 The creme de la creme: Camacho is the most macho
Los Angeles, October 22 – The best thing about sampling more than 100 brands for our full-bodied tasting is to get to try some really fabulous cigars. Beautifully made, easy to smoke and with class and fire that set them apart from all the rest.
Now, at the end of our countdown, we will detail our top five selections as the best cigars in the medium-to-full and full-bodied category on the U.S. market. It's only our opinion, of course, but here are our top five selections, from no. 5 to no. 1:
No. 5: Davidoff Millennium Blend (Dom. Rep.)
Davidoff’s marvelous reputation was built on lighter cigars and their Aniversario blend ranked no. 1 in our mild-bodied rankings and their Special Series ranked no. 2 in our medium-bodied listings. So what are they doing here?
The Davidoff Millennium Blend earned this high placing with its trademark perfect construction, an easy draw and a sensuous flavor of dark caramel throughout, with just a hint of sweetness on the finish. There is no nagging spiciness to detract from the richness of the flavor and it makes each puff a joy. All of the Millennium Blends we smoked lightened slightly in mid-course, but this is actually helpful to keep us from tiring towards the end.
Despite today’s preference for larger ring gauges, we actually found the Lonsdale (6 inches by 43 ring) size to be the most consistently flavorful.
No. 4: Arturo Fuente (Dom. Rep.)
All the yelling is about Opus X, but the original Gran Reserva series is Fuente’s best. This line-up of 19 shapes is beautifully made, draws perfectly and offers a balanced, accessible – even mellow – taste of light caramel with a clean finish.
More medium-to-full than full-bodied, its character and class are evident in every puff, as is the care in the blend as the intensity of flavor continues without interruption all the way to the end, a hallmark of ultimate quality. There is a reason why this blend is the bedrock of the Fuente’s great reputation as master cigar makers.
Of the many sizes in the line, the Flor Fina 8-5-8 might be the best as it is consistently great, but with an impossibly reasonable street price of less than $100 per box of 25 from leading mail-order and on-line retailers.
No. 3: Partagas (Dom. Rep.)
On Tuesday, we noted that in ranking one brand against another, we looked for character and intensity in a brand to propel it into our listings. That’s why Partagas stands tall at no. 3.
Of course, it is well constructed and draws well. But it expresses its passion with a bright, high-intensity burst of caramelized flavor that is rich and sweet. This “tang” is complemented by just the right touch of spice on the finish and a peppery aroma as the cigar moves into mid-course that makes the experience satisfying, delicious and unique.
The bright, happy character of the Dominican-made Partagas is considerably different from its Havana cousin. But both have earned the distinction that comes with delighting smokers for more than 160 years and the quality and class of General Cigar’s version lets it stand proudly against any of the world’s great brands at an accessible price of just $3-6 per cigar from major mail-order and on-line sellers. There can be little wonder at its broad, justly-deserved appeal.
No. 2: Ashton Aged Maduro (Dom. Rep.)
Not always available and expensive when it is, the smoking experience engendered by this blend can only be called rhapsodic. It is elegantly balanced and offers a perfect draw, even burn and a completely unique taste of cocoa and caramel that is impossible to put down.
The Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper is as sweet and delicious as it looks and the finish is buttery smooth, without a trace of spice or bitterness. It delivers its gifts continuously to the end, making you think only of the next time you can be left alone long enough to enjoy another.
This cigar ages well, but with such an inviting taste, who can put off the pleasure long enough to let them sit? A triumph for Robert Levin and his Ashton Distributors group, as well as for the Tabacalera A. Fuente which produces this brand.
No. 1: Camacho Corojo (Honduras)
Remember the chorus from Jim Croce’s timeless hit,”Bad Bad Leroy Brown”?
And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown
Baddest man in the whole damn town
Badder than old King Kong
Meaner than a junkyard dog.
That’s the story of Camacho Corojo. Christian Eiroa’s concoction using all Corojo leaves achieved a near-impossible feat: redefining the full-bodied category after the end of the Cigar Boom. Despite the hundreds of brands which surfaced and sank in the Boom, this is the brand which became the standard against which all other heavy-bodied brands were compared against, almost immediately upon its introduction in 2000.
It’s powerful and peppery and brawls with your senses almost continuously upon lighting. Very well made with an even burn, it maintains its presence, tang and reach continuously, letting up only slightly after halfway. Yet the taste is controlled and although spritely, is more bright than bitter and never bitter for the sake of oppressing the smoker.
This is not a cigar to take lightly and although some cigar hounds light one up after breakfast (no doubt to cover the taste of the motor oil they drank instead of morning coffee), it should not be entertained on an empty stomach and may still be too heady for those for whom it is not the right cigar.
Best of all, the pricing of this brand is very fair at $4-7 (street prices) for most sizes, in line with the value-based history of its distributor, Caribe Imported Cigars of Miami. A remarkable cigar which changed the landscape of its category. Congratulations.
Coming Monday: Our rankings winners and losers!
~ Rich Perelman
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