Peterson- Gran Reserva

Size: 6.125 x 52 Belicoso
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
Body: Full
Strength: Medium
Humidor Time: 3 Months

This toothy cigar comes from Peterson, a well know tobacco company; in the pipe world. They have made a cigar that looks well presented and smells of good quality tobacco. The wrapper is rough in touch, but elegant in appearance, very few veins, just smooth to look at.

As I have stated before, I am not a Cameroon guy, so this will be interesting for me. The draw is very loose, having read this is full body I will be smoking this a bit slower than usual. This lights up easily and I am given a good amount of thick smoke with a lot of flavor.

From the beginning the smoke is smooth with a nice earthy flavor followed by a sweet finish. This is an interesting cigar as I get a flavor that I cannot quite place. The aroma is quite pleasant; the cigar is burning really well and producing a lot of smoke. The smoke is creamy with a butter texture.

The ash is gray and does not hold much at all, it drops easily from the end of the cigar. The burn is even and unfortunately faster than I would prefer, though not heating up the cigar.

Halfway into the cigar I finally was able to pin point that odd flavor, it is vanilla. For some reason, I am not surprised and it reminds me of pipe tobacco again. That is a recurring thought that keeps coming to mind as I smoke this cigar. As good as it is, it tastes like it is made of pipe tobacco. This becomes a monotonous flavor after a while.

I ended up putting this down with about 2 inches left; the flavor just became boring to me. I kept wondering if there was a leaf in the cigar that was treated like Cavendish. I wanted to be smoking a cigar, not a pipe.

Recommended? Yes, but remember that this is a pipe company’s cigar.

CAO CX2 - Belicoso

Size: 7 x 56
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaraguan, Columbian
Body: Medium-Full
Strength: Mild-Medium
Humidor Time: 5 Months

My experience with Cameroon wrappers is not enough to distinguish if I enjoy them or not. From what I can remember I have had a couple, but I do not remember if I liked them or not. With the experience I have had withCAO, I am now questioning as to why I decided to pick The CX2 to review for a Cameroon cigar. I will go with the excuse that since this is a double wrapped Cammie, I will get a good grasp of flavors and decide whether I like and will look for other Cammies to smoke. With this being such a long cigar, this will probably be a long entry.

From the start I am impressed with the looks of this cigar, the wrapper is flawless, the torpedo head is perfect, the scent is a mellow cocoa, and the stick is firm with a nice springy bounce. There is a mild spice on the wrapper and it feels toothy on the tongue. This cigar is packed with a lot of tobacco, the cap was a bit tough to cut through and the draw is firm. The prelight draws presents a lot of grassy flavor. As I look at the cigar before lighting, I am thinking to myself that this is going to be a long smoke.

With the first draw after lighting, I get a distinct charcoal flavor, but I am surprised with how smooth and creamy the smoke is right from the beginning. The aftertaste is very pleasant reminding me of heavily creamed coffee. Even with a firm draw I am able to get an abundant amount of smoke out of this cigar. This guy is really presenting a strong flavor profile, it definitely is not lacking. I am not used to lighting a larger ring gauge cigar, so I had to reapply the flame twice to make sure I am starting off with a nice even burn.

With the burning starting to reach the body of the cigar, I am getting a great amount of woody coffee flavors, hidden in the background is a sweetness and lingers after exhaling. The ash on this is white and holds well as I tap it off at one inch, as of this point the burn is even. The smoke is really thick and mellow, at this point I am not getting any acrid flavor I usually find in CAO cigars, also I am finding this cigar quite enjoyable.

Into the body, the smoke becomes rather toasty and robust. I keeping getting a flavor I am unable to figure out. The smoke of this cigar is strong, trying to exhale through my nose proved to be a bad idea, but I was able to find out what that mysterious flavor is. I am getting a caramel touch, which is the sweetness I have been enjoying in the smoke. The toasty flavors are remaining strong without ever turning.

