New year approaching and new cigars to review!

Among the cigars to be reviewed in early 2013 are:

Bugatti (by Perdomo)

4 year old seco, 5 year old viso, 6 year old ligero. The natural uses a Connecticut wrapper and the maduro uses a triple fermented Nicaraguan maduro.



CLE Corojo robusto by Christian Eiora

This Honduran puro is bold in flavor and complex to boot. Cloaked by a rich and leathery Jamastran Corojo wrapper, each cigar is jam-packed with aged, long-leaf ligeros grown throughout Honduras.



Assortment by Erik Espinosa

601 La Bomba Atom
La Zona Habano Super Toro
La Zona Connecticut Robusto
Murcielago Robusto



Graycliff 30 year Vintage PGX

Top-shelf, vintage long-fillers from Nicaragua, the Dominican, and Honduras with a 30-year-old (yes, 30!) African Cameroon wrapper



Pinolero Toro

Pinolero is the latest creation from cigar prodigy AJ Fernandez, crafted to celebrate the rich cigar-making history of Nicaragua. An oily, leathery Nicaraguan sun grown wrapper and proprietary filler blend combine to create a powerful, highly complex experience. Notes of earth, coffee, cedar, pepper, and a twangy finish are present and remarkably well-balanced. It's on the fuller side. (sounds good!)



Humo Jaguar Gigante

The heart of this blend is comprised of robusto Cuban-seed long-fillers from Honduras. A Cuban-esque mixture, secured by a binder from Talanga, then cloaked by a dark and sultry Honduran Oscuro wrapper from the viso priming.



Arturo Fuente Unknown

And it's just that, unknown. The only thing that is known about this cigar is it has a sungrown wrapper. Very dark. Should be interesting. Looks like it's a 6x48 size and has a very dark wrapper.



La Flor Dominicana Oro Chisel natural

I was urged to review this cigar by several people at the local cigar shop. LFD makes some great powerhouse cigars and I'm sure this one will be no different. Each cigar is packaged in a beautiful gold tube. The chisel is among the most beautiful cigars out there.

Many more, stay tuned!

2012 Cigars of the Year!

Well, it's that time of year again. Time to post my best of the best cigars for 2012. I always try to be fair when reviewing a cigar and give the best information I can so that the reader can decide if this cigar is something they want to try or not. I want them to be able to taste the cigar through my description before ever lighting it. That's the goal.

This year I reviewed a total of 96 cigars. 18 cigars had a score 93 or above! What was the top cigar that I reviewed? What cigars scored 90 or above? The results are shown below with the name, size, and date reviewed for each. Individual awards are shown in red. Links to the blog post are provided for the top cigars scoring 93 and above.


Video compilation of cigars scoring 93 or above can be seen HERE.

 

95 points; Best Cigar of 2012

E. P.Carrillo Cardinal Series Natural No. 54;

6x54 (11/10/12)

CIGAR OF THE YEAR/TORO OF THE YEAR
MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR
(5 cigars rated 93 or higher)
 

 

94 Points

 Alec Bradley New Yorker Six Two robusto

5.25x52 (1/8/12)

ROBUSTO OF THE YEAR (TIE)

 

E. P.Carrillo New Wave Conn. Short Run 2012 Invictos

5 7/8x52 (2/11/12)

 

 E. P.Carrillo New Wave Conn. Short Run 2012 Exquisitos

4 7/8x50 (3/13/12)

ROBUSTO OF THE YEAR (TIE)

 

Perdomo 20thAnniversary Sun Grown Epicure
6x56 (9/29/12) 

 

93

San Lotano Habano toro; 6x54 (1/7/12)

ArturoFuente 8-5-8 Rosado; 6x47 (2/4/12)

Ortega  Serie D maduro no. 12; 5x52 (2/12/12)

Camacho Room101 Namakubi Sucio; 7x48; (3/10/12) CHURCHILL OF THE YEAR

Liga PrivadaNo. 9 robusto; 5x52 (4/29/12)

Guillermo Leon Corona Gorda; 6x47 (7/7/12)

Vegas deSantiago D8 Petit Robusto; 4x50 (7/15/12)

E. P.Carrillo Inch no. 64 natural; 6 1/4x64 (7/21/12) LARGE RING OF THE YEAR

PerdomoGrand Cru 2006 Sun Grown Grand Epicure; 6x60 (9/22/12)

GraycliffEspresso PG; 5.2x50 (10/14/12)

E. P.Carrillo Cardinal Series Maduro No. 54; 6x54 (11/11/12)

Ortega SerieD Natural no. 10 Belicoso; 6x52 (11/17/12) 

Oliva V Melanio Torpedo; 6.5x52 (12/15/12)

 

92

Partagas Salamone LCDH Edition; 7.2x57 (12/31/11)

Oliva V Belicoso; 5x54 (1/15/12)

Alec Bradley Black Market Toro; 6x50 (1/29/12)

Partagas Serie D no. 4 [Oct 10]; 4.88x50 (3/3/12)

Oliva Inferno robusto; 5x50 (3/31/12) PRIVATE LABEL CIGAR OF THE YEAR (Famous Smoke Shop)

Nub Habano 466; 4x66 (5/19/12)

La Sirena Prince; 5x50 (6/9/12)

Espinosa robusto; 5x52 (8/12/12)

Toro Y Leon Famosos; 5x52 (8/19/12)

Perdomo Grand Cru 2006 Connecticut Grand Robusto; 5x60 (9/23/12)

Torano Salutem Robusto Extra; 5x52 (10/13/12)

Alec Bradley Maxx Brazil Robusto; 5x50 (10/28/12) 
 

La Palina El Diario Toro; 6x50 (12/8/12)

 

91

La Gloria Cubana Wavell natural robusto; 5x50 (2/18/12)

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Work of Art natural; 4 7/8x46/60 (2/22/12)

Drew Estate My Uzi Weighs a Ton; 5x60 (3/11/12)

Arturo Fuente Magnum R Vitola 52; 5x52; (3/17/12)

Padron Anniversary 64 maduro Exclusivo; 5.5x50 (4/7/12)

Torano Vault Torpedo; 6.1x52 (4/21/12)

Viaje Mother of all Bombs; 4 1/2x52 (4/22/12)

CAO Last Stick Standing “O”; 5 1/2x54 (5/28/12)

Dona Flor Selecao robusto; 5x52 (6/16/12)

Nestor Miranda Art Deco Coffee Break; 4 1/2x50 (7/8/12)

Torano Master Maduro robusto; 5x50 (7/22/12)

Xikar HC Habano2 robusto; 5x50 (8/5/12)

Ventura Cigar Co. Pura Sangre; 7x52 (8/11/12)

Perdomo 20^th Anniversary Maduro Epicure; 6x56 (9/30/12)

Man O’ War Side Projects Little Devil; 5.5x44 (11/4/12)

Emilio Cigars 1502 Ruby Toro; 6x50 (12/1/12) 

Rocky Patel Edge Nicaragua; 6x52 (12/16/12)

 
 

90

Viaje Oro Torpedo; 6x52 (1/22/12)

Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill;  7x48 (1/28/12)

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco; 5 44/57 (3/18/12)

VegaFina Jose Seijas 2011 robusto; 5x56 (4/1/12)

Partagas 1845 robusto; 5 ½ x 49 (4/28/12)

Oliva O maduro robusto; 5x50 (5/6/12)

Dona Flor Puro Mata Fina robusto; 5x52 (6/17/12)

E. P. Carrillo Inch no. 64 maduro; 6 1/8x64 (7/28/12)

Vegas de Santiago Heritage torpedo; 6x52 (8/4/12)

CAO Concert Roadie; 5 ½ x 54 (9/16/12)

Montecristo Epic Premium Selection ’07 Toro; 6x52 (10/6/12)

Graycliff B-cuz Triple Robusto; 6x54 (10/7/12)

 

 

 

The remaining cigars and scores from 2012:

 

 

89 

 

Camacho Havana Diadema; 8x60 (1/21/12)

H. Upmann 1844 Belicoso; 6 1/8x52 (2/18/12)

Room 101 213C; 5.5x44 (5/5/12)

Vindicator robusto; 5x50 (5/13/12)

