Camacho Reviews

[mrtr33]

Camacho Liberty 2007

Country: Honduras
Size: 6 / 52
Vitola: Figurado
Wrapper: Maduro/Corojo Barber Pole
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras & Pre-Embargo Tobacco

It's was really humid last week, so, having decided on this particular cigar for my next Camacho review, I dry-boxed this since Tuesday in anticipation of a Saturday early-evening smoke. I've only smoked one other barber-pole-style cigar, a house blend the B&M in the town I used to live in kept in stock. it was okay. I don't think, however, there was as much disparity in the wrapper as this unique maduro/corojo blend.

Pre-light, the cigar had a consistent feel to it I've become accustomed to with the other Camacho's I've smoked. Not squishy, but not too firm. I usually moisten the cap before cutting, and the taste was really unique, very flavorful, just licking the cap. The cap cut perfectly, and the draw was perfect, even a little on the tight side, but not really that bad.

The first third of the cigar I was just trying to figure out what flavors were coming at me. There was definitely some spice, but there was a good amount of flavor as well. The flavor was unlike any of the past Camacho's I've smoked - almost like a sweet/spicy kind of taste. By the time I was halfway through the cigar, it was a very spicy stick. I was beginning to wonder how much more I could take. I did have a little trouble keeping the cigar burning evenly. I would have thought that by dry-boxing the stick for so long, we would be past that problem, but then again, I am learning to be accommodating to the humidity down here, and realize I still have some adjusting to do.

Once I hit that midway point, stopped smoking for a minute or so, the cigar changed. It mellowed out. It went from a spice bomb to almost a sweet-tasting cigar. The spice was still there in the background, but definitely not as prevalent as before. The cigar ended up getting kind of warm towards the end, and I would guess there was about 1/2" left of it by the time I tossed it. Smooth throughout, and characteristics that kept changing throughout the smoking experience. The ash held on reasonably well, maybe about an inch, then it was pretty easy to knock off. Lots of smoke throughout. Even at times when I wasn't puffing, it never went out, stayed lit very well.

Noticeable characteristics: The smoothness was really hard to ignore. I don't know if it was the aged filler, the blend of the wrapper, or a combination of both. I also liked how the flavor changed.

I wish it: lasted a bit longer. I don't think I even hit the 1 hour mark with this stick. Maybe it was too dry, maybe I was sucking it down too quickly. I don't know. It could also have burned a bit more evenly.

Overall rating: A-
The flavor of this stick easily makes this the most complex of the Camacho's I've tried. While I still couldn't say it was very full in body, it was definitely full in flavor. Very smooth throughout, never getting harsh. I would look for any of the Liberty series again.

[big bill]

Thanks for review being a newb these give me great info before purchasing but also under stand everyone has different tastes.but have found most of guys on this forum are right on. thanks again

[ashauler]

Nice review once again Mark!!

[mrtr33]

Camacho Diploma 11/18

Country: Honduras
Size: 6 / 52
Vitola: Figurado
Wrapper: Authentic Corojo
Binder: Authentic Corojo
Filler: Authentic Corojo

I recently moved to a very humid part of the country from a very dry part of the country. This has indeed had an impact on my cigar smoking, as I have found that I need to pay much more attention to keeping the humidity down in my cigars than up. For this week's review, I dryboxed this cigar since Tuesday evening, and am now thinking that either A) I really need to go with the coolerdor, or B) plan my smoking 5 days ahead of time.

This cigar is very similar in shape to the Camacho Liberty I smoked last weekend. To explain a bit more in detail, the middle of the cigar is wider than either the head or the foot of the cigar. Not quite like a perfecto, but interesting, none the less. It's construction is very nice, a few veins, but nothing protruding. Not too firm, but not inconsistent when squeezed. Pleasant, but nothing exotic when smelling the wrapper or the foot. I'm not 100% sure, but it looks to be triple-capped. I may be wrong about that, though.

