Wrapper: Honduran Pinareño
Binder: Honduran Pinareño
Filler: Honduran Pinareño
Size: 6 x 52 Toro
Strength: Medium
Price: $20.00
Date Released: May 2025
Quantity Released: Regular Production
Factory: Fábrica de Puros Aladino, Jamastran Honduras

My cigars received 6 months of naked humidor time.

BACKGROUND:
Per Cigar Aficionado:
“Aladino is a smaller cigar brand that has been on the market for nearly 10 years. It was created by industry veteran Julio Eiroa, who’s known for bringing Cuban Corojo-seed tobacco to the Jamastran Valley in Honduras. The brand’s 85th Aniversario line—named for Eiroa’s 85th birthday, not the age of the brand—debuted earlier this year with a Robusto and Toro size. The line was originally meant to celebrate his 80th birthday, but the company waited until Eiroa felt the blend was right, and it appears to be a wise decision. The Toro, a Honduran puro, is a comforting smoke, with notes of almond paste and baking spices before a long finish reminiscent of a freshly baked cookie.”

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
Cigar Aficionado rated it 93. This blend received a consistent number of positive reviews. I’m adding to the pile up of thumbs up.

Aromas from the wrapper are subtle with notes of sugar cookies, floral, citrus, rich earthiness, and cinnamon candy.

I pierce the toast with my trusty PerfecPunch. It waits for me to provide a side eye in my approach to describing its bodaciousness. I smile. I’m in a good mood. The PP limps off because my thoughts of world peace change and I flick its disturbingly large ball sack. Dr. Rod received a trademark for humoresque.

The cold draw is fresh apples. Followed by smaller inclinations of floral spice, cedar, vanilla, Brazil nuts, earthiness, and cinnamon. It’s everything I expect from a $20 stick.

I don’t want to light the cigar. I’m happy allowing it to rest between cheek and gums. But then I have a duty to fulfill. After all, you pay me a lot of dough and as such, I plow ahead. With no going back, I begin the process of burning the cigar to the ground.

The blend begins with a lightness and then decodes its burning ember into a yeasty quality reminiscent of standing in a bakery at 5am while the industrial ovens are changing dough into bread. Flavors become fiery with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg and a touch of aged cedar. It continues to change with each puff digging deeper providing a look into the crazed brain of an expert blender. I remove the cigar from my mouth, and I notice a burn issue. Rather than put torch to foot to rectify the discrepancy, I tell it I will allow it work things out on its own while holding my hand behind my back with crossed fingers.

I checked several reviews and the floriated extolment was extraordinary. The kind you only see for a highly rated Cuban or an OpusX. Normally, I associate Honduran tobacco with the original Camacho blends which were piquant, potent, and brash. The Eiroa family strikes again but this time with a beautifully subtle approach.

The misfire of the burn self corrects. My S.T. Dupont lay dormant. I owned the Maxi Jet ($150 then, $300 now) for 10 years before it peacefully passed on to the gods of journeymen laborers. A year ago, I opted for the Dupont Biggy wide mouth ($350 then, $500 now). This isn’t inflation, this is pure greed. Social Security gave everyone a 2026 cost-of-living increase of 2.5%. Dupont raised their price 30%. But I love my Biggy. By far the best lighter I’ve owned. Dr. Rod gifted me with the $1500 Ligne 2 and while it is a lovely lighter, it is more high maintenance than Sally Albright. And it is more of a show piece to be used occasionally rather than for everyday use.
My Biggy:

The 85th moves slowly. Construction, except for an early mishap with the burn, is on point.

Licorice, or more aptly, anise moves in for the kill. An early floral note becomes more prominent. While the cinnamon was upfront, it now cedes to nutmeg. Creaminess kicks in with a flourish. I long ago walked into a room with flourish, but I was thinner.

It took only an inch for complexity to show its face. Earthiness is mild but lays down a nice baseline for strong depth and richness. The smooth nuttiness adds to the creaminess. And a surprising maltiness appears as inch two is mid stride.

The ash is stronger than dirt. While I relish having my balls burned by hot slag, I tap it to take further thrills off the table.

Inch three doubles down on vanilla and floral. Adjuncts are essential notes of a wider field of spices such as clove, mustard seed, and ginger.

During the late 1990’s, I played with a guy who was briefly the singer in the Brit blues band, Savoy Brown. Our power blues trio was full time for him while I worked a steady gig as a construction manager. We played out a lot and mornings came too soon. I’d spend my days slack jaw. The drummer once said to me, in a derisive manner, “You like 1 a lot.” Meaning I found the first beat of a bar the right place for a note instead of skimming over it. My reply, “James Brown insisted that 1 was everything and demanded his players observe it.” Our percussionist shut up after that.

This is a great cigar. If it becomes a well spring for eternal hope in the last third, I see it a part of my top 25 for 2026.

The first half showed itself to be the best morning cigar I’ve had in a while. The subtleties are enormous. An oxymoron that works for this reviewer.

As the second half begins, there isn’t a hint of black or red pepper, instead, the profile is enhanced by a light white pepper with lemon zest. Café au lait finds nurture. No sign of nicotine. Mild milk chocolate enters unflawed.

Inch three passes into oblivion. Inch four begins with a substantial bananarama flavor. The earthiness becomes sweet with overtones of apples and honey. A light toastiness begins. This is crazy. None of the flavors are boldly overt, but rather, understated and obvious in their approach. And yet, the blend still qualifies as a flavor bomb.

The coffee dissipates and the milk chocolate becomes stronger. A sweet Asian pear influence kicks in. I’m running out of adjectives.

I just realized that I’ve not taken a sip of water and I’m almost 90 minutes in. Now that’s cigar blending. A good bourbon will be a nice accompaniment, but aquamarine will do.

The singer in that blues band thought of himself a tough guy. Maybe he was. But when I went to his house (his girlfriend’s house), to pick up my last pay, he locked himself behind the gate so I couldn’t enter. He then went on a diatribe of how I placed an ad looking for a new band. After 10 minutes, I thought fuck it and turned and left. And he continued his job in the produce department at Whole Foods.

If I could, I’d lick the cigar up and down. But my tongueilinni cornelius bodine (I have names for all my body parts) is afraid of fire.

Flavors are popping despite food in my belly. I can’t recommend this cigar highly enough. What a pleasure it was. But it’s $20. Euro residents laugh at this and consider this a bargain. But then we don’t make as much dough as them.

This is a special cigar. While it is a regular production cigar, this is a sought-after blend, and nearly all retailers are sold out. It seems that most are allowing $2 off the price of each stick in both Robusto and Toro, but that’s the best deal I could find. If you know about better deals, please comment below. Your comrades will appreciate your help.

RATING: 97

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: Aladino 85 Aniversario Reserva Toro | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, katman, phil kohn