Reinado El Emperador; 6x60 (7/29/12)

Tabacos Mundial Habano Rose Toro; 6x50 (8/26/12)

Punch Bare Knuckle Belicoso; 5x50 (10/27/12)

EL MEJOR robusto; 5x50 (11/3/12) 

 

88

Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 natural; 6x47 (2/26/12)

Casa Magna Colorado Diadema; 6.75x54 (5/20/12)

Romeo toro; 6x54; (6/2/12)

Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 churchill; 7x48 (6/30/12)

Flor de Las Antillas toro; 6x52 (8/25/12)

Genesis The Project robusto; 5x50 (10/21/12)

Emilio Cigars AF1 robusto; 5x50 (12/2/12) 

 

87

Casa Magna Colorado Pikito; 4.75x42 (3/4/12)

Punch Rare Corojo 2012 Magnum; 5.1x54 (3/25/12)

San Cristobal Elegancia; 7x50 (6/10/12)

Vegas de Santiago D8 Presidente; 7 ½ x 54 (7/14/12)

Ventura Cigar Co. Estilo Cubano Toraso; 5 3/4x54 (8/18/12) 

 

86

Iron Horse Churchill; 7x50 (2/16/12)

Macanudo Café Gigante; 6x60 (3/24/12)

CAO Last Stick Standing “A”; 5 1/2x54 (5/27/12)

Dona Flor Bahia Blend robusto; 5x52 (6/24/12)

Foundry Wells; 6x50 (9/15/12)

Emilio Cigars AF2 toro; 6x50 (11/23/12)

Emilio Cigars AF toro; 6x50 (11/24/12)

 

85

La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especiale no. 3; 6x50 (6/3/12)

Dona Flor Reserva Especial robusto; 5x52 (6/23/12)

Emilio Cigars H Series robusto; 5 1/2x50 (11/25/12) 

 

84

Esteban Carreras 187 maduro torpedo; 6 1/8x52 (1/14/12)

CAO Last Stick Standing “C”; 5 1/2 x54 (5/26/12) 

 

83

Alonso Menendez robusto; 5x50 (11/18/12) 


82
Alonso Menendez Connecticut robusto; 5x50 (12/9/12)

 

80

Dona Flor CC Bahia Blend robusto; 5x52 (7/1/12)

 

 

 

Thank you for your interest in the Tiny Tim Cigar Blog during the past year. I hope you enjoyed the reviews as much as I did doing them.

 

Hopefully the YouTube reviews added something positive to the review process.

 

Thanks go out to the companies who supplied cigars for review.

 

If any company would like their cigars reviewed simply contact me and we'll set it up.

 

 

Here's looking forward to 2013 and another year of great cigars!

Oliva Cigar Company proud sponsor of the historic Hialeah Park launch meet with Media/VIP's‏

(Miami, Florida) December 18, 2012  -Historic Hialeah Park set the stage for racing to begin Saturday, December 15, 2012 and continue every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through February 17, 2013. Fans will have the opportunity to enjoy American Quarter Horse racing in what has long been considered “the world’s most beautiful race course.” This season also coincides with Phase 1 of Hialeah Park’s expansion, with construction of the casino, set to open in summer 2013, well under way. Oliva Cigar Company was a proud sponsor of one of South Florida’s gems.

Hialeah Park Creative Director Frank Fiore being interviewed

 

The Oliva Cigar Company jumped at the chance to sponsor the VIP/Media reception. The race track is not only a South Florida classic but also has an interesting connection to Cuba. The iconic flamingos which are a staple of the track since its opening were brought in from Cuba back in 1933.  

 

President of Hialeah Park John Brunetti JR. , Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez,

Hialeah Park owner John Brunetti Sr., and Director of gaming Steve Calabro

The venue hosted a kickoff reception for media and influencers this past Wednesday, December 12, 2012 from 6:30-9:00PM featuring Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez. This fabulous event included a cocktail reception and Q&A, and served to jumpstart the racing season as well as showcase the new happenings at Hialeah Park. Opened in 1921, Hialeah Park is considered an iconic venue which for years was “the” race track for horse racing enthusiasts. The park’s design was inspired by landmarks all over the world, including Longchamp in Paris and the casinos of Monte Carlo. Hialeah Park is now undergoing a re-birth under the leadership of John J. Brunetti, Sr. and the Brunetti family, owners of Hialeah Park since 1977. The Brunettis and their management team are determined to bring Hialeah Park back to its days of glory, when notables such as Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, and Frank Sinatra graced its gorgeous walkways.  Phase 1 of the multi-phase build out project includes The Casino at Hialeah Park, featuring 870 slots, 21 poker tables, and various food, beverage and entertainment locations. It will also feature a multi-million dollar landscape design by world renowned landscape architect Raymond Jungles.

 

 Oliva Cigar Company Director of Marketing, John Conroy 

with Gabriel Pineres of Creativas Group PR and two models

 

Oliva Cigar Company was in full swing at the event as guests smoked Oliva Serie V cigars while sipping on cocktails sponsored by Diplomatico Rum. Oliva Cigar Company was acknowledged as a strong pillar of the community as Mayor Hernandez took to the microphone. Oliva’s Director of Marketing John Conroy represented Oliva as he educated guests on the quality and craftsmanship that goes into making Oliva’s premium cigars.

 

Hialeah Park is not only a race track but considered a mecca among horse enthusiasts. Jose Oliva was proud to have his company be part of the re-birth of one of the most storied sporting venues in the United States. 

 

For more information on Hialeah Park please visit www.hialeahparkracing.com and www.hialeahnowandforever.com  as well as on Facebook and Twitter under Hialeah Park.

Hialeah Park is located at 2200 East 4^th Avenue, Hialeah, FL 33010.

Call 305-885-8000 for further information.

Rocky Patel Edge Nicaragua (6 x 52)

Video review HERE.

This is a slight alteration from the normal Edge production. This is an all Nicaraguan cigar which uses a Nicaraguan Habano Seed wraper around all Nicaraguan tobaccos. All the Edge cigars are toro size so that's why there is no vitola shown in the title.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Seed
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

The fact that it's all Nicaraguan got my attention very fast as I am a huge fan of Nicaraguan tobacco.

The cigar has a bump or vein here or there but overall it's well made. It has a nice density and feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the cap was effortless. At light up the initial flavors were charred wood, coffee, orange citrus, vanilla, and a nice amount of pepper which I put at a 7.



About 3/4 inch in the cigar settled down into one of orange citrus, vanilla, nutmeg, wood, coffee, and pepper. The finish is a sweet cream with a touch of lingering pepper.









Not more than 1/4 inch further the nutmeg notes have really come forward. The orange citrus give it tang-ness and there is a nice richness and sweetness. The coffee and wood give the cigar base. The pepper is unchanged. The finish is a very nice creamy cream, if that's a term!







About the midpoint the wood notes  have come forward. They are equal to the nutmeg notes, which now have cedar attached to them. The orange citrus has changed to cedar. There are still a lot of wood notes and the coffee remains the same. The pepper and finish remain the same. The cigar is medium to full bodied at this point and I expect it to reach full bodied very son.




There were no changes from the midpoint to the end. The nutmeg and cedar combination remained the main flavors along with the charred wood notes. The coffee and pepper remained about the same throughout. The finish is now a toasted cream with some lingering pepper. The cigar ended up full bodied. I enjoyed this cigar a lot. There is more richness in the cigar now also. From the 2/3 point onward the cigar was nice and rich. This cigar burns fairly quickly. I got about 1 hour 20 minutes out of this cigar. These are on shelves now and well worth a try.


Score: 91

Oliva V Melanio Torpedo (6 1/2 x 52)

Video review HERE.


The Oliva V Melanio is the newest edition to the famed Oliva lineup of cigars. It is a different version from the original V. Here is what the Oliva site says about this cigar:

The Serie V is full flavored yet smooth. The long filler tobaccos are a blend of Oliva Nicaraguan Habano that emphasizes tobacco from the Jalapa region, an area known for a more nuanced leaf than the Esteli or Condega regions. This carefully aged Jalapa blend produces a particularly flavored smoke.