Upon cutting the cap, the pre-light draw is very smooth; it almost draws too easily. I normally like them to be a bit tighter on the draw, but I can overlook it, for now. Almost immediately, there is lots of billowing, creamy white smoke. It seems almost comical how much smoke is coming from this cigar. Hindsight has me wondering if it wasn't the dryness of the cigar, noting that I had been dryboxing it for 5 days. The taste is really good as well. It's not got the complexity of the Liberty, nor the harshness of the Havana. it seems to have found a nice little balance between the two. Tastes of earthiness, rich tobacco, and just a touch of spice appear throughout the smoke. I wouldn't say that the flavor changes much, but rather stays consistent. Throughout the cigar, there is still tons and tons of smoke. While the flavors are consistent, the strength of the cigar would probably fall in the medium-full category.

The ash stays on for at least an inch, and is not easily knocked off. It's mostly white, with spots of gray. Never had a burn problem with this cigar, while it waved around a bit throughout, it was never something that I had to worry about. The cigar lasts maybe to the 3/4" mark, at just around the 70 minute mark. Part of me kind of wishes this cigar would last longer. I noticed this with the Liberty (same size) as well - but maybe that can be attributed to drying this cigar out as well.

Noticeable characteristics: Smoke volume. Consistent flavor. An burn that I didn't have to pay much attention to. Good flavor.

I wish it: Had been in my humidor earlier. Lasted longer. Cigars by different manufacturers of this same size seem to last at least 25% longer. Would have been phenomenal if the flavors developed throughout the cigar.

Overall rating: B++
Great smoke, definitely looking to pick up more of them, lots of great smoke, but, at least today, it either had to develop more of a flavor profile as the cigar went on, or it had to last longer to get bumped up to that 'A' rating for me.

[ashauler]

Very nice review Mark!! Thanks.

[mrtr33]

Camacho Triple Maduro

Country: Honduras
Size: 4.5 / 50
Vitola: Robusto
Wrapper: Honduras (Maduro)
Binder: Honduras (Maduro)
Filler: Honduras (Maduro)

So, this week's Camacho was the Triple Maduro. Several other members have done reviews on this cigar as well, but for completeness, I thought it important to include this cigar in this review series as well. I normally don't smoke cigars so small, but recently I've really been trying to reach out and smoke gauges and sizes I normally wouldn't (in an effort to broaden my cigar smoking experiences). At 4.5", and me with only a few hours while the wife was out running errands, I thought it was fitting.

There were zero construction problems with this cigar. A smooth, somewhat oily sheen to the wrapper, there were no protruding veins to speak of. When squeezed, this cigar was probably the firmest of all Camacho's I have reviewed to date. In addition, all components of the cigar (wrapper, binder, filler) are composed of maduro tobacco.

Clipping the cap revealed a few white-ish spots where I'd snipped the head. It wasn't mold, I'm thinking it was more like veins that had been wrapped in the filler. Anyway, the pre-light draw was somewhat loose, but not too much to be annoying. I proceeded to toast the foot and get this party started.

The cigar immediately provided flavor. Not surprising, as there isn't much size to this cigar. I don't know what else I would expect. Throughout smoking the cigar, I couldn't help but notice how much smoke was coming from this cigar. I normally would dry-box a cigar I'm going to smoke, seeing that the humidity is so high, but this time, I didn't, and it still burned very well. Lots of creamy white smoke, and a very even burn throughout.

As for taste, well, I'm afraid that the taste profile didn't change too much throughout, common of the Camacho line. But the flavors that I did taste were that of some coffee and bittersweet chocolate; but again, you probably wouldn't expect anything different from a completely maduro cigar. I must admit that I did have a piece of chocolate while smoking, something I picked up from DogWatch the other day. I don't know what affect that had on my taste buds, however. The ash was very firm, staying on easily over 1" in length. Twice I had to leave the cigar unexpectedly, and was still able to keep it going without re-lighting it.

Noticeable characteristics: Smoke volume, as it's absolutely insane. It's also very flavorful, and burned evenly throughout.