The background flavors have been turning on and off between caramel and coffee. As I start to enter the half way point in the cigar, I am starting to pick up some of the acrid flavors that I have found in CAO cigars. Purging the cigar helps, but the acrid flavor does not go away completely, instead it hides out with the background flavors, which is okay as it does not disrupt the coffee caramel, it is allowing me to continue to enjoy the toasty woodsy flavor.

Final third of the cigar, I am still getting the acrid flavor and having to purge often, but after the purge the flavors are still good. This continued through the end of the cigar, take a draw, purge then set it down, and I would repeat the process, doing so I was able to avoid any unpleasant flavors.

My final thoughts: If I had let this cigar sit for a few more months, the CAO acrid flavors may have been avoided. I am not all that bothered that I did not wait longer, I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar. I had to devote over two hours of my time to be able to smoke this monster and I am pleased that I did. I have read that Cameroon wrappers have some spice to them, but I did not pick any up during the smoke. This was a medium to full body and mild to medium strength cigar, mid afternoon to evening is a great time for this one, heck during a herf would be great as this will provide lots of flavor and not much is needed to keep it going. The burn held straight for the whole smoke, never needing a relight and it never smoked hot, even with multiple draws. I recommend this CAO CX2.

I like this Cameroon Wrapped Cigar.

Appearance 2- I Like It
Construction 3- Excellent
Burn 2- Perfect
Ash 2- Solid
Flavor 3.5 - Not quite perfect, more time was needed in the humidor
Smoke Profile 2- Smooth Easy and Nice
Aroma 2 - Enjoyable, this is not overpowering, nice and mellow


=16.5 Points!!

Perdomo Lot 23 - Maduro (Smoked)

Size: 5.7" x 54 Belicoso
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Body: Full
Strength: Medium
Humidor Time: 3 Months

This review is of the Perdomo Lot 23 - Maduro that I did not smoke due to having the coloring from the dye on the wrapper end up on my fingers and lips, I set this cigar aside disappointed. Well, after some time of taking up space (and curiosity from others) I decided to light this one up. In the least, I have one extra space open for another cigar.

With the cap cut, I was given a loose draw, something that I have not had a problem with Perdomo cigars is they always seem to draw well, providing a great amount of spicy tobacco flavor. The first half inch provides a lot of spice, it was a bit much, but once past that first half inch the pepper fade a bit and the smoke was a tad sour. I was greeted with a lot of rich, rich cocoa over the sourness and pepper. The flavor was also acrid up to this point.

The ash on this cigar was extremely dark and the burn was quite rocky. The smoke profile was smooth and creamy. This was pleasant, considering I was not too impressed with a dyed wrapper. Oh, I moistened the wrapper and rubbed the coloring off so it did not end up on my lips.

While moving past the half way point of the cigar, the acridness that was a bother to me backed off and disappeared during the remainder of the cigar. From this point to the end, this cigar really opened up with a lot of cocoa, a bit of coffee, creamy, and rich in flavor.

So my final verdict, if a dyed cigar does not bother you, this can be a really good smoke. This cigar only had a couple of months on it, I would suggest about six months of aging at the least to mellow this cigar out. So will I try another? Well that is yet to come, I liked the flavors of the last half of the cigar, knowing it is dyed, I can smoke this one, but not before removing whatever color I can before lighting up.


Appearance 2-I Liked It
Construction 3- Good
Burn 0- Rocky and uneven
Ash 1- Dark but held strong
Flavor 2.5 - Good smoke, needs time in the humidor
Smoke Profile 2- Perfect, no harsh spots at all, smooth and nice
Aroma 2 - Nice and not overpowering, Aromatic, enjoyable fragrance


=12.5 Points

Perdomo Lot 23 - Maduro

Size: 5.7" x 54 Belicoso
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Body: N/A
Strength: N/A


When I found this cigar I was quickly taken away by the dark oily wrapper to a field of tobacco in a little corner of Nicaragua. This is a gorgeous stick, take a close look at it and you too will be transported to another world. The cigar is solid and firm, I was impressed at how solid this stick was, I am used to most cigars having a bit of spring when the cigar is pinched, but not this one. It refused to budge. This cigar smells strongly of anise, I was surprised because though I have been told of this smell I have not experienced it myself, the next thing I knew I had an urge to drink a root beer with this cigar as I smoked it. Have you ever seen a maduro cigar this good looking?

