Name: Liga Privada 10 Selección de Mercado Toro Country: Nicaragua Shape: Parejo Size: Toro (6 inches x 52) Strength: Medium
A cigar that can be compared to the Liga Privada 10 Aniversario. Only this one was a little smoother, i.e., easier to smoke. It’s medium-bodied, produces a generous amount of smoke, and comes with notes of coffee, wood, and pepper.
Overall, although it may look a little rugged and unattractive, it is an enjoyable smoke. Its beauty is in its personality.
I think my wife liked it more than I did, and she’ll probably smoke more of these. Personally, I prefer the stronger Liga Privada cigars like the H99, the No. 9, and the T52. But I wouldn’t mind smoking the Liga Privada 10 Selección de Mercado again (and again).
Name: Blackened M81 Toro Country: Nicaragua Shape: Parejo Size: Toro (6 inches x 52) Strength: Full
As soon as the Blackened M81 started burning, I ordered an espresso and a bottle of sparkling water. Espresso, of course, because I love pairing full-bodied Nicaraguan cigars with espresso. And sparkling water, of course, because I’ll occasionally need to clean my palate and experience anew the harmony of notes the cigar delivers. Later, a glass of Wild Turkey 101 was added to the mix as well. Why? Because the cigar lounge owner suggested I pair the M81 with a bourbon. So, in the end, I had three different beverages versus one cigar.
Branding: The cigar has two bands. The main band is a narrow one that just says, Blackened. At the foot of the cigar, we have a wider band that has the name and the tagline of the cigar: M81, Maduro to the Core.
Construction: Great.
Pre-light: Promising. You can already tell there’s going to be strong notes of chocolate in there. I close my eyes and see the black leather jacket who a tattooed woman who has just come out of a concert and is looking to take a risk to spend the excess adrenaline she has in her blood.
Cut: Straight cut, as always. I don’t remember the last time I went for a V-cut.
Burn: It burned quite evenly but not 100% of the time. I had to even it a couple of times.
Duration: Almost 120 minutes.
Draw: Excellent.
Smoke: Loved it. A generous amount of thick white smoke.
Ash: Good.
Flavors: (Heavy Metal) Notes of dark chocolate, leather, burnt toast, and black pepper.
Here’s a strong and aromatic robusto that has a 60-minute smoke time. It’s a masterfully constructed box-pressed cigar that has a firm draw and burns slowly. It’s good-looking, too. I liked pairing it with Islay whiskies. But it also goes well with espresso.
At number nine, we have a small Cuban cigar that is enjoyable behind the wheels. It would also be nice to pair it with a cappuccino while listening to the birds singing in the trees on a sunny summer morning. If it were up to me, I’d label the Partagas Petit Coronas Especiales as a “breakfast cigar.”
This is the cigar I smoked at Chateau Pape Clement, so I will always remember it because it’s attached to amazing memories. (My wife and I spent a night at Chateau Pape Clement when we were in Bordeaux. It’s a beautiful place, and their wine is unforgettable.) I smoked the Sin Compromiso after dinner and paired it with espresso and water.
Not the best first impression, but this double toro did grow on me eventually. It’s a big, practical cigar, and it deserves its number six spot on my list. It’s an excellent choice for a “casual smoke.”
Sometimes, I think that Arturo Fuente’s great name in the cigar industry has ruined Arturo Fuente’s cigars a little. I often expect a little more from their cigars than what I eventually get. Now, the Chateau Fuente King T Natural is an amazing cigar, and that’s why I placed it at number five. But I felt there was something missing when I was smoking it, and I don’t know what it is.
Big cigar, great construction, majestic burn, generous smoke, beautiful ash, and bold notes. Smoking the CAO Flathead V660 Carb was one of my big cigar moments of 2024.
This one is definitely the longest cigar I smoked in 2024. It was released by one of my favorite cigar lounges in Lebanon, and I just had to try it. It was a great experience.
A strong, full-bodied, good-looking, toro-sized cigar. All my preferences in one amazing smoke. This year, the Nicaraguan Liga Privada H99 Toro takes the number one spot.
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Bored Absurdist 