First off: My immediate and profound disclaimers to stogemiester and pmpimbura and other esteemed brethren of the boards... this is my first shot at a review, so I am issuing this disclaimer from the get go.

Construction: just beautiful, period. This is a beautifully constructed cigar with a density and heft that speak of luxury versus an intent to just load one up to justify the high price tag. The outer wrapper was full of veins and a lovely dark, rich brown color. It cut without any kind of fraying, splitting or that dreaded dry shattering, but nice and crisp.

Burn: I got concerned at the very beginning because it looked like it was barely lit although I had taken a lot of time to toast it before going for it. It was just an illusion, however, as it burned very well all the way to the end of the smoke. What caused this was the density of the cigar. This baby was not going ANYWHERE fast, it was going to burn nice and slowly and give me a long time to enjoy it. On two occasions it seemed like the burn might become uneven, but it corrected itself and I had way over an inch of nice tight ash before it fell.

Smoke: lots of smooth smoke when you wanted it, and no change for the entire smoke. No hernia necessary here, yet at the same time, the smoke was very balanced in keeping with the slow burn of a well constructed smoke.

Taste: here is where I need some Thesaurus help! This cigar was very smooth yet not weak at all. Without sounding lame, it simply tasted like a great cigar - there were no flavors that outbalanced the others - no spice, leather, wood, whatever... just a great taste of aged and flavorful tobacco.

I really enjoyed this cigar and will set a few in the humi to age and keep on hand for a special occasion. At the $16 a stick that I paid, there is simply no way I am going to be able to buy a box of them, but all in all it was a really top drawer smoking experience.

OK fellas... critique away!

CA gave it a 91 in June. No wonder it's 16 bucks a stick.

Did you read the ratings and decide to give it a try? How was the finish? Do you like a veiny wrapper? CA says it's a strong cigar. What do you think? Did you taste any licorice?

I have a robusto waiting in my humidor for christmas eve. Thanks for the review. I have had other auroras that I found inconsistent but I am looking forward to the 100 anos.

Good job Andy, Exellent review. I have been wanting to try one myself for a long time, guess I'll just have to shell out the bucks and get one now. Thanks.

In response to El Presidente, I didn't taste any licorice nor any other pronounced flavor, but maybe my palate for that is not super discerning. Your gonna laugh when I tell you why I tried one. There are 3 different guys whose businesses I patronize on a weekly basis. One of them is a Cuban/American who runs a car wash business and does a helluva job cleaning my truck every weekend. A few months ago, I saw him smoking a stick during a break, so now I bring him one every time I go - it's my way of making sure he has a great smoke and making sure I get first class service. I wanted to get him a special one for the Holidays so I picked up 2 of the 100 Anos - 1 for me and 1 for him. He gets a great smoke, I get a great service and it makes for a good day for everyone. Same thing goes for the guy who owns the wine store and the one who runs the Italian bakery and Deli...

StogeMiester - drop me a line off the forum with your addy and I'll send you one for Christmas. I owe it to you for all I've learned via the forums in the last years. There are a couple of you all who have saved me more than a few bucks by steering me clear of the dog rockets. Why not spread a little good cheer? Same goes for rebeljohn with the Port advice and pmpimbura for the reviews... I'd be more than happy to fire off one your way.

Well done Andy. Thanks for the review.

quote:

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Originally posted by andymiami:
StogeMiester - drop me a line off the forum with your addy and I'll send you one for Christmas. I owe it to you for all I've learned via the forums in the last years. There are a couple of you all who have saved me more than a few bucks by steering me clear of the dog rockets. Why not spread a little good cheer? Same goes for rebeljohn with the Port advice and pmpimbura for the reviews... I'd be more than happy to fire off one your way.

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Man! Your my type of guy, I do the same thing from time to time with different people. I also appreciate the offer, but there is one stipulation. I get to send you a package in return! Have you tried a Padilla Hybrid yet Andy? If not get ready!

It's a deal man!
Hey, life's too short for being any other way. Look forward to sending some cheer your way.
Take care,
Andy

I'll get ya a E-mail sent here in a bit.
Happy holidays Andy, to you and yours.

well, looks like Andy and Stogie will both be getting some excellent cigars for xmas eve. Good show!

Eddie

Andy, good deal email sent.