As I approached the time to cut and light this beauty, that is when I was graced with a new cigar experience. I touched the cigar to my lips and tongue to moisten the wrapper cap before cutting, the wrapper flavors were mild and a bit sticky. Sticky? Yep, I looked at the cap and touched it with my left index finger and to my surprise, this premium quality smoke enjoyed by so many left two nice brown spots. I did not have my digital camera available so I used my phone's camera.






I did not expect to see the color on the wrapper transfered onto my finger, what is up with that!?! I was so upset to see this that I returned the cigar to its cellophane and put it back in my humidor. This cigar seems to have a "Madu-O-Matic" wrapper, I cannot comment if all these Lot 23 maduros use fake maduro wrappers, I only purchased one cigar, I guess I need to order more to find out. Well, I may order more. What a shame...

Joya De Nicaragua - Antano 1970

Size: 6 x 54 Belicoso
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Criollo
Filler: Nicaraguan Habana
Binder: Nicaraguan Habana
Body: Full
Strength: Full

This is a sight to hold, the JDN-Antano 1970 has to be one of the most beautiful cigars out there. As a tribute to Joya De Nicaragua's fame of the 1970s this cigar wants people to remember that this top brands was once the most famous to come out of Nicaragua, almost losing it's fame to war and the lose of the factory. With the call for stronger cigars, JDN has released this beauty. This dark Criollo wrapper cigar boast quality in the looks alone. The veins are over barring and distracting the looks of this stick, the cigar was packed firm with no soft spots. I smoked this cigar at my local cigar lounge during the Boston and Colorado World Series.

The brown wrapper produces a flavorless taste on the tongue before lighting and the contents of the cigar is spicey cocoa. When I took a pre-light draw I was given a loose draw that I expected to be too much for a full body and full strength cigar. I had a bit of a struggle to light this cigar, it took a bit of work to get a nice even burn going around the foot, once lit this stick was non stop to the end. With most cigars I come to expect the first couple of draws to produce a bit of spice and a tad of harshness. What I was greeted with was an instantly smooth cocoa flavored smoke. No harshness, no spice, just creamy and thick.

Into the body of the cigar, the Antano 1970 has a light gray ash that is a bit flaky, but holds firm to the cigar. The burn line was even through the whole smoke, never losing track of it's goal to stay straight. The smoke was interesting, with a loose draw one does not know if they would be presented with too much smoke or not enough, this particular cigar never gave me too much, but at times it was a bit thin. When the smoke was thick it was so flavorful that I wanted more, with the thin smoke it gave me a chance to relax and think about the cigar and contemplate about the flavors it was producing, giving me a chance to pick out the flavors this cigar offered.

With the thickness of the smoke changing I was able to pick up the creamy cocoa and coffee flavors this cigar gave me with touches of cinnamon in the creamy flavor profile. The smoke was never too thin that I was annoyed, it kept me interested during the whole smoke. If it was not for the thin times in the smoke I probably would have smoked this one too fast. Which one should be careful with as this cigar can easily turn on the smoker and knock them off their feet. At times I thought I may have to give in to its strength, but luckily I ate a hardy meal and took my time. I was left with a mild buzz that let me know it can take me out if it wanted too.

This is a perfect after dinner cigar. There is a lot of flavor and strength behind it. I enjoyed this cigar so much I went ahead and purchased more before leaving my local cigar lounge. I am not a huge fan of Nicaraguan puros, I am working my way through Don Pepin Garcia's cigars, but Nicaraguan puros are not stand out favorites of mine. This Antano 1970 on the other hand is in my top favorite cigars. Enjoy this one folks, you will love putting the flame to these cigars!

