Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
Binder: Dominican ’98 Criollo
Filler: Esteli, Nicaraguan * Cibao, Dominican (All Ligero leaves from both countries)
Size: 6.25 x 52 “Belicoso”
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $6.25 by the box

The limited release of this cigar has become a yearly (9 Years) tradition. Only 750 boxes are made each production run. And that’s why I am interested in this cigar. This brand is a huge seller for the CI conglomerates. They tend to be good cigars for newbies and smokers that like easy going cigars. I smoked them when they first came out and I remember smoking one, then letting the rest marinate a month or two longer, then smoking one and..well, you get the picture. They did not overwhelm me. But they are a solid, inexpensive, well-made line of cigars.

The blend is made by Manuel Quesada. And the cigar comes in this one size only. The description of this stick says that all the tobacco is “extensively aged.” And the word, “Bold” is another descriptive. Also, “Smooth and refined fashion.”

This is a big cigar. It is covered in Frankenstein-like veins, or arteries…if you’re a Dracula fan. The Ecuadorian wrapper is a medium brown with a slight reddish hue. The stick is jam packed with tobacco. And the cap is Pointy-Perfection. The light shows an oily glimmer. And the wrapper is very smooth to the touch.

The main cigar band is typical 5 Vegas style. Simple, but elegant. The foot band is something else. It is a double band with the inner band being gold paper that emerges slightly from the outer white band with a huge 13 on it. The top of the gold band has the word, “Limitada” written on it over and over. Sort of dashing looking. And perfect for Halloween.

I clip the cap. And remember; never cut a torpedo, or belicoso, below the shoulder. If you do, there is a huge chance the cigar’s wrapper will unravel. So use your best cutter for this task.

I find aromas of cocoa, eye watering spice, sweet tobacco, floral and citrus elements, and coffee.
Time to light up.

Sweetness shows itself first. It is very toasty as well. And then a myriad of flavors come forth. There is some dark coffee; not quite espresso. An elusive nuttiness that I shall figure out later in the cigar. Surprisingly, the cigar is devoid of any spiciness. I’ve had the cigars in my humidor for a month and fully expected to get a good bird’s eye view of the blend; if not a peek into it.

The char line is wavy. The top cigar band is too close to the cap but it is stuck in place without any movement possible. Rich earthiness and natural tobacco components add verve to the cigar.

I was concerned about how hard the cigar was in terms of draw but my worries were for naught. The draw is spot on. It’s not a very smoky cigar, though.

At the moment, the cigar is mild in body. At the half inch mark, my beloved spiciness arrives slowly building; starting as black pepper and moving forward into red pepper. It emboldens the other flavors and new ones arrive: Cocoa, espresso, and leather.

A sip of water creates a rush of flavors on my palate. The sweetness really stands out. The first third nears its end. While I would not say that this cigar has a unique profile, it is enjoyable.

Spiciness has ratcheted up big time. It is P. Garcia strong. And somewhat of a delayed expectation.

You remember when you buy a can of salted mixed nuts at the grocery and that wonderful aroma as you pop the protective seal? I can taste that. But then the nuts have acted just like cigars in a humidor. Picking up the nuances of the cigars sitting alongside them. And then the nuts don’t have a very distinctive flavor as opposed to buying a bag of singular nuts. My friend, Wally, has a singular nut.

What I am meandering about is that I can taste a bit of almond, a bit of peanut, a bit of hazelnut, and a bit of cashew. I shall call it the Allpeahazelcash nut.

The perfect cap ain’t so perfect anymore. And I have to trim it. It looks like a firecracker exploded.

The body hits medium at the second third. The sweetness still leads the pack but the nuttiness is right behind. The tobacco is lovely and rich and earthy. Behind that is the cocoa and espresso. The spice is tongue tingling potent.

I near the halfway point and the nuttiness confines itself to a very strong peanut flavor. I don’t believe I have smoked a cigar with such a strong influence of the poor little peanut.

The cigar remains toasty throughout. And after that early encounter with a wavy burn line, the char line has remained very sharp ever since.
The body remains at full meaning that the full part of medium/full will occur in the last couple of inches.

While this cigar is pleasant enough, it is not an overly impressive cigar. Maybe a month in the humidor is not enough. It is most times; if for nothing else than giving a strong impression of what is to come some months down the road. This makes me remember why I don’t purchase 5 Vegas. They are old school cigars that need 6 months to mature.

But the price point is good; even better on Cbid where I got a 5 singles for $5 each. It was higher than expected and clearly, there are smokers clamoring for this blend.

The flavor profile is mainly toffee peanuts. A toffee flavor emerges just past the halfway point. It has a brown sugar element. The stick has a very long finish accentuated by taking sips of water between puffs. The espresso and cocoa flavors have moved to the background. I keep hoping that I will hit the sweet spot and flavors will explode; but so far: nothing. I would consider this a mild flavored cigar.

I am spoiled from smoking such good cigars as the Torano Virtuoso, the Alec Bradley Raices Cubanas 1941, and the Sosa Classic in which the cigars became instant flavor bombs from the first inch.

I’m getting bored with this cigar. I always review cigars first thing in the morning when my palate is clean and fresh. Thereby, experiencing the best a cigar can give. And this stick is pooping out on me.

I enter the last third hoping for resurrection. The stick becomes much smokier. And a buttery smooth creaminess appears. It brings out the sweetness of the toffee and the nuts. There is also a butterscotch element that is welcome. The body remains at classic medium.

The spiciness moves far into the background. The cocoa and espresso are gone. Without finishing the last third, I would consider this a knock-around cigar; not a special limited batch wonder. You’d think with the massive influence of the New Breed Tattooed Ones blending techniques, it would have rubbed off on the folks at 5 Vegas. It has not.

In most scenarios, I would have put the cigar down and moved on by now. But as a member of the Cigar Reviewer’s Union #118, I cannot do that.
On a different subject, my buddy Jason Harding of BestCigarPrices.com sent me something special to review. The Alec Bradley Tempus Robolo…4.5 x 60. Jason told me a few days in my humidor should do the trick after I dry boxed them for 48 hours. So I look forward to that.

He also sent me some pre-release Rocky Patel Royale and Platinum cigars. And a real treat: The Foundry Elements V for Vanadium cigar. These are almost impossible to get. I did review the Plutonium that was gifted to me by dear friend Ana Cuenca of Cuenca Cigars.

I was killing time hoping that a few minutes of rest would invigorate the 5 Vegas. It did not. Even the toffee peanut flavor is disappearing. I’m left with a creamy, earthy cigar flavor profile.

Now with only a couple inches to go, dear reader, I am afraid that I cannot recommend this cigar. No matter that it is a limited run of 750 boxes. I took a break from typing and looked at a couple other reviewers’ opinions of this cigar and they come up with the same conclusion as I. Too bad. I have a couple left and I will let them rest for several months and try again. If there is a massive change, I will amend this review.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: 5 vegas limitada 2013, cigar review, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, google