I smoked a robusto I had chillin in the box for a while not the torp that Andy was kind enough to send. This cigar is rolled using hundred year old tobacco that was found hidden in a warehouse somewhere.... Actually I just made that up. I have no idea what the draw is here. I think its just commemorating 100 years of the company. Here's the scoop.

Appearanace and construction 13/15
Nice appearance. Very Oily wrapper with slight veins. Reddish uniform color. Uniform constuction. This cigar is hard as a rock but clips and draws well. The band is awesome. It is much classier than say a maximus band that looks like a circus poster.

Flavor 19/25
Good flavor, far too mild. The flavor was mostly toasted nuts, cream, and cedar. I am accustomed to these as hightlights within a cigar but not as the core flavors. This cigar is pretty mild. I am somewhat disappointed with the robusto and am hoping that whenever I get around to the torp it is better. On the bright side, it is very smooth as Andy said earlier.

Smoking characteristics 23/25
Almost perfect in this department. Pure white ash, even burn. The only deductions are in the way of a flakey ash that fell on my pants. I hate that. Otherwise, it was a VERY well put together stick, one of the best.

Overall 29/35
Decent bordering on good but not great. In the end, price matters. I expect more from a stick that set me back 13 bucks. It was lacking heart. It never developed the strength, richness, or complexity I would expect from a smoke of its prestige. I would qualify the above statement by stating that his review is based on one cigar. I have one more waiting and will update whenever that one is smoked too but it might be a while as it just arrived.

Total 84

Appearance and construction 14 - 15
Nice firm cigar covered in a chocolate brown wrapper; even color.. The cap is nice and the wrapper has a touch too many veins.

Flavor 23 ~ 25
A nice tawny taste during first quarter; a bit of sweet and sour. The consistency is creamy in nature. Second quarter picked up a bit of spice with the flavors blending nicely. The last quarter notes of leather and chocolate. The after taste is pleasant and the finish long.

Smoking Characteristics 23 ~ 25
This is a firm cigar with a bit of a tight draw ending with a light gray ash. A nice slow even burn; with a large ring gauge allowing for a nice volume of smoke.

Overall 28 ~35
Would have preferred a less tight draw and a bit of a bolder taste but all in all a quality smoke. The taste changes throughout the cigar were subtle and it is well balanced. The rating for this cigar would have been higher, yet at $16.00 per stick; you expect quality.

Rating= 88

hey andy, I got one of these from you in the secret santa and I finally smoked it not too long ago..I thought it was pretty damn good! My only problem was it started to burn a little hot for me near the end so I couldnt smoke it to the nub.

I agree bub. I smoked the beli that Andy sent and thought it was awesome. The beli is much much better than the robusto.

Good to hear, Bub!!!
And I am glad that it even passed the PMP test. Whew!!
Glad you fellas enjoyed the smokes. Can't wait for the next Secret Santa... or whatever we can find to do in January.

'Great review Andy;wish I could right a first review like that! Think I'll go smoke another 'Candy Bar'!

This is beautifully made, densely packed cigar. It's pre-light aroma was toasty and nutty, with a hint of spice. The initial draw after lighting was surprisingly dry, but a strong burst of peppery spice appeared quickly, followed by cool cedar notes. Unlike other reviewers, there seemed nothing creamy or mild about this stick. It reminded me of the pure tobacco flavor I associate with Cuban Cohibas -- no sweetness, or chocolate, or coffee notes. The flavor profile remained constant throughout, except for an intensification in the spice and long cedar finish as it approached the middle and final third.

Burn was even for the first half, but the thick, oily wrapper was pretty stubborn for the second half, requiring frequent touch ups. Draw was perfect and the quantity of smoke was whatever I wanted it to be. It stayed lit if I drew on it lightly and it produced a dense cloud if I coaxed it just a little. It burned for nearly 2 hours.

Overall, this is an excellent cigar but not one for folks who look for those sweeter flavors of chocolate and coffee, or for the beginning cigar smoker. I also suspect that this cigar has not reached its full flavor potential and will reward a year or two of aging.

Based on the cigar's pre-burn aroma, I thought it might pair well with a sweeter style of bourbon, in this case a Van Winkle. It didn't. The cigar made the woodiness of the bourbon seem harsh and bitter, and in turn, the bourbon unpleasantly amplified the pepper in the cigar. I switched to a good tawny port, and the result was much better.

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