Maria Guerrero-Belicoso

Size 6 1/8 x 52
Wrapper: African Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Peruvian
Body: Medium-Full
Strength: Mild-Medium

This is an interesting cigar, the box was hidden in a corner of the humidor at my local B&M, it did not stand out next to the Montecristo's, Romeo Y Julietta's, and H. Upmann's surrounding it. What attracted me was the box, it has an old look to it with a picture on the inside lid that is the same as the picture on the band. I would consider this to be old school, unlike the boxes you may see with CAO, this is one that is far more attractive because of the beautiful work of art that graces it's lid. I will discuss more about the artwork, first I will review the cigar..

To start, back in 2005, the Belisco received a 95 rating from Cigar Aficionado, and as of today this same cigar receives a 90 rating.

This cigar is not the most attractive, in fact it is a bit rough with a couple of spots on the wrapper. The wrapper itself is a nice brown color, holding this cigar in your hand you can almost imagine a time when theaters were abundant, women in full dress and all men wore suits. This cigar may take you back 100 years to a time of horse and buggy. I was almost lost in time when I was brought back to remembering where I was, odd that the tapestry like rug on the floor was in view when I was holding this cigar. This is a firm stick, packed well so as to not be soft, but not too hard it feels like a steel pole. The wrapper has a velvet like feel to the rough veins running up and down this cigar.

With a quick clip the tip of the cigar was removed and the draw was behaving perfectly, nice tobacco taste with a velvet feel on the tongue due to the wrapper. This cigar starts off spicey and the smoke was harsh and abundant. I never judge a cigar by the first 1/2 inch, and this is definitely not one to judge quickly.

As I started out into the body of this cigar the smoke began to smooth out some, not a whole lot, but much easier to work with. The depth flavor was creamy with coffee overtones. The smoke is a bit dry, maybe a few weeks in a proper humidor instead of the one at my B&M may turn this cigar even better.

The Ash was a light gray, almost white. It held for under one inch before dropping, which to me is not a problem. The burn was not perfect, but not out of control. Proper humidity would probably have fixed this issue.

Into the body of the cigar, it became extremely woody with a touch of honey in the background. At this point I was reaching the 1/2 way point and picking up a bit of cocoa. Other than the extra wood and cocoa flavors, there was not much left going on in the flavor department. I was getting a bit frustrated as this cigar wanted to go out, I was having to draw more frequently then before. I was fearing that I would soon be working on a plug. I was ready to put this cigar to rest, for the sake of a full review, I went ahead and continued to smoke.

This is when the cigar made a dramatic turn for me. This cigar started building in strength going from mild to medium and far more complex in flavor. In fact, the flavors became stronger, bringing the coca flavors in front instead of hiding behind the other flavors. Adding this to the woody and honey surrounding the coffee flavors. The smoke became toasty causing such a great mix of flavors that I became excited to be able to enjoy such a good cigar. Yet I was bummed that the cigar was soon to end. This cigar started at a medium body and finished full bodied.

I would recommend this cigar to anyone looking for a cigar that carries such a great deal of flavors that will keep you interested before it ends. Humidor time is needed for this cigar. Had this cigar started the way it ended I would consider this a great cigar. I will be putting the other to rest and will revisit in 6 months. Aging may be a key to bringing out the best this cigar has to offer.



Now some history. The piece of art on the inside cover of the cigar box is a picture of the actress, Maria Guerrero, from Spain who traveled and performed on stages in South America, Mexico, and Cuba around 1900 (the picture on the inside lid is the same picture that graces the cigar band shown above). There is a news article about her back in 1908 when she came to visit New York and saw a couple of plays at the Hippodrome. With some searching on the internet I was able to find a biography and was able to roughly translate it. Maria was born in 1868 growing up with a love for theaters. She debuted in 1885 and by 1890 Maria was casted as the leading lady. She graced the stages with beauty, and awed her fans with her ability to perform in tragic plays. By 1897 she traveled yearly, with her employees of about 60 members, to Argentina. In 1898 she was able to mover her company to France and Italy, performing in Paris, Milan, Turin, Genoa and Rome. She was loved by her country, and embraced by countries that were able to bring her into their land and experience her talents.

This cigar is a great tribute to Maria Guerrero. It begins slow and builds a dramatic performance causing one to demand an encore.