Reviews by Steve R

Dark, toothy Brazilian maduro wrappers surrounding an aged blend of Nicaraguan long-leaf tobaccos, bunched inside a thick Nicaraguan binder. That’s the recipe CAO cooks up for this flavorful, big-ring line, and it sure does deliver an enjoyable experience filled with flavorful goodness. The Gol! opens with a “charry”, spicy eruption that instantly calls my palate to attention. The flavor mellows shortly after lighting, losing any hints of char or burnt toast, while gaining an oakiness that’s chewy and rich. Ahhh...smooth sailing from here on out, folks. Time to sit back and enjoy the rich, robust flavors of well-aged Nicaraguan tobaccos, complemented by a slow-burning wrapper leaf that lends just the right amount of pepper after each puff. It’s not the most complex cigar, by any means, but it’s damn flavorful and quite consistent from cigar to cigar. The construction is quality – strong, white ash, cool, even burn and a perfect balance between semi-strong strength and flavor. Bottom line, this blend is good across the board and is a must-try for anyone who appreciates a full-flavored maduro.

I was given the final product at this year’s RTDA in New Orleans. Sitting in the cafeteria with Marvin Samel of Drew Estate, the boys from CI burned through this stout, aromatic torpedo. It sports a dark, espresso-like maduro wrapper leaf from Nicaragua that’s rough, yet vein-free. The pre-light aroma will not go unnoticed – it’s slightly sweet and hints at a rich, chocolatey smoke waiting. Now picture this, 3 Drew Estate guys and 3 CI guys, sitting at a table, burning Natural Dirt Torpedos. The aroma was incredible, and the flavor hardly played second fiddle. The flavors are deep, rich and enjoyable. Dark hints of mocha swarm my palate with each puff, while a sweet, coffee-like flavor is left behind, lingering, but never overwhelming. From start to finish, I don’t remember sitting this cigar down, and I can honestly say I was drawing on it about 75% of the time. With any other cigar, the flavor would have gone as sour as month-old milk. Not once did the flavor turn sour or harsh, rather it remained buttery smooth. (Side note: When you smoke this cigar, I highly recommend you snip the cap on an angle. Just tilt your guillotine when cutting the cigar and then smoke it with the opening pointing down towards your tongue. This enhances the flavor to something special – you’ll thank me later.) The strength was perfect for a cigar of this nature, slightly above soft but never really hitting the medium-bodied level. As you probably know, this is not my traditional cup of tea, but it’s always nice to stir things up a bit. I’ve enjoyed the Dirt in the past, because of it’s similarity to the Root, but it just wasn’t big enough for me. The Dirt Torpedo solves this “problem”, an amped up version of the popular Dirt. And that is why you need a Dirt Torpedo. Get dirtier.

It’ll be in shortly. Until then, the original Dirt should tide you over. Or, give the Root a go. Either way, you won’t be disappointed.

If you haven’t tried the Perdomo² line, I suggest you do so. Nick is a damn good cigar maker, and is responsible for some of today’s most flavorful blends. Perdomo² is one of his veteran brands; a staple in boutique cigar shops from coast to coast that only seems to be getting better with age. Box-pressed and available in either natural (Cameroon) or maduro, the ‘Squared’ is robust and complex, thanks to a man-sized portion of Piloto Cubano Nicaraguan tobaccos that have been aged in cedar casks for a minimum of 5 years. So what are these Mistakes I speak of? A long time ago, in a kingdom not so far from here, the Perdomo factory accidentally shipped unbanded, unbox-pressed Milenarios, a size within the Squared line, to the US. Nick couldn’t watch these quality smokes go to waste, so he sold them to us at a ridiculously low price as a one-time deal. Well, that one-time deal did so well it turned into an ongoing project, called Perdomo² Milenario ‘Mistakes’: same blend, same aging process, same Perdomo² goodness, but well under half the price. A fortunate mistake on Nick Perdomo’s part and a gem of a golf cigar for me. Now I can enjoy the rich, robust spiciness of Perdomo² without babying the cigar for fear of it falling off my cart or crawling underneath my shoe. The cigar part is gravy. Now if I could just fix my horrific slice I’d be all set.

If you haven’t tried the Perdomo² line, I suggest you do so. Nick is a damn good cigar maker, and is responsible for some of today’s most flavorful blends. Perdomo² is one of his veteran brands; a staple in boutique cigar shops from coast to coast that only seems to be getting better with age. Box-pressed and available in either natural (Cameroon) or maduro, the ‘Squared’ is robust and complex, thanks to a man-sized portion of Piloto Cubano Nicaraguan tobaccos that have been aged in cedar casks for a minimum of 5 years. So what are these Mistakes I speak of? A long time ago, in a kingdom not so far from here, the Perdomo factory accidentally shipped unbanded, unbox-pressed Milenarios, a size within the Squared line, to the US. Nick couldn’t watch these quality smokes go to waste, so he sold them to us at a ridiculously low price as a one-time deal. Well, that one-time deal did so well it turned into an ongoing project, called Perdomo² Milenario ‘Mistakes’: same blend, same aging process, same Perdomo² goodness, but well under half the price. A fortunate mistake on Nick Perdomo’s part and a gem of a golf cigar for me. Now I can enjoy the rich, robust spiciness of Perdomo² without babying the cigar for fear of it falling off my cart or crawling underneath my shoe. The cigar part is gravy. Now if I could just fix my horrific slice I’d be all set.

It’s safe to say Don Diego cigars are made well. I can’t recall receiving complaints about the quality or construction of this brand. It’s the recipient of numerous favorable ratings from various cigar magazines and commands prices anywhere from $4 to $7 per stick (well, not at CI). Holding the cigar in my hand, a hefty 6”x50 Grande, I can easily agree with these statistics. A sweet, cedary aroma works hand in hand with a thin, vein-free wrapper to scream, “Pick me, I’m gentle!” to passersby. And gentle it is. Smooth, gentle and crisp. Not bad, especially if you’re new to cigars, or the exact opposite, a loyal veteran that refuses to try something new. I find that a lot from those that smoke old brands like these...Don Diego, Henry Clay, Hoyo de Monterrey etc. Come on fellas, variety is the spice of life! But I digress. The chestnut-brown Connecticut shade wrapper is incredibly smooth, and lends a straight burn from first spark up, while the Dominican and Brazilian long-fillers turn to a solid pale-grey ash. The aroma remains pleasant, and will surely please any crowd. The flavor, that’s another story. These days, I find this cigar doesn’t have enough character to please my palate, which is growing more critical by the hour. The flavor is pleasant, and mellow. Offering the slightest hint of cedar. No bells, no whistles, just a crisp tobacco flavor that diminishes hastily after each puff. If I smoked 1 cigar every few days, Don Diego might stand a chance, but I’m up to 2-3 a day lately. That kind of rotation calls for something with a little more substance. There’s nothing wrong with mellow, as long as there’s some complexity to add a little excitement. Sorry Don Diego, things just aren’t going to work out.