The first from a new box. It was excellent, like those of the previous box. Smooth, medium bodied, sufficiently complex, nothing overwhelming, a bit tight on the draw, but otherwise, very satisfying 80 minutes.

March 25th, 2023: Yum, yum! This was a very delicious cigar, medium bodied throughout with a lovely mild spicy tang. Draw and burn were perfect. Aroma was quite pleasant. Very satisfying and 90 minutes.

Delicious to the nub

June 10th, 2023: Quite a substantial stogie, despite its Connecticut wrapper. Medium body from the start, perfect burn and quite a bit of strength towards the end. Very satisfying at 80 minutes.

October 21st, 2023: Good, medium bodied cigar, with excellent burn. No strength build up with this one. Good to the nub.

Cain Sun Grown 550

1 and 2. December 16th, 2021: This is the second foray into the the Cain 550 series, which, at 5.75inches x 50, is a slightly longer robusto and boasts the descriptor, "Straight Ligero". There are five blends in the series. The black label corresponds to the 'Habano' blend, which has the same 25/27/30% blend of ligero as the Sun Grown.

The first variety that I tried was the Cain F 550. F is for fuerte, 'strong'. In fact it was so strong that the final third provided a stout kick in the gut and left me staggering to my room. The Sun Grown contains a different blend of Ligero but using tobacco from the same three regions of Nicaragua: Esteli, Condega and Jalapa. The combinations are printed on the box label.

As you can see from the box labels, the Sun Grown has a little more than 20% less Esteli than the red Fuerte, and around 20% more Jalapa. One would be forgiven for imagining that such modest differences would have a minimal effect. The reality, from two samples was quite surprising. The Sun Grown was much milder, ranging from mild to medium body and having no discernible strength. Flavour and body increased in the second third, but strength did not appear. Overall it was quite a mellow and pleasant 80 minutes smoke.

Appearance and Construction: The cigar appeared much like its Fuerte cousin: slender, dull, light brown wrapper. It is a Nicaraguan puro, with 82% ligero leaf from three regions, as shown in the photograph above.

First Puff: Mild and mellow - a strong contrast with the Fuerte, which was chokingly strong upon first puff.

Draw and Burn: A little resistance in the draw. Burn was wavy but self correcting and razor sharp at the end.

Flavour and Complexity: Flavour was a mild, mellow, cocoa which increased in intensity in the second and final thirds.  Towards the end of the first third there was a hint of bitterness. But that soon subsided. There was a hint of spice in the final third.  

Body: The first third was mild and mellow. Body increased markedly in the second third. However it never reached full body. At most it was medium plus.

Strength: No strength to speak of. Strength was quite mild throughout.

Finish and Aftertaste: Short finish during the first third but a much longer finish in the second third. Aftertaste was slightly bitter, but quite interesting.

Aroma: Very little aroma to speak of; at best, an occasional whiff. This was the most disappointing feature of the cigar.

Ash: Quite firm. I let the first ash drop at 25 minutes.

Balance and Consistency: A fine balance of flavour and body all around the medium level. There was no unbalanced strength, as with the Fuerte cousin.

Time smoke: 80 minutes to the nub.

At just over 80 minutes it was time to put this cigar out.

Overall: Quite satisfying. I was pleasantly relieved to find that strength was not overwhelming, unlike the first (but not the second) Fuerte that I tried. Aroma could have been a little more prominent. But the overall medium body profile and mellow flavour sustained interest.

3. January 24th, 2022: A solid medium body throughout. No overwhelming strength. Flavour was rich, with a little bitterness, but actually the bitterness added to the complexity of the flavour profile. It wasn't a detraction. Aroma was fleeting at best.  This cigar doesn't trade on its aroma. Draw and burn perfect. 75 minutes. Satisfying. 

4. February 16th, 2022: This cigar was hard as a rock, but there was no sign of cracking or exfoliation. Flavour was complex and tasty, a bit like cocoa powder but without bitterness. There was no spice or pepper, despite the ligero content, except a touch of spice in the final third. Aroma was fleeting, but quite rich and mellow. Body was medium. Strength was not prominent. Draw was a bit resistant, but not excessively so. Burn was close to sharp. Overall, this was a very smooth and rich cigar with great balance. 105 minutes. Very satisfying.

