The Torano Exodus 1959 50 Year is the first in the FineTobaccoNYC Fall Cigar Review Schedule. I have to admit, in the past I have been underwhelmed by Torano Cigars, so I was excited to try something new and see if this blend could offer something substantially new. I smoked two of these cigars for this review, and, not to give everything away, but I wouldn’t mind another box or two to have on reserve. This is, simply put, a fantastic blend. But more details below.
Blend Specifics
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca Sungrown
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Esteli & Pueblo Nuevo Nicaragua
Appearance & Construction
This cigar sports an orange-gold band featuring the Torano coat of arms. The wrapper is a beautiful chocolate brown that blankets the box-pressed vitola. A few veins, but nothing out of the ordinary. Off of the foot I smell leather, coffee, and a slight granola.
Taste & Smoke Characteristics
Boom. Flavor! This cigar wastes no time in getting started. Tons of smoke are produced from the perfect draw, revealing coffee, cinnamon (trademark Torano, in my opinion), subtle spices (there are more than one) and prominent dark chocolate notes.
In the second third, many of the same notes, though the medium bodied intensity draws back slightly and the texture smooths itself out. The final third heats up a bit, but interestingly did not detract from the enjoyment of the smoke. Near the end of the stick, I get one more surprise: the dark chocolate notes become distinctly milk-chocolate in flavor.
I was sad to put this cigar down.
Conclusion
There is no way around it: this is my favorite Torano blend to date. It is complex, subtle, powerful, and smooth all at the same time. It delivers loads of flavor while not breaking the bank. Do yourself a favor and give the 50 year a try.
The first time I got one of these in my hand was from Tim a young man I met at the IPCPR who kept talking about this brand he was working with based out of NJ. The whole time I’m like blah blah, whatever man, because you hear this speech from everybody. I smoke everything it doesn’t have to be a full bodied powerhouse with loads of spice, leather, coffee, etc . to be a good cigar. Case in point Hoja de Flores! So here I am at the Miami cigar after party (thanks to Nestor, and Renee) With my 2 younger brothers having some rum, and Tim comes over and says what’s up!? “I need a cigar right now man” I said promptly. “ I got you Dave” Tim reaches into his bag and pulls out 3 Toros. I cut it light and from the first puff I knew I was smoking something good, very good actually. Here is the blend:
Review Hoja De Flores Vitola: Toro Wrapper: Criollo 98 Binder: DR Filler: DR
With hints of spice, earth, but the overall character is smooth with vanilla undertones. Damn it was good! The aroma had a lot to do with that as well, this cigar along with the Turei by Hispaniola and a few others are what I see the future of cigar smoking becoming. Quality, flavor, aroma, construction are more important than strength, power, every time. So check out Hoja de Flores you will not be disappointed.
Thunder is a blend by Rocky Patel Cigars, and particularly Nimish Patel. I had the opportunity to meet Nimish at the Rocky Patel event at Studio Sq. That event is also where I received this stick for review. As far as pairings go, I paired this stick with Jameson triple-distilled whiskey, some Esperanza Spalding jazz, and some interesting weather that developed halfway through the smoke.
The wrapper on this cigar is a rich, dark brown that is very inviting. The color of the Habano wrapper pairs incredibly well with the green, black, gold, and white label. As an Oregonian, this reminds me of a nice foresty color theme that I appreciate. The cigar is packed very well, triple capped, and has a nice layer of oiliness. The draw is a bit tight, but from what I understand this is not typical of the blend.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Off of the foot of this cigar are notes of granola, manure, cedar, and coffee. The stick kicks off with a medium to full body smoke that features spice, pepper, coffee, and caramel. At about an inch in, the cigar develops a bit and the flavors become very “Patel.” Notes of coffee, dark chocolate, a caramel texture, and something distinctively fruity. In fact, I identified the fruit later as cherry and… pears! I’m not the only reviewer to notice a fleeting fruity note.
By the second third, it’s clear that this cigar will have some consistent burn problems, which other reviewers have also noted. Then again, the burn problem could be a partial result of the literal thunder that rolled in. Sitting outside in New Jersey for the weekend smoking, a big storm rolled in, flashes of lightning everywhere, and thunder too (pictured below).
Notes in the second third of this cigar included dark chocolate & wood. The caramely texture completely dropped off, revealing a much more earthy texture. As the smoke progresses, the chocolate becomes more and more bitter, which pairs nicely with the woody notes.
The final third was, unfortunately, quite a bit hotter than the rest of the cigar, and the bitterness of the chocolate became a bit overpowering, as did the earthy texture.
Conclusion
This is a cigar to try, but be aware that you will likely have some burn issues. This is a full bodied smoke – definitely not for beginners. It certainly doesn’t showcase my favorite flavor profile, but it was a unique and enjoyable smoke.
