Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan
Size: 5 x 50 “Robusto”
Body: Mild/Medium
Price: $6.00 by the box~ $7.50 for singles

This is the last of the trifecta of cigars that Jack Torano sent me. I previously reviewed the Vault Blend D-042, which was a spectacular cigar; and the Exodus Finite 2013, which was a nice cigar, and now the Reserva Selecta that Cigar Aficionado gave a 90 to back in August of 2003. Which brings up the question….why is this a new 2013 IPCPR trade show release?

Simply because the Torano family decided to give the cigar “a facelift” according to their press release sent to me.

CI goes on to make a bold statement that says: “The Reserva Selecta has been labeled Torano’s finest cigar. Many will agree that this is the best cigar to ever come out of the Carlos Torano Factory to date.”

That’s quite an endorsement. But in fact, every size and box and 5 packs are completely sold out. That’s a stunner. My gut tells me I’m in for a good time.

This stick comes in four sizes:
5 x 50 Robusto
6.25 x 52 Torpedo
7.25 x 48 Churchill
6 x 60 Gordo.

Construction: This stick is extremely rustic looking. The cigar is covered in monster veins. Along with lots of spider veins. The cap is extremely sloppy. The color of the wrapper reminds me of Bambi’s mommy. There is a slight oiliness to it and the wrapper feels very smooth.

I clip the cap and find aromas of barnyard, cinnamon, black cherry, spice, very strong cedar, and hay.
Time to light up.

The first puffs are curiously interesting. As this is a mild/medium cigar, it should make up for its lack of strength in flavor.

It starts off very nutty. And sweet. A few puffs later, the red pepper enters. The draw is pretty good, but not perfect. And the char line starts out wavy.

Mild cigars are not my thing. Flavorful ones are.

The sweetness turns to caramel. A bit of creaminess appears, but just a little. I hit the one inch mark and not much has happened. The flavor is not expanding its horizons.

I near the end of the first third and some flavor picks up. The caramel and creaminess push to the forefront boldly. The body is still at mild.

The draw has improved immensely. The nuttiness seems to be a mix of raw cashews and almonds. With a tad bit of saltiness. This enhances the sweetness of the stick.

The halfway point is met and the cigar is flavorful in pretty much the same way as the first third. If the stick can pick up a couple more flavors, it has the chance of becoming a bona fide flavor bomb. But at the moment, it’s pretty much a one trick pony. A pleasant cigar that doesn’t bowl me over.

Jack will never speak to me again. Oh, lord. And it took me forever to get on his reviewer’s list.

Clearly, my opinion is off. For CI to be completely out of stock on every one of these cigars tells me it has a huge cigar smoking audience. But since this is the age of the full bodied, the smokers who like them mild must feel left out. And there aren’t a lot of quality manufacturers making mild/medium bodied cigars. The K-MART of the cigar stores like Thompson and JR specializing in selling mild bodied cigars to..basically, non-smokers. But they are crap and don’t have the pedigree of a Torano.

The band must come off now…and it comes off easily. I have another cigar waiting to review that I bought a 10 pack of on Cbid. Good brand name and every single band make me shred it to get it off. So details count. If you like to smoke a cigar in your car/truck like I do, nothing more frustrating than ripping the cigar band off at 60mph.

The mild body and the mild flavor profile is a nice cigar and aimed at a certain audience of smokers. As I pass the halfway point, the red pepper surges to the top of the flavor chain. Nice surprise. It gives the illusion of the cigar being stronger than it is and can make any cigar smoker happy.

The flavors embolden at this point. And is now a flavor bomb. Caramel, sweetness, creaminess, nuttiness, a bit of cocoa and coffee appear, and a rich earthiness. While it is not exciting, it is very pleasurable. The cigar becomes complex as the last third is entered. And the balance is perfect and it has a nice long finish thanks to the caramel and sweetness.

The cigar finishes out with loads of flavor. The body just reaches medium in the nick of time for me. There is no nicotine kick.

Clearly, the last third is the deal maker that makes this cigar so popular. The flavors of caramel, creaminess, and sweetness are incredible. It’s a wonderful combination.

It also makes for a fine way for mild smokers and newbies to be introduced into a medium bodied cigar. For the last couple of inches are definitely medium in body.

I’m sure that with extensive humidor aging, my criticism of taking so long to hit the sweet spot will disappear.
I checked Cbid and they don’t carry them yet. So look around. For this price point, it is a very good deal.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS