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Wrapper: Ecuadoran Habano
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: Torpedo
Strength: Medium

Look: The wrapper a bit toothy but a very even tan color witg no imperfections.

Aroma: The cigar smells earthy and slightly sweet with notes of tobacco.

Prelight Draw: This holds the same earthy notes with tobacco and sweetness.

First Third: I immediately notice hints of wood, earth with a hint of spice. The spice is more baking spices with a hint of pepper, just enough for a bit of a bite without the overwhelming heat. It has a bit of a malty finish with coffee in the aftertaste. The retrohale has hints of cinnamon and hickory.

Second Third: The notes of coffee and spices pick up as the main notes, really warming the palate. There is now wood and coffee in the aftertaste. At the halfway point, I start to pick up peanuts and cayenne pepper. There is more spice through the nostrils at this point.

Final Third: The hickory really starts to come through in the final third, mingling with wood and coffee.The spice is very subtle on the palate, until the finish where it lingers with the same smooth malthy finish as the first third.

Conclusion: The Nomad Navigator is a great smoke in so many ways. The flavors are complex, yet balanced making it a good cigar for any time of day. The draw and burn are perfect and the cigar is just beautiful in its presentation and clearly well rolled. These have very quickly made their way into my regular rotation of favorite sticks.

When the CAO Right Coast arrived at Cigar Connection, I was a bit skeptical. This 6 3/4″ by 72 trapezoidal cigar reminded me of a Toblerone. But I like Toblerone so I thought I’d give it a shot. I had a chat with our General Rep about it and got the details. It was released following the CAO Left Coast, another trapezoidal cigar giving homage to the West Coast. The Right Coast (correct coast;) ) is a limited run of 400 boxes of 14, available on, you guessed it, the East Coast. It has a dark, rich, oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and the binder and filler are a mystery except there was apparently some Colombian tobacco used.

Personally, I thought the cigar looked pretty cool. It had a nice weight to it and the band is very understated. The wrapper had a nice rich cocoa aroma with hints of earth. The foot held the same notes with a bit of grassiness. Now, I have to admit I was a bit puzzled as to how to actually cut this cigar. At a ring gauge of 72, it definitely wasn’t going to fit in my cutter and a single V cut didn’t seem like it would be enough so this is what I did:

The cold draw had notes of cocoa, earth and raisins, very rich and flavorful. I immediately picked up leather, cocoa, cayenne and anise that remained through the first third. Molasses lingered in the finish. There was plenty of smoke that held hints of pepper and a sweet, floral note.

In the second third, cocoa, molasses, coffee and subtle spices are present through to the midway point. Then raisins and rich earth become noticeable with a creamy finish. The burn has been surprisingly good and the draw is perfect considering the ring gauge.

In the final third, there is spice on the front of the palate followed by coffee, leather and raisins with anise on the finish. A blend of spice remains in the retrohale.

This cigar was tasty although it wasn’t very complex. I’d consider it medium to medium-full in strength. The shape was interesting but not uncomfortable to smoke. I would definitely recommend using a double v cut as the draw was perfect. If you get the chance, I would recommend giving it a shot. I really enjoyed it.

Now I need a Toblerone!

If you’ve been following me on social media in the last few weeks, you may have noticed me smoking a bunch of cigars with a velvety chocolate brown wrapper and a band labeled “Dante”. This is a yet to be released cigar that I have enjoyed almost daily. The Dante is a boutique cigar rolled in Miami using some fine Aganorsa Leaf. It comes in five sizes: the Canto I: the Imp (4×44), Canto II: short Belicoso (4 1/2×52), Canto III: Robusto (5×52), Canto IV: Toro (6 1/2×52) and the Canto V: Asmodeus (5 1/2×46). They feature a San Andres Mexican Maduro wrapper and binder and filler from Esteli, Nicaragua. I have tried each size in multiples, but today I am bringing you a review of my favorite size: The Imp.

The wrapper is a rich chocolate brown. It is smooth, velvety with a slight sheen of natural oils. The aroma off the wrapper and foot is of earth, cocoa and hickory. The cold draw tastes of earth, cocoa, hay and natural tobacco. Immediate upon lighting, my tongue is met with the heat of pepper with a woody aftertaste. Pepper is the most powerful note as I continue to smoke with hints of cocoa and wood. Cinnamon remains to warming the palate mixed with an almost bready note. The smoke is very rich and warm.

Into the middle third, the spice balances out nicely. I notice a salty note amongst the pepper, leather and cocoa which adds to the heartiness. Cocoa and leather lingers in the aftertaste. The retrohale still spicy and rich. The smoke smells incredible.

