Mi Barrio El Acere Toro

Size: 5.75 x 50

Time Smoked: 1315

Date: 06/19/2010

Last Meal Eaten: Lunch 1215

Drink: Skyy Vodka

This was a beautiful looking cigar with a dark silky wrapper giving off a light barnyard smell and just asking to be smoked. On lighting, there was a very strong pepper. This tamed down into a white pepper and a touch of citrus after a few minutes. Past halfway, the pepper strengthened and the citrus opened into a great umami flavor. The two-stage finish was umami giving way to a return of very strong pepper from the start. Yet another happy smoking experience from Pepin.

La Aurora 107 Belicoso

Size:6.25 x 52

Purchased: The Humidor - Wichita, KS

Time Smoked: 1345

Date: 06/09/2010

Drink: Coffee

I was glad to finally run across these since I wasn't able to make it to my local B&M when these were being given away. I bought it in Wichita and brought it home to sit for a few days.

When I took it out to smoke, I noticed the notch on the head along a vein in the leaf which is visible in the picture. However, cutting the cigar kept this from being a problem until the very end. The wrapper gave off a sweet barnyard aroma with the foot giving of a much stronger barnyard smell. The cold draw had a hint of citrus.

On lighting there was a sharp, almost lime, tang. It settled into a dry toast which dried out my mouth, but with a very dark ash. I slowed down, and the ash lightened up a bit, but there was still a brown tinge. A sweet butter developed which at halfway became stronger, almost a caramel flavor. The finish spiced up until I put it down because the vein from the crack in the head was poking me in the lip and became very irritating.

This was a decent cigar, but I need to have another of these with a different beverage. I think the coffee masked some of the flavors and the combination of the cigar and coffee was drying out my mouth.

Cusano Freedom Toro CRA Blend

Size: 5 x 50

Purchased: Free cigar with CRA membership

Time Smoked: 1800

Date: 05/31/2010

There was a light barnyard oder from the cigar pre-light. Overall the construction was great except for the cap which looked a bit rough. The cold draw was cream with a subtle grass undertone.

The first half inch was buttery cedar with strong bitters. After that the bitters dropped out and the cream from the cold draw took over and deepened as the cigar developed. Halfway through the length, some pepper tones underlay the cream. The finish had burning grass and became very sharp.

This is one of the random cigars from CRA. If you happen to get this one when you sign up, enjoy the body of it, but I would suggest putting down when the grass comes into the finish.