Camacho Corojo Maduro Torpedo

March 6, 2008 at 2:00 am (Cigars, Coffee, Reviews)

Like the CAO Black VR Totem I reviewed this week for the Stogie Review, the cigar for this review has a tie in to Dogwatch Cigar Radio. Walt and I were originally scheduled to appear on the show about three shows ago at this point. The show’s featured cigar was the Camacho Corojo Maduro, which I’d never tried. A little homework seemed in order, so I picked up a handful of them the week of the recording.

Well, it was sort of like studying for a test in college only to have the professor not show the day of the exam. Due to last minute scheduling issues beyond anyone’s control, our appearance on the show rescheduled for the next week. And a different week means a different cigar. So what do I do with all these smoking Camacho Corojo Maduro Torpedo notes? Well, it was clear. I need to give it a review. So here goes.

Cigar Stats:
Size: 6 1/8 x 54
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Smoking Time: 2 hours
Beverage: Water, Coffee
Price: $7.15

The Pre-Smoke
My first impression is that the cigar has a bit of a rustic look to it, and it’s not quite as dark as you might expect from a maduro. It’s more of a dark, slightly mottled natural wrapper.

Wrapping this cigar is an simple but elegant band that does an excellent job of complimenting the appearance of the cigar instead of stealing the show. In fact, the band is mostly the same color as the cigar, but there’s just enough of the textured-gold outline to keep it from disappearing completely.

A closer inspection revealed that the wrapper had a bit of a delicate texture to it, had fine veins, and was mostly smooth. The delicate nature of the wrapper did not translate to a soft cigar, I found it to be nicely firm to the touch.

The wrapper had an aroma of rich chocolate and compost and had a darker, dusty earth and molasses flavor to the cold taste.

The Burn
This cigar had a pretty attractive burn, the ash was nice and white, but tended to be a little delicate. I encountered a bit of flakiness, especially in the beginning of the burn. And it wasn’t uncommon for the cigar to “shed” instead of ash, meaning that little flaky bits of the ash would drop while the main ash remained in place.

The draw was generally good, erring on the side of looseness. As I tend to favor a looser draw, I didn’t see this as a problem.

The Flavor
The cigar opened up earthy and pretty full right off the bat. The predominant flavor early on was a dry combination of chocolate and coffee. As the first third progressed this chocolate became sweeter. As the second third began the cigar took on a noticeable smoothness on the palate. The earthiness continued and as the cigar neared the final third, I started to taste some leather and a bit of dusty cocoa. The final third took on an good creaminess and remained earthy with leather appearing from time to time.

The Price
I paid $7.15 for these cigars at a local cigar shop, and I’m actually OK with that price. I haven’t looked around, but I’m sure that this cigar could be found for less online.

The Verdict
I really enjoyed this cigar. At one point I was liking this so much, I felt compelled to email my local Camacho rep to tell him it was a great cigar. (Unfortunately, he didn’t get back to me, but I guess I could understand that, I probably came off as a nutcase.) This cigar and a cup of coffee is a little slice of heaven.

The interesting thing is that I also tried the toro size, and I found it to not be nearly as good as the torpedo. I suspect the tapered head and resulting more condensed, focused flow of smoke added to the experience.

I’m pretty sure this is the first Honduran puro I’ve ever tried, and I’m very happy it turned out to be such a wonderful cigar. So would I buy this cigar again, absolutely. And I have several times at a local shop since I first smoked them. I’m thinking at some point, I’ll spring for a box.

Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: Yes, and I have.
Recommend It: Yes

What Other People Are Saying

• Walt over at the Stogie Review found the Corojo Maduro to be a great cigar back in 2006. Jerry also check it out in an experimental “Stogie Voice” episode.
• Tim Tim has his review of the cigar featured on the Camacho website. (Walt’s YouTube video review also made it’s way there.)
• Top Shelf found this to be a tasty cigar, but “not for the faint of heart.”
• The Humidor of the Apokalypse looks forward to smoking more Camachos after smoking the Corojo Maduro.
• Cigar Jack reviews this cigar’s cousin, the Camacho Corojo Diploma, but finds it to be a bit harsh.
• Keepers of the flame checks out the Camacho Corojo 11/18.

My Other Reviews
If you enjoyed this review, I encourage you to visit my Cigar Review Index to check out some more of my reviews!

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