Carreras has has a great deal of success with this vitola. All Esteli Nicaraguan tobacco.

Cut very even (well, I was using my Palio), had a nice pre-light draw with a light pre-light aroma.

Easy draw with a start that settled nicely into a medium-full flavor; the easy draw produced a good volume of smoke.

Solid, light grey ash throughout.

Triple clutching produced a very pleasant spiciness, especially when smoke is released through the nostrils, which is my normal method of smoking.

Paired very well with a porter.

There were some run problems in the burn which resisted correcttion.

Cigar began to burn fairly hot after half-way point.

Good ligero blend produced a very pleasant mid-to-full flavor on this cigar. Flavor continues to build until the smoke is too hot and the cigar is too hot to hold. Very hot/strong finish.

This blend would be more well suited to a larger ring, but it was still a pleasant smoke, just a little too hot at the end.

3/5 on the CW scale. Joe Bob says check it out.

Arandoza’s most full flavored cigar as described by the reps at IPCPR.

The foot of the cigarshows a nice blend of tobaccos with a good earthy aroma. The wrapper is nice, dark and smooth. The cigar had an easy pre-light draw with some bitter flavors to the tongue. Cut nice and clean with my Palio cutter.

A bit harsh at the light, but the harshness evens out fairly quickly. Very clean burn.

Paired this cigar with an Independence Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout, which turned out to be a bit full for this particular cigar; a creamy stout with a bit of a backbite which is not what I generally expect from an oatmeal ale.

The flavor past the initial harshness settled down to a medium-full cigar, not as full as what I was expecting from this cigar, but still very flavorful, very similar to the Arandoza Red series, but with an oscuro wrapper.

Light gray ash is a bit flaky and tended to drop flakes in my lap, just a bit messy.

Remained a smooth smoking cigar; the strength built as the cigar progressed to a solid medium-full smoke.

At 1/3 the cigar started to get hot, with the strength of the cigar building accordingly.

Put the cigar down just past 1/4 of the cigar left when it was too hot to draw and hold.

Overall impressions – not as full as I was expecting (not necessarily a bad thing), full bodied as expected as the cigar progressed. Still, overall an enjoyable cigar and I give it 3.5/5. Joe Bob says Check It Out.

This robusto had a slightly veiny medium-brown wrapper. Pre-light aroma was a bit mild. Inspecting the foot revealed no signs of ligero in the blend. Pre-light draw was smooth with hints of flavors. Overall, construction is very good. Cut nice and clean with my Palio.

Lit easily, burned clean throughout. Never had to relight.

Started off as a woody, mostly mild cigar with a pleasant blend of flavors. Soon burned to a more medium bodied cigar as flavors built. Again, mostly woody, with some trace flavors in the background.

Draw remained very smooth and pleasant past 3/4 of the cigar and only became hot in the last inch.

Overall impression: a Nice mild to medium bodied cigar that builds to a full-medium as the cigar burns. Again, mostly woody flavors, but not really one-dimensional as there were many hints in the background. A little light for my personal taste, but still a solid 3+-to-4 rating. Joe Bob says check it out!

Very pleasant to the touch with a major vein, nice smooth pre-draw. Smooth and pleasant on the initial draw with flavors of toasted tobacco and some creamy smoothness.

Mellows out to a medium bodied cigar with mild spiciness. Fairly even burn thought. Cigar did begin to get warm about halfway and was hot enough to put down at two thirds.

construction – 4

Strength – 3

Flavors 3

Aroma – 4

Overall not a bad cigar, but drifted in to mediocre. 3.5. Joe Bob Says check it out.

From talking to the rep, this cigar is aimed at the younger crowd.

Light tobacco aromas from the foot and wrapper. Easy cut and a very smooth pre light draw with very little flavor.

Initial draw has very light tobacco flavor and a hint of nuttiness.

The wrapper cracked about half way down.

The light flavors continued with a hint of sweetness.

Nothing special here, the mottled flaky ash held until about an inch and a half then disintegrated.

Bitterness developed at the tip as pools of tar began to form.

The crack in the wrapper grew as the fire neared it, and the cigar began to get harsh.

Overall the cigar was not well balanced and I put it down at about 2″.

Construction – 3

Flavor – 2

Heat and harshness – 2

Overall I’ll give this one a 2.5. Joe Bob says check it out.

The pride in his company’s work but not in himself was pleasantly refreshing at the Curivari Booth. Described as “Too nice” by his customers and his workers. Andres Throuvales grew up in Greece and after an American college education in Food Science, moved to Cuba where he discovered cigars. When he moved back home, he realized there were more cigars in the world than Cubans and at half the price. Early on, Andres developed a Maduro for the European market but it didn’t catch on until the Cubans brought in their own cigars with the darker wrapper. And then he couldn’t keep them on the shelf. Curivari’s Buenaventura was one of 2013’s top 25 and this year they have released six new sizes along with two new lines.

I smoked a Buenaventura the other night; about a 50 ring toro length with a gently tapered head, not really a pyramide. It presented meduim to light flavors including cocoa, cream and well aged tobacco. The cigar had great construction too, with a very smooth, cool burn. I really cannot find any complaints with either of the cigars I smoked (one at the show, one last Thursday). Curivari is quickly becoming one of my favorite boutique cigars.

The cigar has an interesting taper to it with a traditional rounded head and about 1/2 inch of unwrapped tobacco at the foot, making it very easy to light.

Pre-light aroma had toasted tobacco, leather and vanilla undertones. Clipped cleanly with my Palio and lit nicely although the unfinished foot took a bit more effort.

Once the burn settled in, a nice even draw produced copious amounts of smoke with the aforementioned flavors of toasted tobacco, leather and vanilla undertones. The ash was mottled and held on for about an inch.

Very nice nose to the smoke off of the foot, medium but not overpowering.

Had to set the cigar down for a moment; not only did it not go out, the flavors had improved while I was gone; more creaminess while keeping the toasted tobacco flavors and a developing sweetness.

The cigar was so well constructed that it burned slow and never got hot, providing a nice, long, pleasant smoke.

The uncut remnants of the head peeled off, but this had no effect on the quality of the smoke.

At about half-way, this cigar developed into one of the most enjoyable smokes in recent memory. I was smoking on my son’s balcony, and even though the rain was coming down in buckets, the cigar never got gummy like some cigars do when presented with too much humidity in the air.

I nubbed this cigar without a single hot draw.

These are flying off of the shelves, so do yourself a favor and find one (some). The Edgar Hoyll One Shot One Kill (OSOK) does not disappoint. I give it 5/5. Joe Bob says check it out!

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo

Binder: Brazil

Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Brazil

Another sample from the IPCPR.

Light to medium aromas from the wrapper and foot. Medium brown with light veining, otherwise silky smooth. Good draw with very light flavors. Bunch firm but not hard.

Initial sweetness and toasted tobacco flavors. Some light bitterness develops early. Light to grey ask solid. Even burn. Very good smoke volume.

Cigar gets a bit warm just past first inch, slowing down. Bitterness is gone, sweetness is subdued. Light spiciness nutmeg/cinnamon hints. Burning in a cone and continues to smoke warm.

Flavor is developing with floral notes. As the floral notes emerge the sweetness returns.

Medium body and light to medium flavors with a light pleasant finish.

Very well-constructed cigar.

Stronger tobacco flavors come to the fore at about half way. Cone begins to flatten.

Overall pleasant smoke with developing flavors that keep things interesting. 4/5 – Joe Bob says “check it out.”