Wrapper: Honduran Corojo Sun Grown
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 52 (Box Press)
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $8.50

Today we take a look at the 2012 by Oscar Rebirth Edition Corojo.
Bought at my local B&M 8-9 weeks ago.

This new line by Oscar contains 3 blends: Connecticut, Corojo, and Maduro.
All come in just one size: 6 x 52 Toro. A 4 x 54 and a 6 x 60 will be released sometime this year.

DESCRIPTION:
This is a nice looking wrapper with hues of cinnamon, gingerbread and pumpkin.
The stick is not solid with lots of soft spots. It feels under filled in places.
There is one long vein prominent on the cigar band side. Seams are unseen. A nicely applied triple cap.

AROMAS AND COLD DRAW POINTS:
From the shaft, I can smell strong elements of cream and red pepper. A bonus addition of milk chocolate, cinnamon, black coffee, cedar, and caramel.

From the clipped cap and the foot, I can smell red pepper, luscious creaminess, milk chocolate, cedar, coffee, caramel, peanuts, and sunflower seeds.

The cold draw presents flavors of red pepper, black coffee, chocolate, cedar, cream, and caramel.

FIRST THIRD:
The draw is a little too thin for my tastes. The cigar is not packed correctly causing this discomforting issue. I expect this to be a quick smoke.

First up…red pepper, cedar, cream, chocolate and an odd veggie flavor.

I checked and while the cigar trio has been on the market for over 6 months, I found only a single review of the Corojo and none for the Maduro or Connie. I may have stepped into the shit once again.

The 2012 by Oscar Rebirth Edition Corojo is not kicking into gear. Damn. I had a couple of Maduros I bought at the same time as the Corojo and smoked them only a month in and weren’t bad. So naturally, I pick the wrong blend to review.
There is just a faint enticement of the waning flavors.

I am underwhelmed at this blend. I’ve smoked other blends by Oscar and they weren’t too bad. But this baby tastes like a $2 bundle cigar.
As infrequently as I review (until the IPCPR sticks start rolling in), I hate using valuable space for a dud.

SECOND THIRD:
It’s taken less than 15 minutes to get through the first third.

Only now, flavors kick up a notch. And I’m stretching here to try and make this some sort of cigar review but this is a true dog turd. Maybe a camel turd.

As only one other reviewer chose to review this new line, I’m guessing the others passed on it so as not to offend Oscar Valladares. But your Grandpa Katman is here to warn you; not ignore you.

I’m desperately fighting in the trenches trying to describe some sort of character or disposition but I’m past the fail safe point and I’m going all the way. Damn the torpedoes. What I should have done is shit can this review and try something else tomorrow.

The draw is so wispy and lame that I’m sure it contributes to the total lack of flavors other than some spiciness.

I mean there isn’t a fucking lick of flavor in this cigar. WTF? But at least it’s not cheap.
Over two months of humi time should have at least shown me potential. Or did it pass its expiration date a month ago? I say we cut off its balls and make it walk the plank.

The construction, despite its nice appearance, is way off base. I have box pressed Aging Room F55 and a La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Reserva in my hand and both are solidly packed the way God intended.
The burn becomes a serious issue at this point.

It really annoys the fuck out of me when reviewers are cowardly due to the fear that they may burn a bridge with a manufacturer. Nothing is more important to them. Not conveying the truth about something you may stumble upon and purchase and then have deep buyer’s remorse. But then all the Big Guy reviewers are tied directly to the Military Cigar Industrial Complex. They have no loyalty to their readers. Do you guys get this? Over 6 months of being on the market and not a single big guy reviewer wrote about any of these blends?

I’ve smoked better Quorums.

I’ve only reviewed 3 other Oscar blends and smoked more than that but refused to review others. All 3 were just OK…nothing special. Inconsistency seems to be the mantra here.
Hay. That’s it…plus a touch of black pepper.

I would really like to just toss the 2012 by Oscar Rebirth Edition Corojo. But then maybe there is a hidden treasure in the last third? Ha. Good luck with that.

You can buy this new line from Valladares at most big online stores. Normally, I wouldn’t complain about an $8.50 stick because of the crime against humanity prices new cigars are posting. It’s fucking ridiculous that the $14 cigar has becoming the new $10 cigar. C’mon! Things are way out of control. I don’t buy increase in costs scenario that many manufacturers use to justify raping you.

Because most manufacturers hate me for being honest, I’ve been priced out of the review market. Not to mention, most of you think that spending over $10 is a mortal sin requiring some serious genuflecting.

The spiciness is gone now. It leaves hay and turd covered peanuts in its wake. Maybe some corn too.
And best of all? Not a lick of flavor, transitions, complexity, character, balance, or finish.

LAST THIRD:
OK. Only 30 minutes to get here. Now that’s a winner for an $8.50 Toro.

