Mini Reviews: 5 Cigars Under 5 Dollars (Part 1)

[pnoon]

Why not post the full reviews here, too?

[CigarNut]

Originally Posted by pnoon

Why not post the full reviews here, too?

Agreed! Why should I have to jump out of CA to get the details??

CA is my *home*

[OHRD]

Originally Posted by CigarNut

Agreed! Why should I have to jump out of CA to get the details??

CA is my *home*

I've already posted three of these here, on CA:

CAO La Traviata: http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...t=CAO+Traviata

Brickhouse: http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...ckhouse+REview

Champion: http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=22053

Here are the full reviews of the others:
Gold:
Size: 5 x 55, Double Nickel

Wrapper: Connecticut

Filler: Honduran, 5 year age

Strength: Mild-Medium

Price: Box of 20, $65

Grade: 8.9

Here in Georgia the dog days of summer make it hard to really enjoy a smoke due to the humidity, but one evening last week it dried up a bit. With frogs croaking and crickets humming, I fired up the 5 Vegas Gold Double Nickel and tried to enjoy the nice summer night.

Pre-light, 1.8:
Two things really jump out on the appearance of this smoke; the box pressed shape and the gorgeous Connecticut wrapper. The cigar appears to be constructed well with a very firm texture and well-constructed cap. The wrapper did show some veins towards the head but evened out towards the foot. The label was just awesome, as you can see from the picture above—just a really nice, classy label wrapping the box press. The pre-light draw produced a burst of pepper with a hint of leather at the end, which was consistent with the pre-light aroma of the wrapper.

Burn, 1.8:
The stick toasted well and produced a nice white ash on the wrapper. As I lit the filler, it produced a huge mouthful of smoke on the first draw that was a more pronounced pepper and leather, similar to the pre-light draw. The cigar held a nice white ash for over an inch before I decided it was time to knock it off. The cigar burned evenly with a slightly tight draw all the way until the last 3rd and then it started to burn a little uneven, but other than that it was perfect.

Flavor, 2.5:
I always assumed these smokes were really mild yet flavorful. Well they definitely are flavorful but they also lean toward mild/medium in my opinion. The first third produced a smoke that was somewhat peppery with some leather and spice thrown in. As the cigar moved into the 2/3, it mellowed into a creamier smoke with a hint of citrus. The smoke from the 1/3 to 2/3 was very cool with little or no heat from the draw. The 3/3 continued with this creaminess but the pepper also returned toward the very end and the smoke started to heat up.

Overall, 2.8:
The value of this smoke is its biggest asset in my opinion; for under $3.50 a stick retail, you get an aesthetically beautiful cigar that is very flavorful and somewhat complex. I enjoyed this smoke and hated to see it end. I am looking forward to firing up another one in the very near future because I am sure it will be just as good or even better.

(Total: 8.9)

Cu-Avana:
Size: 5×50, Robusto

Wrapper: Connecticut

Filler: Cibao Valley, Dominican Republic

Strength: Mild

Price: Box of 20, $39.95

Grade: 8.4

Resurrected by Fonseco’s master blender, Manuel Quesada, this Dominican filled, Connecticut wrapped cigar is a consistently smooth smoke at an exceptional value. Available in the mild Connecticut and Maduro for some time, a fuller-bodied option was recently released, the Intenso.

As much as anyone, I enjoy a great value smoke to have on hand for family and friends and of course for myself. I often look for new 5 packs that I haven’t tried in hopes of finding a great, low-mid priced box purchase. The Cu-Avana is a winner in this category! I’ve worked through quite a few of the Natural and the Maduro and we’ve got some of the Intenso headed our way. You can read our review of the Maduro here.

So, I finally decided to put a pen and paper to my value smoke and see just how well it scores.

Pre-light, 1.5:
Surprisingly triple capped, this Connecticut is wrapped with a simple blue and gold label. The exterior is a bit bumpy with a rustic, leathery skin. Though the cap is well done, the foot is quite bumpy and misshaped. The aroma on the cigar is predictably that of barnyard with some sweetness. The top 2/3 of the smoke was very tightly packed and dense. The draw was decent and had notes of sweet hay.

Burn, 1.8:
The burn on the Cu-Avana was very solid. Though the draw was a bit tight the first third of the smoke, it opened up nicely and carried a very tight and well-colored ash. The ash held well into the half-way mark of this Robusto before I knocked it off. This is a very consistent aspect of the Cu-Avana–always a clean, tight ash, a straight burn, and a good draw.

Flavor, 2.5:
If you are looking for a flavor powerhouse this is not the smoke for you. If, however, you want an unobtrusive smoothness, this very well may be your value smoke winner. The flavor is predominated by a sweet hay with the slightest bit of pepper on the opening few draws. There was little transition in this cigar—just a solid consistency.

Overall, 2.6:
At around $2 a stick, you will be hard pressed to find a better value. I’m sure I used the same sentence to describe the Cu-Avana Maduro, but it’s true. As I’ve spent some time with both of these smokes, I prefer the Maduro due to the added sweetness and a bit more complexity and transition. However, for an early morning read of the paper with a nice cup of coffee, this would do the trick nicely in my opinion. It’d also be a nice addition to yard work. Though the score is in the low 8s, this is because of a hit to the appearance, which I think most of us can overlook when it comes to value.

(Total: 8.4)