Cigar: CAO America Landmark
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro and Natural
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Italian, and American
Binder: ?
Vitola: Landmark (super toro) 6x60
Price: About $10 at my B&M, but that was awhile ago. He was currently out of stock, probably due to the 4th of July holiday.
Setting: Sun room, about 5:30pm, and about 80 degrees out. Pairing with a Barq's root beer.
Pre-light: The cigar has been resting in my humidor since last fall. It's a very pretty cigar. A bit large for my liking, I prefer smaller ring gauges. The pinstripe effect of the wrapper is attractive if a tad uneven. The wrapper has some medium size veins and a couple patches. The label is pretty, nice and loose which I really like in a cigar and the foot label came off easily. Cut was easy and the prelight draw was nice with a touch of hay taste to it.
First third: Well, off to a bit of an uneven start, but I always have a hard time getting these large ring gauge cigars lit. The first tastes are kinda sweet with lots of smoke and nice looking zebra striped ash. Burn line is a bit thick and wavy but I kinda expected that with the double wrap. Flavors are mostly just tobacco, kinda nutty with a hint of wood to it. The intensity of flavors is kinda on the medium side as well. The ash stayed firm with no flakiness to about the inch and a half mark where it decided to drop in my lap. The smoke is nice and thick and medium in body.
Second third: Right as I was finishing up the first third the maduro wrapper decided to come apart at the head. Luckily with the double wrap I just peeled a part off and still had the natural wrapper hanging tough. Flavors in the second third are staying pretty much the same, with maybe an increase in the nuttiness. The body is picking up just a tad, but still well in the medium range. The draw througout the cigar has been just about perfect with a slight resistance but producing plenty of smoke. As I get toward the end of the second third the flavor is getting a leather taste along with the nuttiness and the body is picking up even more. Burn continues to be wavy but nothing that needs correction.
Final third: Well, once I took the label off the whole maduro wrapper wanted to unravel but I was able to keep it together for awhile. The flavors are picking up in intensity a bit and the body is getting into the medium/full range, but the flavors are staying pretty consistent. As I got to the last couple inches a bit of bitterness came up. I tried purging but it remained. Not a lot, just enough to feel on the back of the tounge. I finally ditched the cigar with about an inch left at the hour and thirty mark.
Final thoughts: This was a very large, and minus the wrapper issue it seemed very well made. Overall not a bad smoke, but just not my taste. I don't think I'll be having another but I wouldn't hesitate to reccommend one to someone who likes the woody leathery taste.
Like it: Eh, it was OK, but not my flavor.
Buy again: Probably not
Reccommend it: Sure, if they like that particular flavor.
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro and Natural
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Italian, and American
Binder: ?
Vitola: Landmark (super toro) 6x60
Price: About $10 at my B&M, but that was awhile ago. He was currently out of stock, probably due to the 4th of July holiday.
Setting: Sun room, about 5:30pm, and about 80 degrees out. Pairing with a Barq's root beer.
Pre-light: The cigar has been resting in my humidor since last fall. It's a very pretty cigar. A bit large for my liking, I prefer smaller ring gauges. The pinstripe effect of the wrapper is attractive if a tad uneven. The wrapper has some medium size veins and a couple patches. The label is pretty, nice and loose which I really like in a cigar and the foot label came off easily. Cut was easy and the prelight draw was nice with a touch of hay taste to it.
First third: Well, off to a bit of an uneven start, but I always have a hard time getting these large ring gauge cigars lit. The first tastes are kinda sweet with lots of smoke and nice looking zebra striped ash. Burn line is a bit thick and wavy but I kinda expected that with the double wrap. Flavors are mostly just tobacco, kinda nutty with a hint of wood to it. The intensity of flavors is kinda on the medium side as well. The ash stayed firm with no flakiness to about the inch and a half mark where it decided to drop in my lap. The smoke is nice and thick and medium in body.
Second third: Right as I was finishing up the first third the maduro wrapper decided to come apart at the head. Luckily with the double wrap I just peeled a part off and still had the natural wrapper hanging tough. Flavors in the second third are staying pretty much the same, with maybe an increase in the nuttiness. The body is picking up just a tad, but still well in the medium range. The draw througout the cigar has been just about perfect with a slight resistance but producing plenty of smoke. As I get toward the end of the second third the flavor is getting a leather taste along with the nuttiness and the body is picking up even more. Burn continues to be wavy but nothing that needs correction.
Final third: Well, once I took the label off the whole maduro wrapper wanted to unravel but I was able to keep it together for awhile. The flavors are picking up in intensity a bit and the body is getting into the medium/full range, but the flavors are staying pretty consistent. As I got to the last couple inches a bit of bitterness came up. I tried purging but it remained. Not a lot, just enough to feel on the back of the tounge. I finally ditched the cigar with about an inch left at the hour and thirty mark.
Final thoughts: This was a very large, and minus the wrapper issue it seemed very well made. Overall not a bad smoke, but just not my taste. I don't think I'll be having another but I wouldn't hesitate to reccommend one to someone who likes the woody leathery taste.
Like it: Eh, it was OK, but not my flavor.
Buy again: Probably not
Reccommend it: Sure, if they like that particular flavor.