Wrapper: Shade Grown Nicaraguan Colorado
Binder: Ometepe, Nicaragua and Jamastran, Honduras
Filler: Esteli and Condega, Nicaragua
Size: 5 x 52 “Robusto”
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $6.50 by the box

This cigar has a strange back story. Here goes….Papa Torano began keeping a journal, starting in 1982, in which he kept track of his blends that he made and thought about making. The book was kept locked up in a “vault.” In 2000, son Charlie spent time with some of the lost recipes.

The journal slept for a few years without much attention paid to it, when Charlie Torano re-visited it and found a blend called A-008. He liked what Pop came up with and the cigar’s journey took a leap forward.

But there was a problem. One of the secret ingredients was missing and therefore the witch’s brew was incomplete. Pain staking research ensued and Charlie realized the missing ingredient was the second binder made of leaves from Ometepe. A volcanic island on Lake Nicaragua.

Ometepe is a special leaf. It was used as a ligero that provided some oomph to the blend. Ometepe has a singular spiciness and aroma to it. So now the A-008 was turned into a blend called the Vault. The foot band has the A-008 designation written in cursive script.

The cigar made its debut at the 2011 IPCPR trade show and was a hit.

The Vault is strong in body second only to the Torano Virtuoso, which I reviewed yesterday.

The wrapper has a reddish hue as most Colorado wrappers do. It is solid with the perfect give. The wrapper gives off some glimmer in the light from the oils in the cigar. I could find no information about how many caps there are and since the construction is so deftly performed, the cap does not give away its secret.

I clip the cap and find aromas of spice (I sneezed twice), sweet tobacco, hay, and ginger.
Time to light up.

The first puffs see a quick rise of red pepper. The tobacco has a natural sweetness. Earthiness makes the stick very rich and dense. A combination of creaminess and vanilla hit at once. Moments later, a buttery caramel joins the group.

I taste black licorice…er..excuse me..the proper nomenclature for reviewers is the word “anise,” not black licorice.

The spice is clearing out my sinuses and making my eyes water.

The cigar, at the 1″ mark, is officially a flavor bomb. Wow. I should note that I have allowed the cigar to rest for 3 weeks in my humidor.

With all these hot and sweet elements going on it is difficult to identify additional flavors. I’m sure as it moves towards the sweet spot, things will map out correctly.

I approach the end of the first third totally happy with this cigar. I have also reviewed the newer Vault…the D-042 which debuted in 2013. It was a terrific cigar. Here is the “link.”

Just as I was about to type that this cigar tastes like a cream cheese Danish, a coffee component enters the arena. Perfect ride-along with all the creaminess and smooth caramel. I take a sip of water and the flavors explode on my palate.

The cigar finds a perfect balance now and it has a very long finish. There is so much smoke pouring from the foot that it is blinding me as I keep the cigar in my mouth as I type. Didn’t Studs Terkel do that?

The char line goes Bozo No-No on me. I am forced to correct it at the halfway point.

The spiciness has taken a nose dive and is no longer so strong. It is at my comfort level which means it is very much in the divide between the foreground and the background.

The cigar comes in four sizes: 5 x 52 (Robusto), 5.625 x 46 (Corona Gorda), 6 x 50 (Toro), and 6.12 x 52 (Torpedo).

The coffee moves to the front of the line. It is outstanding and I’ve never smoked a non-infused cigar that has this much coffee element. It moves out in front of everything with the creaminess, caramel, sweetness, earthiness, vanilla, anise, and two new flavors: melon and cedar following right behind.

I begin the last third and it seems to have gone by much too quickly. The body has been classic medium this whole time with no sign of it getting stronger. I quickly checked some online stores and most say it is full bodied. For me, a full bodied cigar pretty much hits the mark early in the cigar.

The spice makes a resurgence as my eyes begin to water once more and my sinuses open big enough to drive an 18 wheeler through them.
This cigar is the epitome of smooth. There are no abrupt changes. Flavors move around in a fluid motion. The complexity really hits home in the last third. And then I notice tremors in my hands. The cigar is attempting to live up to its PR. I find myself rocking in my chair the way Ray Charles did when he played piano. Yep. We have a sudden full body impact.

The last couple of inches are just a delight. The price point is spot on for this much quality. It is affordable. Just remember that it is important to give the cigar time to breathe in your humidor.

Another sip of water and the coffee jumps out at me. As the cigar bids a fond adieu, the main components are the smooth creaminess, caramel, sweetness, and earthiness. With the pepper being the cherry sitting atop of the other flavors.

Great cigar.

I would like to thank Jason Harding at BestCigarPrices.com for the samples.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: carlos torano, cigar review, cigar reviews by the katman, torano, vault, vault a-008