Carinos Robusto

Score: 8.1

By Barry (A cigar Smoker's Journal)

The cigar has some sweetness to it in the pre-light phase, but upon lighting I was hit with some coarse pepper that felt like it singed the back of my throat. The cigar did smooth out after this though, and it felt like it was a Don Pepin wannabe or reject. The notes of the cigar were of nuts and spice throughout. None of which stood out very much. This cigar fit what you would expect the pricing profile to be.

Appearance: 8
Construction:  8
Burn (ash, etc.): 10
Draw Rate: 9
Flavor Rate: 7
Aroma Rate: 7
Final Score: 8.1

Reprinted by permission of www.acigarsmoker.com.

Score: 9.0

By Hayward Tenney

After resting in my humidor for a few days, my morning got off to a great start courtesy of the Cariños Robusto Natural. The cigar is impressive to behold: its creamy coffee-colored Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper is seamlessly wrapped around the uniformly-packed body. There are some very fine veins, implying high quality wrapper leaf, and its medium-heft has an oily feel in my hand.

Details of what's under the hood are sparing; what I do know is that there are Honduran Jamastran and Panamanian longfillers bound in a Brazilian Sumatra leaf. The foot is evenly colored a dark brown and exudes a slightly sweet tobacco nose.

After clipping, the cold draw is sweet. It lights easily - my guess is there's not too much Ligero in the mix. Despite that, I'm greeted with a blast of pepper through my nose. This quickly fades, revealing a baseline of woody flavors with sweet nuances on a medium finish. The cigar is producing plenty of thick, aromatic smoke, thanks to a freely flowing draw. Its burning characteristics are impressive, burning slowly on a dead-even, razor thin burn line. I tap 1.5" nuggets of ash into the tray, and although it probably could hold on longer, I'm not willing to risk ash in my lap to find out.

At mid-point I notice that pockets of spice have emerged, suggestive of clove and nutmeg. The wood baseline has developed into an ever-developing leather characteristic. Further in, the spice matures into a deep tobacco sweetness. The smoke has settled firmly in the medium-bodied range, and is dry in texture. A splash of water on the palate reawakens the sweet notes mentioned earlier. The aroma is pleasant, if a little "bready."

With an inch remaining I let it expire. Overall, I'm impressed. I would smoke this cigar again, and its superior construction makes it an easy recommendation for those who appreciates this flavor profile.

Appearance: 9
Construction: 9
Burn: 10
Draw: 9
Aroma: 8
Flavor: 9
Final Score: 9.0