Cigar Weekly

Ringo · 03-19-2006, 02:38 PM

I've had some of these for several months but finally got around to smoking one.

This seems to be another cigar with wildly fluctuating reviews. First of all, yes it is strong. Therein lies the rub. I think that I am tiring of "super fuerte" cigars. It's not that they make me ill or queasy or anything, rather that they are too often one dimensional, as this Torano was.

It started out very harsh, bitter, and "thin." About 1/4 of the way in, the smoke got very thin and tasteless. After a few more puffs, it improved a little bit. I tried to take a picture of the ash, because you could actually see the spot where it did this - there was a sort of hole in the ash - but I knocked the ash off while fumbling with my phone cam and trying to start the camera and take a picture with one hand while holding the cigar in the other. So you'll have to use your imagination.

Anyway, it returned to normal but never really did much. If any flavor was present it was cocoa, but for the most part there was an underlying strong tobacco harshness which turned to ammonia at about 3/4. Not a nubber.

Of course, this is an extra strong cigar, the strongest from Torano. But I do not feel that I am denigrating a strong cigar for being strong - because there are some strong cigars out there with more balance. Super strong or not, the cigar should not be overwhelmed with bitter tastes. There should be some balance.

I much preferred the Signature Churchill that I had a couple of months ago. That cigar was excellent, with lots of different flavors and no harshness. This one is mediocre at best. 82/100

03-19-2006, 02:38 PM	#1
Ringo Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania Posts: 1,893	Carlos Torano Virtuoso Churchill I've had some of these for several months but finally got around to smoking one. This seems to be another cigar with wildly fluctuating reviews. First of all, yes it is strong. Therein lies the rub. I think that I am tiring of "super fuerte" cigars. It's not that they make me ill or queasy or anything, rather that they are too often one dimensional, as this Torano was. It started out very harsh, bitter, and "thin." About 1/4 of the way in, the smoke got very thin and tasteless. After a few more puffs, it improved a little bit. I tried to take a picture of the ash, because you could actually see the spot where it did this - there was a sort of hole in the ash - but I knocked the ash off while fumbling with my phone cam and trying to start the camera and take a picture with one hand while holding the cigar in the other. So you'll have to use your imagination. Anyway, it returned to normal but never really did much. If any flavor was present it was cocoa, but for the most part there was an underlying strong tobacco harshness which turned to ammonia at about 3/4. Not a nubber. Of course, this is an extra strong cigar, the strongest from Torano. But I do not feel that I am denigrating a strong cigar for being strong - because there are some strong cigars out there with more balance. Super strong or not, the cigar should not be overwhelmed with bitter tastes. There should be some balance. I much preferred the Signature Churchill that I had a couple of months ago. That cigar was excellent, with lots of different flavors and no harshness. This one is mediocre at best. 82/100 __________________ Kark: "Oddvar, maybe you want to go next." Oddvar: "I'm thinking, what's the worst thing that can happen to me if I don't do the attestup? I mean, what's worse than being crushed?"