The tobacco and the manufacturing of these cigars are completely done by Tabacos de la Cordillera in Costa Rica. John Vogel maintains the genetically pure Cuban seeds used in the growing of their tobacco. Using the genetic purity from a seed bank that exists nowhere else in the world, they capture the flavor and allure of Cuban cigars lost long ago.

This is a generous Toro that has a light chestnut color with few veins. A feint aroma of nuts and sweet hay accompany this cigar. I clip into the generous cap of this puro and take a pre-light draw. The draw is somewhat tight, as the flavor of toasted nuts arouses the palate. I then gently toast the foot with my Colibri lighter, being careful not to char these delicate tobaccos.

This cigar provides ample amount of smoke and light flavors. Nuts and undertones of cinnamon accompany the sweet smoke well into the halfway point, where they yield to flavors of wood and coffee until the finish. The finish is short and mild in body, with flavors of wood and coffee. I have to add that this is one of the few cigars that I get compliments from others about the sweet aroma that is emitted from these unique tobaccos.

The ash was salt and pepper in color with no flaking or feathering. I did experience some blistering along the burn-line during the first half of the cigar, but it smoothed out in the second half to almost a perpendicular line. The dense, coarse ash required some effort to remove from the remaining body.

This cigar provides a wonderful smoking experience that has long since past. The delicate, “genetically pure” tobaccos hark back to the pre-Castro days where the cigars were milder in body, but full in flavor. This cigar is well worth the try. We’ll rate this one again in six months, and assign it an “Aging Potential Score”.

~Blake