Review of El Mejor Espresso Gordo

The El Mejor Espresso Gordo is a short (4.5 inch) fat (60 ring) box-pressed cigar that displays as the same deep, rich flavor as the other vitolas in this series--if you are lucky enough to get one that's rolled well enough to smoke.

I've smoked three and they were all constructed horribly. The first two had uneven draw and burn, with center tunneling so badly I had to let them go out. The wrapper seemed made of some fire-proof substance - it just wouldn't burn. I cut both of them back and started over. At the halfway point, they finally burned properly.

The third one, however, was a real doozy. It fired up OK. But after about 5 puffs the burn wormed its way deep into the cigar and came out the side of the wrapper - a big fiery knothole of ruin. You cannot smoke a cigar with a hole burning in its side. This is the kind of cigar you would get in hell, for torture, if hell came with cigars. The devil would laugh his head off as you puffed in futility and sank back into the burning morass from which you had crawled in hopes of a decent smoke.

Because of these three rather hellish experiences, it's hard for me to recommend the gordo. If you happen to be stuck with any, I'd suggest dry-boxing for a few days before you light up. I left one half-smoked in my garage, came back out a few days later, cut it back and finished it off. I was amazed at how good the last two inches were. 

The flavor really is remarkable for a cigar this cheap, but too bad about the construction. The other vitolas in my experience are better-rolled and provide the easy draw which makes for an exciting, inexpensive smoke.

Warning: All the El Mejor Espressos are strong and NOT complex or subtle. Either you will love them or find them harsh and punishing. Try one before you buy a box. If you don't like strength, stay away.

El Mejor Espresso toro

The El Mejor Espresso toro is just as good as the Churchill. Great bang for the buck, easy draw, satisfying strength, flavor reminiscent of Oliva Series G maduro, Graycliff Espresso, and 5 Vegas Cask Strength II.

Yes, I said Oliva. Yes, Graycliff. Just as good as those venerable brands? Of course not. But drink a couple beers, squint, and hum a few bars of "Hail to the Chief" and you might convince yourself you're the King of Siam through the hazy smoke and nicotine delirium.

El Mejor kicks butt. Period. It is one of those mythological 2 dollar cigars that taste good at first light, get stronger in the middle, and keep it up to the nub if you can stomach that much strength. The holy grail of on-your-ass cheapies. The value-buyer's Shangri-la. The unicorn of the tightwad. The Emerald City at the end of the yellow brick road, after you've tried a dozen crappy slumdogs that were overhyped by the wordsmiths at Cigars International. No, Dorothy, it's not a dream.

If you want a strong, cheap cigar that tastes good for at least 3 inches before turning rancid, buy these before the prices go up or flying monkeys swoop in and grab them all.

Great Low-Buck Stogie: El Mejor Espresso Churchill

The El Mejor Espresso Churchill is a nice box-pressed Churchill that's dark and mean-looking and, last time I checked, available for the low price of about $45 a box online. Friends of mine are winning these like mad on cigarbid, and so I managed to get my greedy hands on one.

This is not a bad cigar for the price. In fact it would even be a decent cigar at twice the price - this time the marketing catalogs aren't lying.

The one I tried had a perfect draw and smooth, potent maduro flavor right off the bat. It reminded me of the lower-end Padron maduros (londres, ambassador, etc). Somewhat sweet, woody and salty, the flavor got more intense as the cigar burned down, maintaining quality until about the last third, which is about the most you can expect from a Churchill. The burn was a bit jagged and needed a touch-up or two, but I've had expensive Camachos that burned worse.

Worth a try. You might find yourself buying a whole box when you're done.