I’ve been excited to review the Domus Magnus for quite some time. As a cigar, I view it something like the Colorado’s younger brother – not as much strength, but still very enjoyable and it bears resemblance to its older sibling. I purchased and smoked this cigar at The Cigar Inn (53rd st. location). With the cigar I paired a cup of coffee from the bodega across the street on 52nd.
Blend Specifics
Wrapper: Nicaragua Sun Grown Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua
Top bandFoot band
Appearance & Construction
This cigar tends to be very springy to the touch. As a result, the draw tends to be a bit loose – which I really enjoy. The cigar delivers loads of smoke, and I can’t complain about that. Other than that, the box pressed cigar sports a rich brown Nicaraguan Sun Grown wrapper, and the pig tail wrap on the head ads a nice touch. Off the foot are scents of wood and bread.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The Domus Magnus kicks off much milder than I would have expected right after smoking the Colorado. After the first few puffs though, the cigar really opens up with notes of wood, toasted bread, and chocolate. Very notable as well is just how smooth and cool the smoke is. As the reviewer at acigarsmoker.com rightly points out, there is also a discernable tartness in the profile as well.
The first half of the cigar was excellent – up until the point that I dropped a huge load of ash and put a big red burn on my hand. I can’t exactly blame Casa Magna for that though!
Right around the halfway point, the tartness (bordering now on bitterness) becomes a bit more prominent, which pairs nicely with the coffee notes. The strength of the cigar is also picking up.
The final third of this stick gets really interesting. The body of the smoke grows, and a really enjoyable spice is present on the tip of my tongue and in the retrohale. Smoke off the foot also has a nice savory note to it, confirming that this is a great complex cigar.
Conclusion
Casa Magna remains one of my all time favorite brands. This cigar is smooth, complex, and flavorful. At $12-$15, it is a bit pricey, but it is well worth it. I highly recommend picking up a five-pack.
Since coming under the management of Michael Herklotz (formerly of Davidoff), the Nat Sherman Townhouse has become something of a second home to me. The selection is fantastic, there is more seating than ever before (minus access to the Johnson lounge downstairs), and the staff is knowledgable and friendly. So when I asked what was new, a gentleman kindly pointed out the new Bench Collection cigars. The first such cigar up for review is the L-IDD, which, from La Aurora, sports a unique Indonesian wrapper that I’m excited to smoke.
La Aurora, the Dominican Republic’s oldest cigar factory, has teamed up with Nat Sherman to offer two very special cigars to the Tobacconist’s loyal customers at their Flagship Townhouse Store.
These cigars were manufactured in 2007 in their Dominican factory. The blends were part of the development of the La Aurora Excepcionales, a cigar made exclusively available to a small group of New York City retailers.
“We had three blends we really liked”, said Michael Herklots, who worked closely with La Aurora’s Manuel Inoa on the project. “Ultimately we chose a blend for the Excepcionales, but there were two other blends that we really liked and decided to make a very small production of them to use sometime in the future.” On a recent visit to La Aurora, Herklots inquired about the small production of the other two blends. And, fortunately for Nat Sherman, they were resting in the company’s vast aging room.
La Aurora agreed to make the small amount of cigars avialable for Nat Sherman’s exclusive Bench Collection- a series of small production cigars that use harder-to-get tobaccos in more artisenal style blends.
Both cigars are available in limited quantities boxes of 20 cigars
Blend Specifics
Vitola: Lancero
Size: 6.5″ x 40
Wrapper: Indonesian
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Appearance & Construction
This is not the most beautiful cigar my eyes have ever beheld. There are a few blotches on the Indonesian wrapper, and the color is (unsurprisingly) not quite like most cigars – sort of a light brown with a slightly reddish hue. The band, with the traditional Nat Sherman color scheme, says Nat Sherman “Bench”.
Otherwise, the construction is pretty much flawless, there are minimal viens, the wrapper is slightly oily, and the city is springy to the touch. After using a straight cut on the triple capped head, I find the draw to be about average.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Before lighting this cigar, I take a whiff of the foot of the cigar. Apparent is a sort of woody smell, and something else that I can’t quite put my finger on and am hoping shows up a bit more discernably when I light.
The second the smoke touches my lips, I’m tasting a very unique and powerful sweetness that I haven’t experienced in any cigar I can remember. It is also, delicious, with tinges of milk chocolate, butter, and the slightest tanginess on the retrohale.
As I hit the second third, a few things are apparent. First, the ash has a hard time staying put – it burns perfectly straight, but tends to fall quickly. Second, the wrapper is delivering lots of flavor with this vitola. The strength of the smoke continues to build, making sure I don’t get bored with this cigar.
The final third sees the body and strength of the smoke increase, and the retrohale gets significantly more spicy.
Conclusion
The Nat Sherman Bench L-IDD is a cigar worthy of the Nat Sherman name. I found it to be complex and very flavorful, mostly thanks to the lancero vitola. It isn’t a cigar I would smoke every day, partially because the flavor profile isn’t one that I typically smoke, but it is a great morning cigar. Pick up a few of these before they are all gone!
