Today, we try out the Don Tomas Special Edition and render our verdict.

CIGAR BISTRO Review
Don Tomas Special Edition
Vital Statistics:
Country: Handmade, Honduras
Size: Corona – 5 1/2 x 42
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: natural
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan and Mexico
Strength: Mild

The Feel: The Don Tomas Special Edition corona is solid, with a good heft. The wrapper is light brown with a smoothly rich look and feel to it.
The Smell: The Don Tomas Special Edition had a mild, slightly-sweet tobacco smell, prior to lighting. After it was lit, the Don Tomas slowly moved through a series of aromatic changes: from very mild, slightly sweet all the way to a more-satisfying (to this smoker) flavorful finish.
The Cap: The cap was firmly attached and cut easily.
The Draw: The draw of this Don Tomas was excellent during the entire smoke.

Don Tomas Special Edition NOTES:

Before lighting it, the Don Tomas has was a joy to smell: rich and creamy, with sweet tobacco overtones.

Readers know that I prefer heavier tasting cigars, but the Don Tomas proved to be one of the exceptions to my rule. It was tasty!

What’s more, the smoke got steadily more tasty–especially after about halfway through the Don Tomas. Though it’s a mild cigar, the smoke was rich and flavorful, like a more robust cigar–without the occasional bite.

One of the best compliments you can give a cigar is to say, “I look forward to smoking another.” I paid that very compliment to the Don Tomas three days after smoking the corona.

On a trip to Washington DC, I stopped at a little smoke shop and after looking over their stock, came back to a Don Tomas. This time, however, I purchased a Churchill. If anything, the experience was even better: I enjoyed it immensely while driving the next 116 miles.

MORE on Don Tomas Special Edition cigars:

Don Tomas Special Edition Connecticut cigars are distinguished by their silky, smooth-smoking U.S.-grown Connecticut Shade wrappers. Inside is a rich blend of Dominican, Mexican and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos for a creamy, toasty, mild to medium-bodied flavor with a marvelous aroma. This bestselling blend is a great way to introduce yourself to the Don Tomás family of fine cigars.

Don Tomás Special Edition Connecticut are a smooth-smoking, well-made blend of choice longfiller tobaccos from the DR, Mexico & Nicaragua encased in an aromatic US Connecticut Shade wrapper. A good, satisfying and affordable cigar you can enjoy everyday.

FINAL VERDICT:

The Don Tomas Special Edition was a great little smoke. We smoked three total, two coronas and one Churchill. Smoking is such a personal pleasure, but I’d say that “Toasty and tasty” were the words that popped into my mind while enjoying them.

FINAL CIGAR BISTRO SCORE:

Intangibles (Feel, Heft, Smell, Cap): 9.5
Wrapper: 8.5
Draw: 9.5
Flavor: 9
Aroma while Smoking: 8.5
Smoking Experience: 9
Value: 9.5

Total: 63.5/70

The Don Tomas made my list of “cigars to enjoy while driving by yourself on a trip.” In my opinion, it is also a tremendous value. It smokes like a cigar costing half as much more.

by Mondo Frazier
images: DBKP Cigar Bistro; Famous Smoke Shop Don Tomas Special Edition Connecticut Cigars
Two Don Tomas cigars obtained through: Trinity Insight LLC; One purchased from Quality Tobacco Shop.

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CIGAR BISTRO Review
Olor Fuerte
Vital Statistics:
Country: Handmade, Honduras
Size: Corona – 5 1/2 x 42
Wrapper: Talanga Cubano
Binder: Mexican San Andreas
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan and Brazilian
Strength: Medium

The Feel: The Olor Fuerte Corona is solid and well-packed, with a good heft. The wrapper is dark brown with a very slightly oiled look and feel to it.
The Smell: The Olor Fuerte had an assertive tobacco smell, prior to lighting. When smelling the unlit tobacco, there’s no doubt this will be a tasty smoke. After it was lit, the Olor Fuerte’s aroma progressed through a series of delightful changes: from slightly sweet all the way to a robust luxury tobacco finish.
The Cap: The cap was firmly attached and cut easily.
The Draw: The draw of this Olor Fuerte was excellent during the entire smoke.

Olor Fuerte NOTES:

Even before lighting it, the Olor Fuerte was a smoke that I anticipated, due to the smooth, sheer smell of tobacco it emitted.

Readers know that I prefer heavier tasting cigars, and that’s one reason I enjoyed this cigar from start to finish: it was a solid “man’s smoke”, but not so much that it bit your tongue after I got into the halfway point.

The smoke got steadily more tasty–especially after about I’d smoked about a third of the Olor Fuerte. Some have described the cigar as having the taste of “cream.” I would say it is more “creamy” with a rich taste. I use the word “lightly-oiled” to describe such a flavor, but that’s a compliment. It’s a fine, rich medium smoke, especially after the cigar rounded the turn coming home.