I wish it: was a bit spicier. Was a bigger vitola. But most of all, I wish it were not so expensive.

Overall rating: B
The Camacho Triple Maduro is a tasty smoke. It gives off a lot of smoke, and burns very easily. But there are plenty of other equally nice "black" cigars that can be had for a third of the price of this one, that offer more complex flavors that develop during the course of the cigar.

[badwhale]

Nice review, Mark. Again, I'm enjoying these Comancho reviews.

I think its great that other people have reviewed this before, and now you are.

Its like watching the news (which I quit doing.) You watch 3-4 news stations, and the tidbits that match from all the newscasts, are the facts.

Will

[Galvanicfish]

But there are plenty of other equally nice "black" cigars that can be had for a third of the price of this one, that offer more complex flavors that develop during the course of the cigar.

Any chance of listing a few those? I rather enjoyed the triple maduro, but not the price.

[mrtr33]

Any chance of listing a few those? I rather enjoyed the triple maduro, but not the price.

Certainly.

I'm almost positive the "black" cigars I refer to have a more formal name, or at least distinction. It should also be noted that I can't distinguish colors so well; the following cigars made my list of "black" cigars because that's what they look like to me. My favs list, in order:

Excalibur Dark Knight - my favorite, well above the rest
La Gloria Cubana Serie R - still pretty good
Partagas Black - good, but pricier
CAO Brazilia - ok. Not as good, but in same price range as the Dark Knight. My fav of the entire CAO line
Cohiba Black - more complex flavor, but just as pricey as the Camacho Triple Maduro
CAO Sopranos, but only the Boss - not as complex flavor, still as expensive as Camacho Triple Maduro, but nice none the less

While I'm at it, "kind-of-black" cigars I rather enjoy:

Ashton VSG - spicy
El Rico Habano - pleasant. Cheap. Nothing to write home about, but definitely a must try.

I'm not a big fan of San Luis Rey Serie G.

Hope that helps.

[Galvanicfish]

Thank you very much. I can only spend a small amount on cigars per month, so I want them to be good ones, and the sticks that taste best to me are the "Black and sorta black".

[CAJUNBLAZE]

Certainly.

I'm almost positive the "black" cigars I refer to have a more formal name, or at least distinction. It should also be noted that I can't distinguish colors so well; the following cigars made my list of "black" cigars because that's what they look like to me. My favs list, in order:

Excalibur Dark Knight - my favorite, well above the rest
La Gloria Cubana Serie R - still pretty good
Partagas Black - good, but pricier
CAO Brazilia - ok. Not as good, but in same price range as the Dark Knight. My fav of the entire CAO line
Cohiba Black - more complex flavor, but just as pricey as the Camacho Triple Maduro
CAO Sopranos, but only the Boss - not as complex flavor, still as expensive as Camacho Triple Maduro, but nice none the less

While I'm at it, "kind-of-black" cigars I rather enjoy:

Ashton VSG - spicy
El Rico Habano - pleasant. Cheap. Nothing to write home about, but definitely a must try.

I'm not a big fan of San Luis Rey Serie G.

Hope that helps.

mrtr33,

Thanks again for the great reviews!

I have been waiting for this review and thanks for the other suggestions.
You listed two of my other favorite cigars the Cohiba Black and the CAO Soprano.
The Dark Knight and the La Gloria Cubana Serie R will up in my list of must try smokes.

Rich

[mrtr33]

I should point out that the LGC Serie R I am referring to here are the Maduros. Have no experience with the naturals.

Definitely give the Dark Knights a shot. They are mighty tasty, and a great price. I did have a little bit of a draw problem with the torpedo shaped ones, but not so much with other vitolas.

Mark

[Spanky]

Thanks for the comprehensive review of the Camacho lineup.

The first cigar I ever smoked was a Camacho Havana2000 back in 2003 which was the stick that was responsible for getting me into the hobby. After reading your reviews I picked up some Corojo Maduro Monarcas a few weeks back and finally got around to smoking one. It was the perfect way to end a very long day.