Fonseca 5-50
Size – 5 x 50
Age – 2 months
Cost – $3-4 online
Wrapper – Natural (Ecuador)
Construction – A very well constructed cigar with great symmetry and a pretty, vein-free wrapper. (9/10)
Burn – Even with no touchups required. (9/10)
Ash – Very light grey; compact with a bit of flowering.
Draw & Smoke – Tight draw took a little bit of effort per puff. The amount of smoke was medium.
Flavor – The 5-50 started off immediately with a note of peanut that pleasantly blended with the predominant flavors of sweet tobacco and some leather. The mouth feel was smooth but slightly dry. The finish was somewhat dry with flavors of paper and wheat. Aroma was an excellent sweet and light tobacco smell. Very tasty and smooth from start to finish.
Strength – Mild/Med
Rating – 8/10
Value – 8/10
Drink – Water
Notes – This was a late afternoon cigar that I just grabbed out of my desktop humidor and didn’t expect to review (hence the stock image). As soon as I got a hit of that smooth and tasty smoke, though, I headed back inside to grab my notebook. This is a surprisingly satisfying stogie with excellent construction and burn, creamy flavor, and a fantastic aroma. The experience (if not the exact flavors) reminded me of the Gispert natural which is one of my favorite mild cigars. The price is right and I plan to have a few of these in the humidor from here on out.
Reviews
50 Ring, 8/10, Cigar Review, Fonseca, Mild/Med, Robusto
CAO LX2 Robusto
Size – 5 x 52
Age – About 1 month
Cost – $5-6 online
Wrapper – Sun grown (Nicaragua)
Construction – The LX2 is very well constructed with the only flaw being a couple of veins on an otherwise beautiful chocolate brown wrapper. There was a wrapper crack in the foot but I believe it’s because I received these direct from CAO with no cellophane. Symmetry was good with the cigar having a very slight oval shape and a small bump at the head. (8/10)
Burn – Burn was slow and steady. It was never 100% even but it was close. 2 relights were needed during the smoke. (6/10)
Ash – Light grey, compact and held in nice 1.5″ lengths.
Draw & Smoke – The CAO website says the LX2 is “draw-tested”. I have no idea what this means but it appears to work as draw was perfect and a voluminous amount of smoke was produced in each puff.
Flavor – The first inch of this cigar was packed with black pepper and another kind of pepper – the slow and lingering burn of chile peppers. It didn’t taste anything like a New Mexico green chile, but it felt like one. Other flavors were wood and earthy tobacco. The black pepper tingle faded by halfway and some cocoa emerged in the second half along with a small touch of sweetness. The aroma of this cigar is what I call the “cigar lounge smell”, an enticing blend of rich tobacco, spices and chocolate.
Strength – Med/Full
Rating – 8/10
Value – 6/10
Drink – Red Zinfandel. A very nice pairing, with the dark berry notes of the wine offsetting the pepper and complimenting the touch of sweetness in the LX2.
Notes – As every review of this cigar on the planet will tell you, LX2 stands for “ligero times two”, alluding to this cigar’s double dose of stonger ligero leaves from the top of the tobacco plant. It’s a powerful but not overwhelming smoke that makes a great nightcap. The $5-6 range is not what I would consider a value or “everyday” cost; it’s also a crowded field with a lot of excellent cigars like the Arturo Fuente Hemingway and the Oliva Serie V competing for your 5-spot, but the LX2 muscles its way into the upper portion of the list and is definitely something to add to your humidor.
Reviews
52 Ring, 8/10, CAO, Cigar Review, Med/Full, Robusto
Cu*Avana Maduro Robusto
Size – 5 x 50
Age - 1 month
Cost – $2 online
Wrapper – Connecticut maduro
Construction – This cigar is well constructed with a nice looking, toothy maduro wrapper and just a couple of visible veins. Symmetry is good and there we no issues with the cap when punching it. (8/10)
Burn – The burn on some of the other cigars I have had from this box was not that great. I believe the box may have been very dry when I received it. After 4-5 weeks in the coolidor, this cigar burned evenly and had no issues. (8/10)
Ash – Light grey, almost white. Firm and grabby with no flowering. Held2.5″
Draw & Smoke – The draw was tight and bordered on being a bit too much effort. I might clip this cigar instead of punching it next time. I would have liked to have seen more smoke in each puff.
Flavor - A mellow blend of flavors including some coffee, very small amount of black pepper and a smooth creamy palate feel. The room aroma is that nice sweet tobacco smell you expect from a maduro.
Strength – Mild/Med
Rating – 7/10
Value – 9/10
Drink - Hot earl grey with cream and sugar. Good pairing but nothing to write home about.
Notes - The Cu*Avana maduro is a mild, tasty maduro that could compliment your morning coffee or accompany a nice afternoon break. It is a well constructed smoke that you can pick up for as little as $1 apiece at cigar auction sites. This is a great everyday maduro that you can feel free to enjoy without having a 3 course meal first. A solid addition to any humidor.
Reviews
50 Ring, 7/10, Cigar Review, Cu*Avana, Maduro, Mild/Med, Robusto
Don Tomas (Classico) Maduro Robusto
Size – 5.5 x 50
Age - 4 months
Cost – $3.39 local, less than $2 online
Wrapper – Connecticut Maduro. Oily and fairly smooth with some veins.
Construction – Mostly well-constructed and firm, a slightly flared foot and a small unravel after punching the cap. (6/10)
Burn – Mostly even and slow with no relights or touchups. (8/10)
Ash – Medium grey and compact, with a nice 2″ of grab.
Draw & Smoke - Firm draw. Not a lot of smoke but enough for an indoor cigar.
Flavor – This cigar starts with a nice bit of spice and rich chocolate. The spiciness quickly fades into a somewhat mild chocolate flavor with a bit of cedar and, in the second half, a spicy finish. The room aroma is the usual smell of sweet maduro tobacco – very nice.
Strength – Medium
Rating – 8/10
Value – 9/10
Drink – Pepsi. It was all I had in the fridge 
This drink pairing was not remarkable.
Notes – Don Tomas is my favorite value brand. The Maduro is a part of the Clasico series, and could command a price that is twice what you will pay for it. A great everyday handmade that you will be happy to hand to a friend or enjoy yourself. I have smoked about two dozen of these and while the consistency might not be up there with Rocky or Pepin, it’s a no brainer for the cost and something you should not hesitate to try. I believe the 4-5 months that this spent in my desktop humidor improved the cigar.
Reviews
50 Ring, 8/10, Cigar Review, Connecticut, Don Tomas, Maduro, Medium, Robusto