The Terrible Cigar Club

Caldwell

I don't usually smoke big cigars like this but this one is fantastic. Peppery, creamy, and a bit sweeter than I was expecting. Halfway through the pepper went almost completely away but then came back in the final 3rd. Great ash almost 2 inches long before it ashed. Nearly perfect burn aside from after ashing when I had to touch it up. Solid all-around, awesome cigar. Paired with Flor de Caña 12-year aged rum.

Camacho

Stanley Cup Final game 4, let's go Cats! I had never heard of this cigar before I got one in a subscription and once I smoked it I realized I had to get another. Camacho is a pretty well-known brand, but for whatever reason, I had never seen this particular blend. It's fantastic. The cold draw gives notes of barnyard and leather with a hint of sweet grass. As I lit up, the barnyard flavor really stood out with a little mustiness, but by the time the shaggy foot burned down to the start of the wrapper, the mustiness turned into leather and that sweet grass/wheatgrass flavor popped out. Around an inch in, the slightest hint of mint appeared. The draw has been perfect and the burn almost as good as it can get, with some very mild running which is cleared up very quickly on its own. The ash is spectacular, lasting half of the cigar now, nice and compact without any splitting. The band slid off easily and did not hurt the ash one bit. The flavor has gotten a little bit earthier and more leathery with a cashew creaminess. The ash finally fell with 2 inches left in the cigar. Outstanding cigar overall!

Lost & Found

This cigar is quickly becoming my go-to smoke. The draw is very loose and produces a lot of smoke by just kissing the cap. The burn is even and the just off-white ash is holding on for over half of the cigar. The flavor is full of cedar, leather, and caramel with a hint of cinnamon and citrus. The ash fell off with an inch left on the stick. Best one of the box so far.

Lost & Found

Such a good cigar. Leathery, cocoa, cashew creamy, and a hint of cinnamon. The draw and the burn were almost perfect which gave a nice long ash. Fantastic cigar overall.

Lost & Found

The flavor started out with a bit of bitterness and woodiness. The burn started to uneven after about a quarter inch, and started running around an inch. The ash fell unexpectedly after about an inch and a half. Right around the second third a delicious flavor of nutmeg appeared.

Mansa Musa Gold

Super flavorful, good burn, but a pretty tight draw. I'm not fighting it too much but it's a little tighter than I like, pinching the tip helps to loosen it up. Flavors of cedar, honey, black pepper, and cinnamon stand out the most, but there is a lot of great flavor packed into this stick. Ash dropped after about an inch and a half, and the ash was a little bit flaky. The flavor is pretty outstanding, I haven't had a cigar this flavorful in a while!

Caldwell

Draw is a little tight but still putting out quite a bit of smoke. It's a bit less peppery than I was expecting based on the name, but it's definitely creamy with a bit of sweetness, almost like it's sugar-tipped. There's a cedar flavor with some espresso, and a slight pepper note, but the sweetness is most noticeable to me. The burn is slightly askew but still burns pretty evenly. Ash dropped after about an inch and a half, 3 inches left in the cigar. The wrapper has a slightly oily sheen and is a nice Colorado claro color. Now halfway through and approaching the band, there's a buttered toast/croissant flavor that popped up but still sweet with cedar notes. Down to the nub, the sweetness is still very strong with the cedar. Very flavorful!

Caldwell

Creamy, yet spicy. Cream Machine has a lot of subtle flavors that make up this delicious cigar. Leather, citrus, cashew, and a hint of cinnamon makes it a great morning/early afternoon cigar. The burn is slightly off, but burning steadily all around. Ash dropped at half the length of the cigar. Good draw with a little resistance giving lots of smoke. Overall great cigar on the first nice day I've been able to smoke in a long time. I'll need to invest in an outdoor space heater for this winter.

Caldwell

Happy Halloween from baby shark, mama shark, and daddy shark! I know, super lame, but at least I get a Halloween night smoke. Earthy, leathery, and creamy smooth with a bit of retrohale spiciness. Great burn and draw, the ash dropped around an inch each time.

Lost & Found

Just by the smell of this cigar I was expecting an earthy, peppery nicotine bomb. After lighting it up, straight cutting the cap, and taking my first couple puffs, it's much more balanced than I was expecting. It's fairly earthy, but the retrohale is way smoother than anticipated with just a bit of pepper tingle. It's creamy and nutty, which I wasn't expecting, with an oaky vanilla flavor. It does seem to have a nice nicotine kick as well. Like Caldwell said, this stick is a beast! The burn is a little uneven and the ash looks like the leaning tower of Pisa, then fell with about 3" left in the smoke (about 1.5-2" ash). But the flavor makes up for the odd ash and slight burn troubles. Really tasty maduro! Keeping me warm on a chilly Halloween weekend night.