At the one hour mark: very slow burning; 105 minutes in total, remarkable for a 5.5 x 50.

5. March 28th, 2022: Smooth and tasty, but started quite mild, before building up to a medium body. No spice or pepper. Very clean finish. Burn and draw were perfect. 85 minutes. Quite satisfying. 

6. August 10th, 2022: Much the same as the March sample: started a bit mild and boring but after an inch, complex, balanced, medium body, rich flavour. Once flavour and body improved the cigar maintained its quality to the nub. Quite delicious. The only negative point was aroma, which was quite mild. 

110 minutes. Good to the nub. Very satisfying.

7. November 7th, 2022: Much the same flavour and body profile as above. However, the cigar cracked, but without hindering burn. No pepper. The cigar reminded me more of a Cameroon wrapper, but it's straight Nicaraguan. 80 minutes. Quite satisfying.

8. July 15th, 2023: This was a delicious cigar. It started a bit bitter but soon mellowed out. Flavour was a complex and interesting mixture of cocoa and various vegetal qualities. Burn was even but draw was slightly tight. Aroma was fleeting but quite rich and powerful when it appeared. Body hovered around medium throughout and strength was not a problem. Altogether very satisfying, albeit only 60 minutes.

October 2nd, 2023: This cigar started off promisingly, but was difficult to draw until around the start of the second half. Once it opened up, the cigar was delicious: medium bodied, rich and intense with good aroma. Just goes to show how construction correlates with flavour. 

Joya de Nicaragua Black Toro

December 1st, 2021: The Toro is the second vitola in the Black series that I have tried. The first was the Double Robusto which suffered from burn and draw issues, despite its promising flavour profile. The first Toro that I tried was much improved. There were minor burn issues but they were manageable.  

Appearance and Construction: 6x52, Mexican San Andres Wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and wrapper. An elegant cigar. The wrapper is by no means black; rather, it is a deep brown with a little mottling, suggesting a bit of age. The cigar was firm and well packed, perhaps too well packed as draw was difficult at times. But the dense construction produced a rich flavour. 

First Puff: Smooth

Draw and Burn: Draw and burn were much improved over the Red and Black Double Robusto, but there were still issues. Draw was quite resistant. The cigar went out once after a modest interval and a minor touch up was required. But overall, these were minor detractions.

Flavour and Complexity: Flavour was a dark roast with a little sweetness of dried apricot, as found in the Antano, and a little dirt (otherwise known as 'earthiness'). Complexity was good: flavours melded well.

Body: Medium throughout

Strength: Medium. No zing.

Finish and Aftertaste: Excellent long finish. This was one of the most outstanding qualities. The aftertaste lingered pleasantly, allowing for generous pauses.

Aroma: Deep and rich

Ash: A pleasant pepper and salt ash which held on well for twenty minutes per ashing.

At the 25 minute mark.

Balance and Consistency: Well balanced complex flavours, medium strength and body. No transitions, but consistently smooth and delicious.

Time smoke: 90 minutes

Overall: A substantial cigar with nice balance, complexity. Quite satisfying.

March 11th 2022: This cigar began as a pleasant puffer. It was mild to medium bodied with a smooth, fruity, dark roast flavour, much as described above. Finish was fairly durable. However, flavour in the final third almost vanished. At best it was mild and vegetal. Draw was good. Burn was fair: there was a long, unburnt, wave which left a spot of unburnt wrapper. But there was no plugging. Overall, quite pleasant. Around 80 minutes. 

A pleasant puff

March 23, 2024: This one was delicious to the nub: medium body, good draw, complex and balanced. Maybe it only needed a couple of years aging. I bought these at around $110 per box. now they're around $160. However good they might be after aging, they're not that good and not sufficiently consistent to buy another box. Nonetheless, I have a few more and I'm keen to see whether the others live up to the quality of the present cigar. 90 minutes and very satisfying.