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Ok I know I’ve been slacking on the reviews, but I managed to sneak in a little vacation time before the arrival of our 2nd kid.  So I thought I’d get back into the swing of things by reviewing a very well regarded cigar, the Carlos Torano Signature Collection Toro.

First thing I really noticed with the neatness of this cigar.  It had great lines, a firm feel, and no blemishes.  Actually I went through the box and saw an entire box of perfectly rolled cigars.  That doesn’t often happen.  It has a good Maduro color to it, and has a rich, but not overpowering aroma to it.

It measures at 6 inches with a 50 ring gauge.  It’s listed as a medium to full body smoke with a Brazilian Maduro wrapper, broadleaf binder, and filler made of Dominican Cubano Ligero and Nicaraguan Habano Ligero.

Lighting & First Taste:

It lit up rather easy, and had a very smooth start to it.  It was very earthy/wood, but had a subtle sweetness to it.  Definitely felt like a medium body at this point, but I knew Carlos Torano likes to make their sticks complex, so I was anxious to see what was next.

Smoking The Cigar:

Coming close to the middle of the cigar, the complexity definitely kicked up.  The pairing of leather and a dark creamy coffee was a great combination, and it had a hint of a spicy pepper that made you remember you’re smoking a Maduro.  At this point, I was definitely impressed by this cigar.  You often get complex cigars, but they tend to either overpower your senses or get a little harsh edge to it.  This cigar wasn’t doing either.  Kudos to the Carlos Torano R&D team on this one.

The Finish:

I started to realize towards the end how well constructed this cigar was.  I had a very smooth drawl the entire way through, it had an incredibly even burn without me having to manipulate it, and the ash stayed on really well.  I never once felt the drawl diminish or needed to adjust for taste.  The pepper sensation started to gain strength, but the earthy tone was there with a sweetness side on it.  Great way to end it!

Band & Packaging:

Packaging was great as I saw no flaws in any of the cigars in the box.  The cream colored bands enhanced the dark wrapper and was quite eye catching.  The bands came off with no problem, and did not blemish the wrapper in any way.

Rating:

9.0 out of 10 puffs