Blind Review: Camacho Corojo
The year was 1961 when Simon Camacho got evicted from Cuba. He decided to settle down in Miami and open its first cigar factory there. While relocating to Miami, he was able to bring some Corojo Cuban tobacco seeds with him, which gave the unique Cuban accent to his cigars. And thus, the birth of the Camacho brand.
The Eiroa family purchased the Camacho brand five years after the passing of Simon in 1995 and became part of the vanguard of the 90’s cigar boom.
Camacho was bought out again in 2008, and this time, it got taken over by Davidoff. Nothing happened with the brand until 2013 when Camacho got a whole facelift, which included new brands and boxes, a new philosophy, and new blends. With all the latest updates to their brand, the Corojo line is still one of the most celebrated in their repertoire. Here is a link to their website to learn more about the origin of the Corojo seeds and the Camacho history.
Blend Specifics
- Cigar Reviewed: Camacho Corojo
- Wrapper: Honduras Corojo
- Binder: Honduras Corojo Ligero
- Filler: Honduras
- Size: Robusto (5″x50)
Appearance & Construction
Even at first glance, I can tell the cigar was expertly constructed. The caramel latte-colored wrapper is soft yet solid to the touch. A few veins run throughout the wrapper, and the seam is visible. But by touch, I can only feel a smooth surface.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
Off the wrapper, I get the scent of beef jerky and apricot with white pepper off the foot of the cigar. On the cold draw, the nuance mirrors the foot, and I get tart apricot and pepper spice sneaking onto the tip of my tongue.
I decided to use my St. Dupont Hooked single jet lighter. But I immediately switched over to matches when I witnessed the flame on the lighter was too intense for the delicate wrapper. I then take my first puff and get a slight bitterness in the smoke, which might’ve been the jet lighters fault. Looking past that, I notice the pepper spice created a sensation on the front of my tongue that I can only describe as eating pop rocks. Along with that, I also got cedarwood, dry hay, and creamy butter. On the retrohale, I get buttery sunflower seeds, maple syrup, and intense black pepper spice. The construction of this cigar stays true to my initial assessment, where the burn line is even. The airflow is perfect, with 7 out of 10 on the restrictiveness and the ash holds onto the cigar seamlessly.
Halfway into the cigar, the ash decides to plunge into the ashtray as the flavors become savory. My mouth salivates with each puff as I get toasted pine nuts, buttery cedarwood, and red pepper spice. The retrohale becomes even more inviting with cedarwood, tan leather, and sweet maple syrup. The intensity of the pepper spice has been reduced to where it stimulates my senses just enough without being overwhelmed. The aftertaste on this cigar is quite festive with sweet roasted nuts and stone fruits.
There isn’t much change in the final third. The cigar is buttery, with roasted pine nuts, cedarwood, and tan leather. The retrohale is still engaging with its festive flavors of roasted nuts, sweet caramel, and red pepper spice. In the end, I couldn’t think of another perfect way to end this smoking experience.
Conclusion
The Camacho Corojo should be a standard of a good premium cigar. The flavors are uncomplicated, and the profile has been on a medium to a medium-plus. The combination of roasted pine nuts, cedarwood, and spice makes me want to keep puffing on the cigar. Lastly, the construction of this cigar was outstanding. The burn line was even throughout the whole smoke; it was easy to draw, and the ash held on for more than an inch each time before resetting. I believe the Camacho Corojo can be an introductory cigar for a novice who doesn’t mind a little spice.