Name: Buffalo Ten Maduro Toro

Country: Dominican Republic

Shape: Box-Pressed

Size: Toro (6 inches x 50)

Strength: Medium to Full

Took an unplanned trip to Saida (Sidon) to have lunch with a friend. This was on Sunday. Amazing weather. The sky was clear, and the sun seemed like it was announcing the arrival Spring.

(It’s funny how a 45-minute drive can take you from one world to another. When I got out of the car, it felt like I was a very long way from home. The spirit of the place welcomed me as a city would welcome a tourist. My eyes were enjoying the freshness of scenery.)

We went to an Italian restaurant that was supposed to be good. Overall, it was okay, just a little above average. But what was more than okay was the company and the cigars I smoked. The Buffalo Ten Maduro Toro was the first one I lit. I paired it with an espresso, and I was happy with it.

It was an interesting lunch. It always is when the person you are with is willing to jump from one philosophical topic to another just for fun. The conversation started with Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s concept of antifragility and ended somewhere very far away from it. We also had a few good laughs.

So, it was a day well spent.

When you are fragile, you depend on things following the exact planned course, with as little deviation as possible — for deviations are more harmful than helpful. […] When you want deviations, and you don’t care about the possible dispersion of outcomes that the future can bring, since most of it will be helpful, you are antifragile.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder

Name: Buffalo Ten Natural Toro

Country: Dominican Republic

Shape: Box-Pressed

Size: Toro (6 inches x 50)

Strength: Medium

This isn’t the cigar you want to light on your birthday, but it’s a cigar worth smoking. Great value for its price. I’d pair with with all sorts of coffee drinks, spirits, and beer. The Buffalo Ten Natural Toro is an everyday cigar.

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Branding: I like the name Buffalo Ten. It sounds like an affordable cigar one would smoke with a strong drink, and it is.

Construction: Can be better, but it’s good compared to the price you’re paying for a stick.

Pre-light: Nothing special.

Cut: Straight cut.

Burn: Even burn.

Duration: 90 minutes. I took my time with it.

Draw: Good.

Smoke: It produced a decent amount of smoke.

Ash: Okay.

Flavor: Woody, earthy, with hints of black pepper.

Name: Cimarron Maduro Doble Toro

Country: Dominican Republic

Shape: Parejo

Size: Double Toro (6 inches x 60)

Strength: Medium to Full

An affordable cigar. It’s a good smoke to burn on a casual night out. I paired it with Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition, and there was nothing to complain about.

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Branding: Basic. Nothing appealing or inviting. I just picked it up because I wanted to try something new.

Construction: Good. It held well until the last draw.

Pre-light: Cocoa and capsicum.

Cut: Straight cut, as almost always.

Burn: I liked the burn. Even. Not too slow, not too fast.

Duration: 120 minutes.

Draw: Good.

Smoke: It produced a good amount of smoke.

Ash: Good.

Flavor: Notes of toast, chocolate, earth, and cinnamon.