The cigar is expertly made. It is flawless in construction. Simply put, it is a joy to look at. The milk chocolate colored wrapper has no veins or blemishes. It is absolutely beautiful.







The cigar has a nice feel in the hand. The density of the cigar is obvious.











I cut the minimum from the torpedo shaped cap. The test draw was good with just a touch of firmness. The initial flavors were light, sweet vanilla and cedar. There is a nice richness to the cedar. Shortly in I changed my flavor assessment to a rich orange citrus. You may go with either description but I'll stick with the rich orange citrus. The pepper is scored at a 7. There are nice coffee notes also. There is quite a bit of richness in the cigar at light up. The cigar is medium bodied at this early point.



At 1/2 inch in the flavors are a lot like they were initially. The rich orange citrus has a lot of effervescence. I have described this type feeling as carbonated previously. It is like the carbonation in a soft drink. It's a nice feeling. The finish is a sweet caramel with toasty notes with a touch of lingering pepper. The cigar is burning very evenly and I intend to smoke the cigar very slowly to maintain the even burn.




A little over an inch in there are nutmeg notes to mix with the orange citrus. The coffee notes are very obvious. There are toasty notes in the cigar. The caramel notes are still in the finish with the small amount of lingering pepper.







At the bands some of the caramel notes have made their way to the front end. The richness in the cigar reminds me a lot of caramel. The other notes of orange citrus, nutmeg, and coffee are still about the same. The flavor combination is very nice. The cigar is moving to medium to full bodied. You can feel the ligero now.





With about 2 inches remaining in the cigar the notes on the front end are more of a cedar and light nutmeg, coffee, and light leather notes. The pepper remains the same. There are some toasted caramel notes on the finish and the lingering pepper has intensified. The cigar is medium to full bodied now. The cigar continues to burn very evenly.





At the end of the cigar it ended up with nice cedar notes that are sweet and they have some richness, light nutmeg, light leather and nice coffee notes. The pepper maintained the intensity at a 7. The cigar ended at medium to full bodied. The cigar was very smooth and burned very evenly. The Melanio was a very good cigar and I expected nothing different from Oliva. This cigar was not inexpensive at about $14 at a local shop but well worth it. Great cigar.


Score: 93

Opus X Giveaway!

CigarsDirect.com has a new promotion that looks pretty good. They are giving away a box of 2012 Opus X x 21 Count Charity Box. To enter go to cigarsdirectgiveaway and enter for a chance to win.

Alonso Menendez Connecticut Robusto (5 x 50)

Video review HERE.


As you may remember, I reviewed the natural version of this cigar a few weeks ago. That cigar had a ton of earth notes. I am hopeful that this Connecticut version has more creamy notes and less earth notes. We'll see.

As a reminder, here is what I said about the Alonso Menendez cigars in the previous post:

This cigar is from Dona Flor where it is well thought of in Europe. It is suppose to be fuller bodied than their other Brazilian cigars and with Americans gravitating to fuller bodied cigars they want to bring it to the U.S. in hopes it will catch on here. To give it a more robust flavor the cigar uses extra Mata Norte tobacco.

These cigars are made with Mata Fina and Mata Norte tobacco. They use extra Mata Norte to give it more full bodiness. I am unsure of the Connecticut wrapper. Is it Brazilian? Don't know.
The cigar is dense feeling in the hand. Here is the foot:

The test draw after cutting the cap was effortless. The initial flavors at light up were earth, raw almond, decent amount of pepper at a 5 rating, and hints of cedar. Much like the naturals this cigar is starting with large amounts of earth tones.

 

3/4 inch in the burn is fairly even. The earth notes are the primary flavor. Secondary the notes are light grapefruit citrus and raw almond. There is very little sweetness. The pepper went up to a 6. There are coffee notes underlying the earth. The finish is raw almond and cream and very little lingering pepper. The cigar is very mild at this point.






At the midpoint grapefruit citrus has really come forward to the point it's about even with the earth notes. There is a little coffee underlying the earth. The almonds are now roasted. The pepper is about the same as before. The finish is unchanged. There is very little sweetness in the citrus notes.

