Indian Tabac Super Fuerte maduro toro

I've tried two maduro versions of the IT Super Fuerte -- the mini bellicoso and the toro -- and found them both lacking in comparison with the excellent habano-wrapped robustos.

The mini belicoso had a tight draw and tasted chalky and nondescript.

The super fuerte toro had an excellent burn and draw, and a leafy, peaty flavor that lacked nuance and bordered on cloying muskiness. If you like earthiness, chalk, clay, grassfires, pimento and the like, you might actually love the toro. It's just too far toward that end of the spectrum for my taste.

The toro is a decent cheap smoke that behaves like one. Power without subtlety, and a one-dimensional flavor that quickly feels flat and wears you out by midpoint. On the other hand I recognize this is one of those hard-to-pin down cigars that might get high ratings by other Rocky fans whose palates vary slightly from my own.

I'm unable to recommend, but unwilling to dismiss, the maduro I.T. Super Fuertes. Maybe Rocky will improve them in the next year or two.

Delicate but Rewarding: Rocky Patel ITC 10th Anniversary Torpedo

I've noticed that box prices for the RP ITC 10th Anniversary have fallen dramatically since the line was first introduced. Like others who avidly follow the Rocky Patel brand you might wonder if this is because the ITC 10th is a bad-tasting cigar.

The answer is no. The RP ITC 10th Anniversary torpedo, like the robusto which I reviewed last year, is a nice full-bodied, medium strength cigar with a lush draw and pleasantly doughy flavor profile.

The problem - and the reason I think people aren't buying this cigar - is that the wrapper is exceedingly delicate and flaky. On both cigars I smoked, there was flaking immediately after I removed it from the plastic sheath. The head also tends to unravel if you're not tender with it. Fortunately in neither case did the flaking interefere with the draw or enjoyment of the cigar. It just looked crappy and required very careful handling.

The ITC 10th anniversary is now quite a bargain, and a great smoking experience if you are willing compensate for the flaws. This means you shouldn't smoke it in cold or breezy weather, but in a place where you can be calm and relatively motionless. Don't jam it in your mouth and start mowing the lawn.

Also be careful when taking the cigar out of the plastic wrapping -- I'd recommend cutting away the plastic carefully with scissors, rather than pushing the cigar out through one end. If you can manage to store this cigar at higher humidity (maybe 73 percent) it might offset some of the delicacy.

If you are a Rocky fan and are willing to live with some constructional inadequacies, you are in for one of the best 3 dollar smokes around. In flavor I would compare this to Pepin Garcia Series JJ (though not quite as good or strong), Padilla Achilles (much better) and of course Rocky's own Indian Tabac Classic corojo line (with none of the bite and much more complexity and nuance).

In summary - even though it is "high maintenance" and will never win a beauty contest, the ITC 10th Anniversary torpedo is a scrumptious smoke. At current low prices, you have little to lose in trying one.
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Padilla Miami Churchill - Dark Medium Finesse

Padilla Maimi offers an excellent narrow Churchill, dark and beautifully constructed. It lights quickly and proceds with a fine open draw. The flavor is a rather straightforward woody/leathery maduro, with plenty of rich, balanced smoke that never turns harsh or bitter. The burn is not perfect but with an occasional slight touchup stays whole from beginning to end. The cigar smokes well all the way to the nub.   As for the flavor, I find the 5 Vegas Miami -- also blended by Pepin Garcia -- a bit more interesting. However the Padilla Miami Churchill begins in peak form and continues that way for the full length of the cigar, never veering off into a dull or jarring puff This is simply an excellent medium-bodied cigar with substantial complexity and subtlety. It is well worth the 5 bucks I paid for it online.   Some people are winning these for $3 apiece on cigarbid, which is an absolute steal. Worth trying and, if you like maduros, it might become one of your favorites.

Disappointing Box of CAO Italia Novella

About a year ago I won a box of 25 CAO Italia Novellas (i.e. petite corona size) in a cigarbid auction. I had smoked 5 of these before and found them to be incredibly full, rich and flavorful and thus unusual for their small size.

My excitement about this blend has dulled since then. Out of the 25 cigars in the box, 10 were prohibitively tight in draw. Out of those 10, five were wrapped so tight as to be completely unsmokable. The other 15 were excellent, as I expected.

To my mind, 15 out of 25 is a poor batting average for a box of expensive cigars. Luckily I won them for only $55.00, because their list price has skyrocketed since then - a whopping $116.00 at Famous!

I am wary of ever buying these again - even though when correctly rolled, they are one of my favorite cigars.

Carlos Torano 1916 Corona

It's been more than two years since I smoked a Carlos Torano 1916 Cameroon Corona. I gave it a good review the first time, and now after a second try I can simply say that it is one of the best coronas you will currently find at ANY price on the market.

Slightly reminiscent of an H. Upmann cameroon corona - but infinitely better. Better-performing than the Rocky Patel Vintage 90 or 92 petite coronas (sorry Rocky!). As zesty as a Tatuaje Havana IV Angeles- but more refined and half the price. As full-flavored as an Indian Tabac maduro tepee - but better tasting and well worth the extra buck. As tasty as an Alec Bradley Maxx Nano - but cooler and more complex. And certainly, hands-down better-drawing and tasting than the two underwhelming Cuban coronas smoked by my friend Hank in Germany a year ago.

