Name: Varadero Robusto

Country: Honduras

Shape: Parejo

Size: Robusto

Strength: Medium

I couldn’t find much about this cigar online. All I know is that it’s a cigar by Leonardo S.A.R.L called Varadero.

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Branding: Mediocre. There was nothing impressive about it and no story behind it. And there was nothing I could find online. A good cigar brand must have a good story.

Construction: Good.

Pre-light: Earthy. Woody.

Cut: Straight.

Burn: Burns slowly and evenly. I didn’t have any problems.

Duration: It’s a relatively short cigar, but it lasted for about an hour.

Draw: Firm draw.

Smoke: Okay.

Ash: Good.

Flavor: Hints of leather, earth, hazelnut, wood, and oak.

Name: Caldwell Eastern Standard The Cypress Room

Country: Dominican Republic

Shape: Parejo

Size: Toro (6 inches x 54)

Strength: Medium

This is the third Caldwell cigar that I try. But it’s the first time I try an Eastern Standard stick. Going with a Scotch seemed like a good choice, so I had a couple of glasses of Johnnie Walker Black Label with it. And, every now and then, I took a sip of sparkling water to reset my palate.

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Branding: I like how Caldwell uses faces on their cigar bands. It gives them a nice touch. I’m not a big fan of faces myself, but I like that they have a style.

Construction: Good. I usually prefer my cigars to be rolled a little firmer.

Pre-light: Fresh. Barnyard.

Cut: Straight.

Burn: Mostly even.

Duration: It’s a big cigar, but it burns fast. I was done in less than 60 minutes.

Draw: Good. Not too loose, but a little loose.

Smoke: It produced a decent amount of smoke.

Ash: Good.

Flavor: Nutty notes. Hints of oak, wood, light roast coffee.

Name: La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet Chisel

Country: Dominican Republic

Shape: Chisel

Size: 6 inches x 54

Strength: Full

Trying another LFD. This Cameroon Cabinet was paired with Monkey Shoulder whisky. Overall, it was a nice smoking experience. However, my taste buds prefer cigars like LFD’s Air Bender or the Double Ligero.

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Branding: It evoked images of a safari-type adventure. I imagined leather boots, cowboy hats, et cetera.

Construction: Good.

Pre-light: Promising an adventure.

Cut: Straight cut. I can’t imagine cutting a chisel-shaped cigar differently.

Burn: Mostly even. Had to use the lighter a couple of times to tame the burn.

Duration: 75 minutes.

Draw: Good. No problems.

Smoke: Good.

Ash: Good.

Flavor: Notes of wood, pink peppercorn, hay.