Release Date: February 2021
Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
The CAO Arcana Mortal Coil has a couple of layers of shine happening; the copper on the band does a good job catching the eye, but the wrapper leaf has an impressive amount of oiliness to it that does that job as well. It’s an interesting combination of colors between the dark, meaty brown of the wrapper and then the black and copper of the band, one that seems to play better when the wrapper leaf is on the darker side of the scale. There’s a ton of tooth and a couple of small veins to the leaf, the former a bit more impressive should you take the time to look at it closely. The first sample has what feels to be a real soft spot right at the midpoint, though I’m also wondering if the band might have something to do with it as it seems thicker than a typical band. The cap also looks to be more heavily applied than in other cigars; the seams stand out both due to some color contrast and some jagged cuts of the
Release Date: November 2020
Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
The Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2 is covered in a deep, dark brown wrapper that is extremely rough to the touch and also includes a number of major veins as well as plenty of oil. It is fairly hard when squeezed, but the soft box-press is a very nice visual touch. Aroma from the foot and wrapper is a combination of peanut shells, sweet earth, leather, barnyard, hay and oak, while the cold draw brings flavors of creamy oak, leather, earth, clay, espresso beans, almonds and a touch of floral sweetness.
I am taken aback by the first 10 puffs or so of the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary, as a punishing combination of aggressive black pepper on the retrohale and spice on my tongue almost blows my head off whenever I try to retrohale. Thankfully, both die down fairly quickly, leaving behind distinct flavors of freshly brewed black coffee and leather as the dominant combination, followed closely by notes of cre
Release Date: December 2020
Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
Visually, the Alec & Bradley Kintsugi Corona Gorda is covered in a dark brown wrapper that has a bit of tooth, but very few overt veins or signs of oil. On this particular vitola the two bands take up more than half of the available real estate of the cigar and it is nicely spongy when squeezed. Aroma from the wrapper is a combination of sweet hay, milk chocolate, sweet cedar, manure, leather, barnyard, earth and honey, while the cold draw brings flavors of strong floral and dark chocolate, along with espresso beans, hay, leather, bread, white pepper, cedar and a distinct candied pecan sweetness.
Release Date: November 2020
Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
My first thought is that I really wish this cigar wasn’t this big. I know that it’s going to be a long afternoon, and this is the first of three cigars I will smoke for the review. As is often the case with cigars of this size, the wrapper isn’t as flawless as a normal Davidoff robusto. There are some veins and wrapper stretching, the latter of which is a bit odd for a Davidoff. The aroma from the wrapper is a medium-plus mixture of barnyard, birdseed, and a salty broth flavor. The foot is medium-full with a sweeter profile that includes raisins, root beer, caramel and minor amounts of barnyard. There’s an even sweeter cold draw with notes of cherry cola, peanuts, syrup and a generic fruitiness.
Release Date: November 2020
Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
Covered in a gorgeous milk chocolate brown wrapper that has quite a bit of tooth, the CAO Vision features numerous veins running up and down its length. There is very little noticeable oil present and one sample has a small soft spot located halfway between the main band and foot band. The aroma from the wrapper and foot is a combination of sweet cedar, cocoa nibs, leather, barnyard, hay, earth and graham cracker sweetness, while the cold draw is full of cocoa nibs, cedar, sourdough bread, cinnamon, espresso beans, hay and indeterminate sweetness.