We look forward to when next we renew our acquaintance with the Olor Fuerte.

MORE on Olor Fuerte cigars.

Olor Fuerte cigars are for cigar smokers who want that sweet ‘Old Havana’ flavor and aroma at a good price. Sporting a luscious, dark-natural Talanga Cubano wrapper and a rich 3-nation filler, the Corona is an especially bold, yet creamy-smooth smoke. Highly rated by Famous customers – a must try!

Designed to appeal to the tastes of cigar smokers who want a good medium-to-full-bodied smoke, we went all out on Olor Fuerte. This heartier Olor blend consists of robust Dominican, Nicaraguan and Brazilian fillers with a Mexican San Andreas binder surrounded by a zesty, dark-natural Talanga Cubano wrapper. The result is a remarkably smooth and complex cigar with lots of sweet, creamy smoke that’s hearty, yet not overpowering. Try a box and you may agree with what we said: ‘Oh Lord!’

FINAL VERDICT:

The Olor Fuerte was a fine smoke. We smoked three total,lighting up two of them in a row. The entire time we smoked through those two Olor Fuertes, we can honestly say we enjoyed every minute of them.

I’d recommend the Olor Fuerte to anyone who’s looking for a cigar that’s a stage below a truly “heavy” smoke.

FINAL CIGAR BISTRO SCORE:

Intangibles (Feel, Heft, Smell, Cap): 9.5
Wrapper: 9
Draw: 9.5
Flavor: 8.5
Aroma while Smoking: 8.5
Smoking Experience: 9
Value: 7

Total: 61/70

The Olor Fuerte goes onto my list as a “enjoyably-dependable cigar for occasional smoking.”

One final look at the Olor Fuerte’s luxurious wrapper.

Ummmmm…

by Mondo Frazier
images: DBKP Cigar Bistro; Famous Smoke Shop Olor Fuerte Cigar
Two Olor Fuerte cigars obtained through: Trinity Insight LLC; One purchased from Tobacco Warehouse.

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CIGAR BISTRO Review
Rockey Patel American Market Selection
Vital Statistics:
Country: Handmade, Honduras
Size: Corona – 5 1/2 x 42
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan & Honduran combination
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras
Strength: Mild

The Feel: The Rocky Patel AMS Corona is solid and well-packed, but lighter than it appears. The wrapper is tan/light brown and smooth.
The Smell: The RP AMS had a mild tobacco smell, prior to lighting. and others have described as “caramel.” After it was lit, the RP AMS had a smooth “woodsy” flavor, with more of a “heavy cream” flavor after the halfway point.
The Cap: The cap was well-attached and cut easily.
The Draw: The draw of this Rocky Patel AMS was excellent.

Rockey Patel American Market Selection NOTES:

The RP AMS was a mild smoke. In fact, after first lighting this cigar, I struggled to taste all of the flavor.

I prefer heavier tasting cigars, so the fact that the Rocky Patel American Market Selection got “tastier” after the first 10 minutes or so–around the one-quarter smoked mark–made this corona more personally enjoyable after that point was reached.

Holding the smoke and slowly exhaling it, the flavors alternated between woodsy–some have called it “cedar-like”–and a smooth heavy cream taste. The flavors became became more distinct and enjoyable after the three-quarters mark–but that is just a personal preference.

One note to enjoying this cigar: take some extra between draws.

MORE on Rocky Patel American Market Selection Cigars.

Lush, mellow-smoking cigars from Rocky Patel in an affordably-priced ‘American Market Selection.’ Also referred to as ‘AMS,’ the term comes from the mild, light-colored wrappers that were preferred by American smokers early in the 20th Century. Blended with long-aged Nicaraguan & Honduran longfillers rolled in silky, Ecuadorian Connecticut wrappers, the smoke is medium-bodied, creamy, and very aromatic with subtle flavors of sweet cedar and spice throughout. A *must-smoke* and a great buy!

FINAL VERDICT:

The RP American Market Selection was a good smoke. Was it a spectacular smoking event like some other cigars I’ve experienced? I can’t honestly say that it was.

However, if you are looking for a mild, solid cigar–as I sometimes am–to smoke in between a couple of “heavy hitters,” this Rocky Patel might just be the palate cleanser you’re looking for.

FINAL CIGAR BISTRO SCORE:

Intangibles (Feel, Heft, Smell, Cap): 7.5
Wrapper: 8.5
Draw: 9.5
Flavor: 7.5
Aroma while Smoking: 8.5
Smoking Experience: 8
Value: 6

Total: 55.5/70

I smoked the Rocky Patel AMS corona twice: the first time after another mild-medium smoke; and, the second time, after a full-flavored cigar with a Maduro wrapper. Personally speaking, the second time was the more memorable of the two smokes.

by Mondo Frazier
images: DBKP Cigar Bistro;stoogie review; Famous Smoke Shop
Rocky Patel American Market Selection cigars obtained through: Trinity Insight LLC

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