I truly look forward to my first cigar of the day when my palate is fresh. I hate it when I waste my time, and yours, on a blend when I can’t get into the Way Back Machine and make a different choice.
I have no recollection of smoking a cigar that had absolutely no flavor from start to finish. This may be a first. Oh wait. Gurkha.

Now this is a Corojo. It should be kicking field goals one after another.

The PR says it’s medium/full. It never got past mild/medium. Now I like a lot of mild/medium blends. There are some great sticks out there that provide plenty of kick in the arse without making you blind from nicotine poisoning.

The char line issues are exasperating.

And then the buried dog turd becomes almost palatable with some real flavors…The spiciness of the Corojo returns. Creaminess, salted nuts, chocolate, cedar, and dried fruit appear and I’m so grateful that I don’t have to sludge my way through the end of the cigar without something positive to say.

Strength, instead of becoming stronger, goes mild on me. No hint of medium strength any longer.
The balance is way off with black pepper totally over shadowing the new faint flavors.

I blinked. Flavors have totally disappeared. Fucking great.

I’ve been tempted to smoke this stick for over a month while thinking the hell with the review. I wish I had followed my instincts.

At least you know that this blend is not for you. While there are two other blends in this new Oscar line, I believe spending your hard earned money on any of them is just a waste of greenbacks.

Bitterness and harshness settle in with still 1-1/2” to go. Manny Mota! Jesus Alou!

What was Valladares thinking? Did I get a bad cigar? What would a good one taste like?
The 2012 by Oscar Rebirth Edition Corojo is done. I can’t endure finishing it. My bad for not heeding the clues that this was a dog turd.
Smoke time for 5″ is 37 minutes.

RATING: Using the specially formulated Katman Algorithms rating system, this stinker gets a 30.

And now for something completely different:
A tale of New York City, commercial construction, and the mob.

Back in the 90’s, La Guardia Airport was going through some renovations. I was the senior project manager for the high end foo foo gingerbread stuff while working for a company in Phoenix. We did glass rail and other non-ferrous construction. I had to fly there regularly.

What I didn’t know, going into this, was the corrupt stranglehold the unions had on everything.

The Iron Workers union business agent had decided to charge us triple time without rhyme or reason. We went back and forth for a month on this and I got nowhere. The owner of my company was a weasel who told me to take care of it but would not get involved himself. No back bone. I was watching my budget go down the drain.

Each time I arrived at the job site, my hired NYC crews were nowhere to be seen. Other trades would get on their radios, alerting my men, that I was there so by the time I got back to where they were supposed to be working, there they were with an Alfred E. Newman look on their faces…”What? Me worry?”
I finally demanded a meeting with the local BA. I had to scuttle this triple time thing in the bud or we would take a horrendous loss on the job.

We were to meet at the Waldorf Astoria. It was winter and very cold.
I stood in the lobby waiting. They were late. They were sending me a message. I was unimportant. I got it.

And then they walked in. Four guys in trench coats. All huge guys. Like a Godfather movie.
And they all sounded very New York.

“Hey. How you doin’?”

The BA and I shook hands but the other 3 refused. We went into the empty dining room and sat down.
The BA and I sat at one table and the other three sat at separate tables all by their lonesome. They had surrounded me.

“Didja’ know that I’m the third BA in a year for this local?”
“No.” Gulp.
“Yeah, that’s right. The last BA just disappeared one night about 3 months ago. Hasn’t been seen from since. So I got the job.”
Double gulp.

And then he leaned into me and asked why I was causing so many problems? I told him that there was no basis for charging me triple time during ordinary working hours.
All four of them laughed hard.

“Look here, kid…I say its triple time so that’s what it is. Capisce?”
I told him my budget would not allow for that.
They laughed again.

I was literally pissing my pants. I was going to get whacked if I pursued this.

When I insisted that we pay them standard pay, one of the guys opened his coat to show me his shoulder holster. He never said a word.

“You should know how t’ings run around here, kid. It goes like I say it goes. Capisce?”

My mouth was so dry, I couldn’t speak so I just shook my head. I didn’t have a shoulder holster.

And with that, they got up and marched out the front door of the hotel. Actually, more of a swagger.
I went back to my hotel and said, “Fuck it.” I opened the pay bar and downed two bottles of booze one after the other. It was 10am.

I lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. What if I had really pushed it? Would I have disappeared?

I called the owner of my company and told him how it went. He was pissed off at me for not “handling” it correctly. I got mad. I yelled into the phone, “Well, why the fuck don’t you fly out here and you can straighten it out?”
Click.

And of course, I was held completely responsible for the job going way over budget.
I really hate construction. I’m so glad I’m retired. I shouldn’t have given up on music.

UPDATE:
My first grandchild, Scott, is now 7 days old. He has morphed into Derek Zoolander. Magnum.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: 2012 by Oscar Rebirth Edition Corojo | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, cigar review, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, oscar valladeres