Wrapper: Dual Wrapper, Mexican San Andrés Maduro & Candela
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 52 Toro
Strength: Medium
Price: $22.60
Date Released: 2022
Quantity Released: Regular Production
Factory: Oscar Valladares Tobacco & Co. Danlí, Honduras

My cigars received 4 months of naked humidor time.

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
In the three years since its release, there have only been two reviews of this cigar. One was by Cigar Aficionado who rated it 91.

The 10th Anniversary comes in three sizes: Toro $22.60 (6 x 52), Sixty $25.19 (6 x 60), and Salomon $28.95 (7 x 60).

I can’t decide if the foot reminds me of a reservoir tip or a taquito dipped in guacamole.

This is a gumby and pokey feeling cigar full of heft and derogatory comments about our current political culture.

I bring cigar to schnoz and I blink heavily as the aroma of dark chocolate is extreme. Oh man, this is rare. It’s like a Snickers bar without the snicker. There is zero barnyard which is a nice oddity. I sniff the Candela laden tootsie footsie and get the expected notes of freshly mown grass…but with big overtones of chocolate.

My PerfecPunch is at attention. I salute. It gives me 6-7 but dives in. I go for the cold draw and the airflow is dead in the water. And you are way ahead of me. The foot is closed. I decide to leave it closed as I want the candela rush when I light the foot. The cold draw is chocolate. baking spices, slight mintyness, lemongrass, and black pepper.

Once lit, the knot looks like bad day at black rock or a blackhead on a teenager.

Within seconds, a warm inviting flavor profile begins. In order of appearance: sweet malt, milk chocolate, black coffee, lemongrass, black pepper, coconut, earthiness, and caramel. I smoked a couple during the early period upon receipt and came away with I’m glad I bought a ten pack. Now, I wish I hadn’t smoked three of them and gave another three away. Morons run in my family.

No two ways about it, the blend tastes beautifully aged. Plain and simple. So nice to find an expensive cigar that gives me the look of love early on. But the last two inches always tell the tale. And we are at least 13,000 words from there.

I loved the original Camacho brand when the first Eiroa ran things. Honduran tobacco was its primary source and they did it right. But since Davidoff bought the company and turned the blends into packs of Camels, there is no one really sourcing good Honduran consistently. Smart cookies will use the good stuff but mix it in with other origin leaves which is what is done here. So far, Oscar nailed it.

The first inch takes its time. The same way I do when I milk old Bossie in the south 40. The candela wrapper was the leader of the pack. The flavor profile will begin to change as the Mexican Maduro wrapper takes over.

I like Oscar Valladares blends. I’ve reviewed 6 of his blends since 2017. He has a loyal following as he should. I believe that some of his flash and dazzle has put off serious smokers. But the man produces solid smokes.

This is a lovely cigar as I’m deep into inch 2. The warm thing is from an earthy depth that one rarely sees, especially in the first third of any cigar. A bit of leather in the background. The sweet portion of chocolate and caramel works. And the savory lingers from the candela influence of grassiness and lemon. The spiciness of the black pepper is mild and attractive as it gives the smoke a little kick in the pants. And strength is a solid medium. What’s to complain about?

I check out a lot of reviewers. I swear that a lot of them don’t like anything they smoke. Am I right? Nothing gets a decent score. I get it a little. But change it up a bit and bring the good stuff to your reader’s attention occasionally. Taking the self-imposed term ‘critic’ to heart is silly. Before your readers even check your latest review, they know ahead of time that you won’t like the cigar. OK, I don’t get it. But then, you my readers, are the normal ones. Sort of.

My first sip of water. If I don’t imbibe in the morning, my wrinkles spread like baby oil at a Diddy party.

The grassiness dissipates. Creaminess enters and makes the chocolate even better. This is turning into a dessert bar. And since the strength is medium, a very nice cigar with coffee in the morning.

The first third was fun because of the candela. As I near the end of the first half, the cigar’s character changes as the last vestige of the green leaf’s influence is gone. A citrusy element comes to the fore. This is always tricky for a blender. Too much citrus influence and the cigar goes down with the ship. How do they balance it? No idea. But so far, the creaminess does its job and the lemon goodness reminds me of Nilla Wafer with lemon icing. Which leads me to note that a wonderful vanilla essence enters as I see the second half in my future. The transitional characteristics are top notch.

During my music studio days, I spread myself thinner than pimiento cheese on pumpernickel. I had a couple writing gigs for local newspapers. One got me a press pass for the Long Beach Gran Prix. Security was lax in those days. So while I wasn’t technically allowed in the pits, I just finagled my way in. My recording studio was just a block from the track and we were forced to shut down for three days. I had nothing to do and I made the most of it. I met gorgeous girls. I met celebrities. I smoked joints openly. I was nearly run over by a driver who mistook my body for a turn. And I spent two days getting my ears blown out. For the next week, every time my studio engineer asked how’s the level, I responded with, “It’s 10:15. I’m fine, thanks.”

The second half debuts its sweet spot immediately. No messin’ around. There are no new flavors, just added intensity to the ones already discussed. The blend is super smooth without a single crispy edge or hangnail. This is a good cigar. But I am near the fail-safe point of the last third.

We are going to get our first snow on Saturday here in Milwaukee. Fuck.

Second sip of water and I’m swimming in a sea of swarming simbas. That’s a good thing.

Sammy the Cat is spiraling around my feet craving attention. I tell him get in line…and stop speed boxing with my scrotum. It keeps bouncing off the floor and sort of feels good.

A terrific morning smoke with coffee and the Stooges on the tube.

I know this is an expensive cigar. Shit, what isn’t anymore? At least this one delivers the goods.

The sweet spot goes into hyperdrive. Wow. Like a light switch was flipped. Absolutely outstanding. I shall now use my Cone of Silence while vaping my Way Back Machine and slow things down so I can snickerdoodle this thing as long as possible. If that made sense to you, you’re in the right place.

I’m as tired of writing as you are of reading. This is a solid buy. Right to the end, not a lick of harshness, zero nicotine, flavorful to the nines, and complex as hell.

You can purchase the Oscar Valladares 10th Anniversary from sponsor Cigar Page. CP has added two sizes (Toro & Salomon) to the Katman’s Inventory Mal-funk-tion Fiver Fest page. If you go to the regular Cigar Page sales page with the Oscar 10th Anniversary cigars, you will see that this Toro doesn’t go for the retail price of $22.60 but goes for only $16.42.

But wait, not today my friends…oh no. Alex at CP has done you a killer solid. Only $13.35 each. That’s more than $9.00 savings per cigar of what others sell this gem for. Holy crapola. No discount code on the planet will get you here. It is the blood bond I have with the folks at Pagina dei Sigari.

Go to the Katman’s Inventory Mal-funk-tion Fiver Fest page and save serious dough. Now subscribe to my blog or I make Cigar Page go poof.

RATING: 96

3 DAYS TO GO! DON’T LET JOHN LAW DROP THE BASS!

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar page, cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, katman, Oscar Valladares, Oscar Valladares 10th Anniversary | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, phil kohn