 

The cigar did not change on the front end from the midpoint to the end. The finish changed a bit. It finished with raw almonds, cream, earth, and hints of citrus. The cigar ended up mild to medium. To be honest, I don't get the "full body" description of these cigars. I tend to think the Europeans translate earthiness into full bodied. To me the are not full bodied. For those of you who love earthy cigars please try these. You will love them! They are not my thing but everyone is different. I appreciate the Dona Flor folks for sending these for me to try.


Score: 82

La Palina El Diario Toro (6 x 50)

 Video review HERE.


This is my first experience with La Palina Cigars. It was actually suggested to me by Scott at The Cigar Box in Columbia, SC. I am excited to give this cigar a try.

Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduran Corojo ’99 Rosado
Binder: Honduran Criollo ’98 (x2)
Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98

(from the La Palina website)

Rolled at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras for La Palina Cigar, the El Diario is a perfect complement to our acclaimed original line, the Family Series. The La Palina El Diario is a richly flavored medium bodied cigar. The sweet characteristics of the Honduran rosado wrapper round out the spicy Nicaraguan corojo and criollo filler. The double binders from Honduras refine and complete the blend, creating beautiful balance.

The La Palina El Diario is a straightforward blend with a harmony of sweet and spicy notes that you will find the ideal choice for daily enjoyment. El Diario translates to “The Daily” in English. The El Diario is a La Palina for every day.


The cigar is a medium brown with some small bumps but it has a nice feel in the hand. It is what I term "weighty in the hand". The foot shows a nice density.

The test draw after cutting the cap was a bit firm but workable. The initial flavors at light up were sweet and spicy. The pepper was very good. I rated it at a 6. The flavors were a combination of a juicy, sweet orange and cedar, coffee, and a touch of background leather.

 

At the 3/4 inch point the flavors are pretty much like the initial assessment. The flavors are orange citrus and cedar, which is sweet and it has some richness. There are coffee and leather notes and now I detect white chocolate. The sweetness of the white chocolate give the cigar a nice flavor. The finish is one of a sweet cream which make it almost a straight vanilla and there is a touch of lingering pepper. The cigar is medium bodied at this point.

 

About 1 1/4 inch in the cigar is burning evenly. The orange citrus has decreased and in it's place there are nutmeg notes which combine with the cedar and white chocolate. The leather is more prominent also. The white chocolate has traveled over to the finish also combining with the cream. The lingering pepper on the finish seems to be a little more intensified. The white chocolate really coats the palate.

 

 

At the midpoint the nutmeg is the lead flavor quickly followed by the cedar. It continues to be rich and sweet. The leather and white chocolate notes are a little more subtle. The coffee notes are still there in the background and remain subtle. The pepper has decreased a little and is now a 5. The flavors are quite balanced, actually, but you now get a wisp of cherry on the front end. It does not last long but it's noticeable. The finish is still one of cream and subtle white chocolate with some lingering pepper. The cigar remains medium bodied.

 

At the band the cigar is very balanced. The cherry notes hung around much longer than I thought they would. They just now went away. The individual flavors are easily picked out but they are in equal amounts. The cigar has moved up a tick in body. I would call it medium to full bodied now. The finish and pepper amounts have not changed.

 

 

At the end of the cigar it made a little turn. In the previous segment I told you the cherry notes had gone away but they came back. They took the place of the nutmeg notes. They now combine with the cedar. The richness is still there to a degree but the sweetness is still very good. The other notes of leather, white chocolate, coffee and pepper remained the same. The finish also remained the same. Here at the end the cigar moved up to full bodied. It really intensified in the final quarter. I found this cigar to be very good and somewhat complex as it made numerous changes. I appreciate Scott recommending it to me. I have heard good things about other cigars in the La Palina line and would like to try them also. This is a very good cigar that I can recommend!

Score: 92

Emilio Cigars AF1 Robusto (5 x 50)

Video review HERE.


This is the final review from the samples Emilio Cigars sent me. This edition, the AF1, is a maduro cigar which has Nicaraguan fillers and a San Andres maduro wrapper. The cigar is very dark and has a nice feel to it. It is weighty in the hand. The density appears to be very good also.

The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. It had just a bit of firmness but it did not interfere with the draw. The initial flavors were coffee, earth, sweet cocoa, and a nice amount of pepper (6 rating). Nice start.