Although small in ring size, this cigar delivers a wallop of flavor. Medium in strength, it tastes great from first light and continues to billow you through realms of ecstasy until the last inch. The profile is nutty with hints of caramel, fruit and hard wood.

In narrow-ring cigars you are right to expect a bit of fiery zing. In the 1916 corona, the zing is in evidence but not overpowering. It gives you the initial rush of a small cigar and then eases back and builds in character over time. Folks, this smokes like a big cigar. Or very darned close. And, since it is 5.5 inches long, it lasts for an hour, or just about as long as a fat robusto.

You are a fool not to try this cigar. At $69 for a box of 25, this is likely one of the best 3 dollar smokes you will ever encounter. Give 'er a try and see if you agree.

Nice! RP Edge Corojo toro

Wow, what a pleasantly strong and sweet surprise! Rocky Patel The Edge corojo (toro) is nothing fancy to look at, but boy is it an excellent smoke. Great, powerful flavor and cool easy draw. If you close your eyes, you could swear you were smoking a maduro - there's a tell-tale tinge of sweetness, not cloying at all, but just right - that takes this cigar over the top.

I'm putting this very close to the Olde World corojo robusto in terms of quality. The Edge sells at a much lower price point - incredible bang for the buck.

On a side note - I must say that I first tried an Edge corojo toro a few months ago, and that stick was simply awful. A dry and bitter flavor, not enjoyable at all. So there may be consistency issues, or just poor humidification at the CI warehouse. Or my taste buds might have been off that day. It happens occasionally - you try 2 or 3 cigars and none of them tastes right. A week later, a cigar from the same pack tastes wonderful.

In sumary: One excellent Edge corojo toro, one horrible Edjge corojo toro. I would hope that the positive experience described in this review is the definitive one.
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5 Vegas Miami Churchill: Best of the Bunch

Of all the 5 Vegas Miami sizes, the narrow (48 ring) Churchill is the best. It has a perfect draw (easy but not loose), a pleasing aroma, and excellent medium-strength favor from beginning to end.

In my experience most Churchills, especially the thicker-ringed ones, waste the first inch warming up. You might as well buy yourself a Toro and save yourself the wait. I've had better luck with 48-ring Churchills, which are easier to light and tend to bring on the flavor right away.

Case in point is the 5 Vegas Miami, whose Churchill offers a wonderful combination of woody, spicy flavors - a nice warm broth which gets slightly stronger as you smoke away the inches. High performance and no bitterness to the very end - another outstanding feature, since many Churchills tend to peter out with two or three inches to go.

You can tell I'm not a Churchill fan. Which goes to show just how special the 5 Vegas Churchill is. It won me over despite my preconceived notions.

If you have never tried a 5 Vegas Miami, start with the Churchills, which capture the best flavor characteristics of the other sizes and are superior in construction and burn. The Churchill stands up to other medium-strength Pepin Garcia blends, and is more affordable than most of them.

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RP I-Press: Earthy as it Gets

You never know what to expect with a Rocky. I figured the RP I-Press would be a subdued smoke due to its length and the fact that it is box-pressed.

Not so. This is a powerful maduro cigar with a strong flavor kick. Question is whether you will enjoy this particular flavor, which I would describe as deep, stark and earthy, and just on the border of souring into charcoal.

You may love this cigar or hate it, depending on your tolerance for peat, yard-leaf and the like. It has a coarse, middle-brow quality rather than one of refinement. If you are in a coal-shoveling, stoke-up-the-furnace kind of mood, it might just be what you're looking for.

Compares favorably to:

• Cu-Avana Intenso
• Quintero maduro robusto
• Indian Tabac maduro toro (the I-Press is superior)
• 5 Vegas Cask Strength II

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5 Vegas Cask Strength II

The naming convention of this cigar is accurate: The 5 Vegas Cask Strength II is a rollicking, heavy cigar which I would describe as relentlessly strong and gravelly. What it lacks (slightly) in the flavor department, it makes up for in full-body mouth feel and hazmat-grade cloud production. It is simply a pleasure once in a while to smoke a cigar this bombastic.

This cigar is intense and unvarying from beginning to end. By the last inch, it was almost too much. I love strength and it takes a lot to humble me. By the end, I was relieved to put it down, like a kid getting off a carnival ride that turned out out to be a bit more than he reckoned for.

That's not to say I didn't like this cigar. It was wonderful on its own rough-hewn terms. You will probably find something to like about the Cask Strength II if you have enjoyed any of the following:

• Graycliff Espresso & Double Espresso
• Cu-Avana Intenso
• Rocky Patel I-Press toro
• Rocky Patel Super Fuerte maduro toro

I like some of these cigars more than others (especially the Graycliffs) but they all share body and flavor characteristics that I found to some degree in the Cask Strength II.

Happy trails. Don't be surprised if this horse kicks you in the ass.