In the remainder of the Imp, spice returns from start to finish of the draw mingling with cocoa and wood. The wood and leather notes evolve into a robust and savory flavor of hickory. It has a hint of sweetness too. The hickory begins to dominate the palate with pepper a very close second. These notes switch back and forth until the finish.

From the first Dante Canto I Imp that I smoked, my palate was wowed. The quality of leaf, construction and draw are impressive. This cigar nailed my palate perfectly. It’s very rich and hearty. It made me want to reach for the beef jerky and a nice smoky porter. This cigar is definitely full of flavor. I love how the pepper hits the palate in the beginning but balances to the savory smoky hickory in the finish. This cigar retails for 8-12 depending on size and in my opinion is worth every penny. For more information on Dante visit dantecigars.com

Wrapper: Shade Grown Nicaraguan Colorado

Binder: Ometepe, Nicaragua and Jamastran, Honduras

Filler: Esteli and Condega, Nicaragua

Size: Robusto (5×52)

Body: Medium to Full

Price: $7.45

Initial Observations: The brown Colorado wrapper is flawless with very few veins and they are all very small, making the wrapper appear seamless. There is no flaking, tearing or wrinkling of the tobacco. The aroma is very pleasant and creamy with notes of almond, earth and subtle hints of spice.

Cut: I used my Xikar to clip the very tip. It cut very easily and did not cause flaking or tearing of the wrapper.

Prelight Draw: The cold draw was predominately woody, hints of earth and again, creamy.

Toast and Burn: Perfect toast and burn using a single flame Xikar torch.

First Blush Puffs: Notes of wood are immediately present followed quickly with spice. Spice is very noticeable immediately in the smoke as well.

First Third: Rich wood, earth and spice wash over the palate in perfect balance. Each puff finishes with the warmth of spice ob the tongue and in the nostrils in the retrohale. The flavors remain consistent throughout the first third. The burn is absolutely perfect and the ash holds on past the first inch. The draw started slightly tight but opened up quickly as I continued smoking.

Second Third: As the second third opens up, leather and cream join the mix and the spice fades from the finish, leaving notes of wood to settle on the palate. The spice is still a major player in the complexities of the smoke, however. It warms the roof of the mouth throughout. At this point the ash was still holding on so I held my own little long ash contest. The ash dropped just minutes after I captured a photo, but thankfully it fell into the ashtray instead of my usual keyboard or lap drop. Around this time there were also sight imperfections in the burn but a few shallow puffs quickly fixed that.

Final Third: In the midst of the finale of this fen smoke, I start to pick up a bit of a sweet nutty flavor, almost almond-like. The wood and leather remain but the spice has settled considerably. I had to eventually get out my nubbier tool. I typically do not nub cigars but The Vault was just too good to put down. It finished perfectly.

Conclusions: If I had to pick one word to describe this cigar it would be “harmony”. The flavors married incredibly well to create an ideal medium-full bodied smoke. The blend was absolute perfection with a wide variety of notes that teased and pleased every part of my palate. I can honestly say that, after smoking several, this cigar is, hands down, my favorite to hit the market this year. There is nothing negative, in my opinion that can be said about any aspect of my smoking experience from the moment I picked it out of my humidor to my final puff. I greatly look forward to future blends from The Vault. If Blend A-008 is any indication of what is to come, The Torano Cigar Family must have a mass of cigar gems waiting to be enjoyed.

Wrapper: Habano

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Dominican/Nicaragua

Size: Intrepidus (6 by 52)

Strength: Medium

Price: Sample from Cremo Cigars

Initial Observations: The wrapper is a very smooth light brown leaf of good quality. It has no tears, sunspots or wrinkles. The wrapper and foot of the cigar bring notes of cedar, hay and a slight sweetness to the nostrils. The cold draw has the same light and creamy notes.

First Third: Wood and leather hit my palate in the first few puffs with a smooth sweet finish. I also notice a hint of cinnamon. The retrohale has a warm and wonderful cinnamon spice in the smoke. After about an inch, the spice becomes more noticeable on the palate as it intensifies, still finishing smooth with hints of wood, cream and leather.

Second Third: Cinnamon is noticeable on the front of the palate followed by wood and leather. The spice remains on the finish with a sweet and creamy finish. The smoke is warm and spicy but also creamy. The middle portion of this cigar is very well balanced.

Final Third: The cinnamon remains on the front of the palate, followed by leather and the notes of wood become more discernible as cedar. Coffee mingles on the finish with cream as well as a hint of cinnamon. The retrohale remains consistent with the cinnamon spice. These notes stay through the finish.

Conclusion: From start to finish, the Cremo Intrepidus was a wonderful smoke with its smooth, balanced complexities and wonderful tasting notes. It is a solid medium body cigar, smooth enough for a newbie but complex enough for a seasoned smoker. I look forward to getting my hands on more of these.