Lost & Found

First time I've given a perfect score, and although I'm feeling generous because of La Tabacalera William Ventura burning down (which held a lot of L&F packaging/tobacco/etc.), this cigar really deserves it. Subtle, yet complex flavors blend perfectly to give a leathery, woody, and floral flavor profile. A beautiful crisp white ash with some black burn lines peeking through grew to half the length of the cigar before dropping. A perfect draw with a slight resistance yet enough give to yield some thick plumes of smoke. The band slid off easily without any risk of tearing the beautiful, dark wrapper. Not only is the flavor of the cigar mouth-watering, but the aroma coming off the foot is just as delectable. A chilly mid 40° night isn't going to stop me from enjoying every last minute of this phenomenal cigar. If you can find this cigar online, in stores, or on the black market I can't recommend it enough.

Lost & Found

Used a punch cut after toasting the foot, flawless draw right off the bat. First impressions on the flavor: a little nutty, oak, faint leather, a tad earthy, some espresso, toast, and the slightest bit of cacao, like a bitter baking chocolate. A lot of the earthy and woody flavors, not as much floral or sweet. Extremely well balanced, practically no burn in the retrohale at all. Pretty much razor sharp burn the whole time, wavering slightly but not canoeing in the first third. The flavor on this cigar is phenomenal. Not bursting with flavor in every category, but the flavors it does have are prominent and perfectly balanced. Now halfway through I can say this is an amazingcigar for a fall evening. The ash is standing strong, it feels like I could easily stand it on the ash. More of the floral notes are starting to show now with a hint of citrus and cherry blossoms. The ash finally dropped as I got to the band, two inches to go. Outstanding smoke! I highly recommend it if you can find it.

Crowned Heads

I straight cut the cap after toasting the foot and got a couple nice draws with delicious flavor of cedarwood and graham cracker. One side seems to consistently canoe more than the other which is disappointing, but I'm trying to fix the burn without touching it up with a lighter. A bit of the wrapper seems to be torn, which I didn't notice until the second third, and maybe that has something to do with the poor burn. I removed the band as the burn approached and the ash fell off, about 3 inches left. The flavor is great with a medium spice in the retrohale, cashew creaminess, cedarwood, a slight coffee flavor with a little vanilla sweetness. The ash is flaky with a little tooth that isn't visible on the wrapper. The wrapper is silky smooth but has a couple tears. After touching it up and taking off the band the burn evened out well but the first half canoed quite a bit. Aside from the burn issues this was a great cigar

Mansa Musa Gold

With a closed foot, I straight-cut the cap before lighting, and then puffed to light up. Immediate flavors of spicy leather and wood with an earthy nuttiness appeared. Quickly after the initial light the spiciness waned and a creamy cashew took over. The draw is loose, I don't have to fight it at all, but it seems to be burning quickly. 10 minutes in and already about an inch of ash. At 25 minutes, the ash dropped, right around 2 inches. Now unbelievably smooth and creamy, the flavor is getting a bit floral, with a caramel sweetness. Halfway in the flavors are getting a bit spicier like white pepper with toasty cedar notes. The wrapper had some flaws, just a couple small imperfections, but the toothiness gives it a nice velvety feel. The burn tends to canoe slightly when I puff too quickly, then evens out on its own when i set it down to rest without the need to touch it up with a lighter. The nuances in flavor really makes this cigar excellent. Initially the smell and cold draw seemed like it was going to be a bit heavy for my tastes, but after lighting it became smooth and creamy which built to a delightful earthy finish. I'm also noticing a slight sandalwood aroma in the final third. The price point of $119 for a box of 10 on the Mansa Musa Gold website is more than fair for the quality of this cigar, and since I got it for $10 I would call it a steal. Great cigar overall! If you don't smoke it down to the nub you'll miss out on some great flavors.

PIO

Toasted the foot before straight cutting. Right away there was a nuttiness/roasted coffee and a sweet chocolate flavor. The box press keeps a pretty even burn all the way around, but the ash is a bit flaky. Great overall flavor, much smoother than I was expecting with a slight spice on the retrohale. Very balanced flavor overall with the chocolatey sweetness turning into more of a medium roast coffee and roasted chestnut. Paired with an Odell Pulp Theory hazy IPA, the sweet grain flavor of the beer contrasts nicely against the nutty and cocoa flavor of the Mexican San Andreas wrapper. The draw is perfect, nice and loose which gives a great even burn all the way around with long slow puffs. The ash dropped after I took off the band, so around 2 inches. A dark chocolate cherry flavor appeared right after the ash fell, with an oak and almond aftertaste. The Mexican San Andres wrapper is velvety on my fingers.