The Blast is back, or maybe never left

For many years my friend Brian's go to cigar was Camacho. He would sit there, not say much but just smoke away. He was a big fan of strong powerful smokes. His attitude was if you don't feel the intensity of a cigar, why bother to smoke at all.

Move forward and Camacho went through several changes in owners, production and blends. They pushed a new marketing scheme, bold new labeling and to me got very confusing. The approach got too diverse to know what you were smoking. Perhaps they were looking for a new demographic of smoker, a younger hipper crew. I am sure they had a plan and if it was successful more power to them. For me, I stopped smoking this brand.

So recently I was sent a sample from the crew at Cigars.City.com to review the Camacho American Barrel- Aged Toro.  As always who and how I received the cigar does not impact my thoughts when I write a review. I look at all aspects of the cigar , keep an open mind and give an honest appraisal of my thoughts. 

Brand/ Name of Cigar:

Camacho/ American Barrel Aged

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Size:  6.0 x 5.0

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf

Filler: American, Honduras

Shape: Toro

Price: $7.89 single ( sale price ) Box of 20, $191.34 from Cigarscity.com.

Where and when smoked: Los Angeles , Ca. 3/27/16

Appearance / Construction:

Very brown with a red hue to the cigar which makes it a good looking specimen. Small minor veins in the wrapper not an issue. Firm to the touch and oily. The labels are an added attraction with very detailed information about the cigar. I liked this approach. This is a fine looking smoke.

Flavor/ Taste and Aroma:

The first third was a start of distinct mix of wood, orange and spice.  I was waiting for a flavor bomb of Bourbon but maybe I missed it, but did not get this yet. This is a  rich smoke of a troika of hardy flavors.  The Bourbon undoubtedly will show up later. Smooth to the palate, and the aroma was soothing.

Smoking Characteristics:

There was a slight burn issue at this point but it was a minor blip. Good looking grey ash, now getting more of a Bourbon kick. This was not overpowering but a steady flavor blast.  Continued with the combo of wood, orange and now cedar.  This is a strong but sweet tasting cigar. It stayed lit throughout the life of the smoke. 

Conclusion/ Overall impression:

This is a winning blend of taste, flavor and construction. Camacho has a product they can be proud  of. It was enjoyable and a worthy of any humidor.

The numbers look this way.

Appearance/ Construction: 4 out of 5

Flavor/ Taste and Aroma: 4.2 out of 5

Smoking Characteristics: 4 out of 5

Conclusion/ Overall Impression: 4.2 out of 5

Final Thoughts: 

A great cigar for the seasoned cigar smoker. Full bodied but not harsh.  For those who might think it is too full bodied, perhaps aging would mellow the blend a bit. I would suggest try it , wait a month and try it again. Make the comparison and let me know if you notice any difference.

Keep smoking.