About 1/2 inch in the cigar had a little burn issue that I expect to self correct. The flavors did not change much. In order of what you can expect are coffee and earth right up front quickly followed by a sweet cocoa. The finish is a roasted almond with lingering pepper. The pepper is very good. The cigar feels medium to full bodied. You can detect the fullness in this cigar and I expect it may reach full bodied at some point.




At 1 1/2 inches in the burn evened out nicely. The ash was tight with very little splintering. The flavors are about the same but there is now a touch of richness in the cocoa. Also, there is now toffee mixed in the cocoa. The earth notes have decreased but the coffee is still strong. The pepper seems to be a little stronger. I'd rate it at a 7 now. The finish is now one of a cream with some lingering pepper.





At the band there were a few changes. The cocoa notes have lost a lot of their sweetness and richness and the toffee has disappeared. The earth notes are back along with the coffee. There also seem to be roasted almond notes on the front end that are subtle. The finish is a toasted cream now and there is still nice lingering pepper.







At the end some of the richness in the cocoa returned in small amounts. The earth notes decreased again and the coffee notes really came out. The pepper remained at a 7. The finish remained one of a toasted cream and lingering pepper. The cigar ended up full bodied. The burn was good throughout after the initial light up. The richness in this cigar built to the midpoint but then dropped off and came back at the end. I enjoyed the cocoa notes a lot. I enjoyed this cigar and I thank the Emilio Cigars company for sending these for me to review. Look for them in selected shops nationwide.

Score: 88

Emilio Cigars 1502 Ruby Toro (6 x 50)

 

 

 

Video review HERE.

 

 

 

This cigar from Emilio Cigars is beautifully made. It is is a reddish brown box pressed cigar that has an interesting half closed foot.

 

 

The cigar is comprised of:

Wrapper: Equadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan from Jalapa Valley and Esteli


The cigar is very well made with a shiny, oily wrapper but does not feel heavy in the hand. After cutting the cap the test draw was very good. After light up the initial flavors were a nutty, citrus start. The pepper was a 6 or 7 in intensity. The citrus was a tangerine with a roasted nut flavor. It seemed to be an almond flavor but I feel it may change. There is a nice sweetness to the tangerine citrus. There were also some coffee notes to go along with the other flavors. Nice start.

 

 
At the 3/4 inch point the cigar made some changes. There is now nutmeg to go along with the sweet tangerine. There is no richness in the cigar yet. The pepper remains very good and still rates a 7. The coffee is good and there seem to be leather notes creeping in. The finish is a nice cream with a touch of lingering pepper.










At the one inch point the nutmeg has really moved forward and leads the tangerine citrus. There are also roasted pecans. The coffee and coffee remain very good.








 At the 1 1/2 inch point the ash is tight and has not dropped but it's quite bent. There is now some richness in the tangerine and nutmeg. The citrus notes have filtered over to the finish combining nicely with the cream and lingering pepper.

 

 

 

 With a couple inches left the cigar continues to burn evenly. The initial ash dropped off in the ashtray and the second ash is also curving just as the first one did. The flavors have change a bit. The citrus notes seem to be morphing into a cedar flavor. Earth notes have take over for the roasted pecan notes. The pepper remains very good and the coffee notes are subtle. The finish is now a cream with lightly roasted almonds and lingering pepper.






With about 1 1/2 inches left the cedar transformation is complete. There are also some nutmeg notes to go along with the cedar. The earth notes have decreased and the coffee notes have come forward. The pepper remains very good. The finish is back to one of cream and citrus notes.

 At the end the cedar and nutmeg notes continued. The richness decreased. The coffee notes remained good as well as the earth notes. The roasted pecan notes came and went but they were nice when they were around. The pepper was very good and held at a 7. The finish ended with cream and citrus notes. The pepper lingered nicely. The cigar ended up medium bodied. It also burned very evenly throughout. I enjoyed this cigar quite a bit. I urge you to try them if you can find them! A local shop near me carries Emilio Cigars and I hope they carry the 1502 Ruby. If not, I'll urge them to carry them.

Score: 91