Last year I had the pleasure of attending my first RTDA show in Nashville and needless to say, I felt like Charlie in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory! Unless you have been to one it is hard to describe the pure, unbridled exhilaration that one experiences in such a place. For the most part, days spent at the RTDA consist of sampling cigar upon cigar from the very moment you wake up until you finally arrive back in your hotel room some 18 hours later!

As you can imagine there were quite a few cigars released at last year’s show however there was definitely one that stood out from the crowd and it continues to turn heads today. The Carlos Torano 1916 Cameroon is a captivating cigar from the moment you light it up until the final draw which always seems to leave me with one thought, “Damn, I finished it already?!?” I couldn’t wait until these cigars hit our dock last year and as soon as they did I picked up two boxes. Since then my humidor has not seen a single day without at least one 1916.

As is typical with many cigars produced by Torano, the construction is impeccable without a soft spot to speak of. The cigar is firm and dense without being overfilled and yields a perfect draw every time. Upon lighting this cigar you are immediately greeted with an earthy burst of flavor quickly followed by a subtle but distinct cedary note which is attributable to the cedar sleeve that is applied to each cigar in an effort to enhance the aging process. The ash, light-gray in color, is solid with some light flaking which occurs throughout the duration of the burn. The flavor tends to remain consistent to the halfway point when a noticeable change in complexity kicks in taking the cigar to an entirely new level until that fateful moment when you decide to put it down.

The Bottom Line: The Torano 1916’s are proof that you really can get great quality and flavor without having to take out a second mortgage on your home. Good construction and a well-balanced blend of tobacco make the 1916 a solid choice for that perfect way to cap off every day.