Cigar Review: CAO LX2 Lancero

CAO LX2

Today’s post comes courtesy of a new sponsor, CAO Cigars. Originially released as a limited edition the LX2 Lancero came as part of a package that consisted of a limited edition humidor along with 28 lancero smokes. With the lancero growing in popularity CAO will now release the LX2 lancero in March as a regular vitola in the line.

Cigar: CAO LX2
Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 7 x 39 (Lancero)
Wrapper: Nicaragua (Pueblo Nueva)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican

Appearance & Construction (18/20): The cigar features a flawless grade A wrapper and this lancero has a slightly toothy look to it. The cigar features a nicely done pigtail cap, and is slightly spongy to the touch. The bands on the cigar are a little bit over sized for a cigar of this size, but overall this is a nice looking lancero.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): The prelight draw offers some notes of chocolate which for me was different then the other sizes I have smoked. So I lit this baby up and dug into the 1st third of the smoke which revealed notes of pepper and earth with faint notes of chocolate in the background. As the second third is smoked, the pepper remains on the tongue and through the nose with some earth and nuttiness joining the party.  As we conclude our smoke notes of pepper and chocolate close it out with a touch of nuts mixed in for good measure.

Burn/Ash/Draw (21/25): Like many lancero cigars the prelight draw is perfect, the trick is keeping a lancero perfect all the way through. The draw might be slightly tough for some around the halfway point but I find if you sip a lancero the draw is much easier and more enjoyable. The crisp white ash held on strong which is a nice change from most lancero smokes I have experienced and the burn line is so crisp and straight it is visually pleasing.

Overall (23/25): The LX2 lancero is a very different experience compared to the other sizes offered. It is however a very enjoyable one, and despite the sipping action needed to enjoy the tight draw it is enjoyable and for me it makes me long for my pipe.

Rating: 89
Price: $6.00

Cigar Review: Illusione HL (Holy Lance)

Illusione HL

Continuing my trend into lancero cigars I went into the humidor today and selected the Illusione HL by Dion Giolito. Will this lancero score big or will be it a dud? In my growing quest to jump into the lancero phase I bring this review to you, my readers.

Cigar: Illusione
Origin: Nicaragua
Size: HL aka Holy Lance (Lancero) 7.5 x 40
Wrapper: Cafe Colorado
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Appearance & Construction (20/20): This rustic looking vitola reminds one of a classic Cuban cigar. A gorgeous wrapper with minimal veins and triple cap make it a cigar of class and dignity. The premium stick sports a simple gold and white band stating the name (Illusione) and the size (~HL~). Like all lanceros the cigar feels very light but it a well packed stick. I used a straight cutter to cut the slightly pig tailed cap which revealed a perfect prelight draw.

Flavor & Notes (26/30): On the prelight the foot gives off some spicy notes with a touch of pepper, while on the draw there are some sweet floral notes which I am not a fan of but they are not overpowering so that is a good sign. The first third of this smoke consists of slightly floral notes with some chocolate and spices through the nose. As we approach the 2nd third of the smoke the floral notes have thankfully left the building and we are left with some chocolate notes with a touch of spice especially through the nose. The final third is some subtle spices that I was not able to define further.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): The cigar ash is a medium gray with a lot of ridges. However, like many lancero smokes it does not hold well at all. I would constantly loose my ash every half inch. and at 7.5 inches that becomes quite annoying. The draw one of the best I have ever had for a lancero, as is the flawless burnline.

Overall (21/25): Once again I must issue a disclaimer that I am yet to become a fan of the lancero. With that said, this is my least favorite Illusione. If it stood on it’s own it would be a really good cigar, but next to the others it falls short of that Illusione greatness that I have come to love.

Rating: 89
Price: 9.00

Cigar Review: Oliva V Lancero

Olive V Lancero

First for starters let me say, a person with shaky hands such as myself should not be taking pictures of their cigar with the camera on their phone. They need to create a digital card reader that connects to your phones USB port so I can take good pictures and upload them to the my phone.

Anyway, there is a craze going on for some time now over the lancero size of cigars. Everyone and their mother is coming out with the size. While I have not been a fan I find of the vitola I find myself buying into the hoopla and trying them more often.

Cigar: Oliva V
Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 7 x 38 (Lancero)
Wrapper: Habano Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Jalapa Valley Ligero

Appearance & Construction (19/20): The Oliva V Lancero sports a veiny wrapper, that while showing some oils it had a little bit of a coarse feel to it. The roll was flawless, however about a 1/2 inch below the cap there was a slight patch job that did not effect how the cigar smoked. The cap was nicely done, and well centered. If not for the patch job on this particular stick I would of scored it a perfect 20.

Flavor & Notes (30/30): On the pre-light I was a little concerned about the flavors of this smoke as the notes I got were a little bit barnyard like. Thankfully once it was lit that was not the case.  The first third of the smoke was lacking in definition and I had to really concentrate to get notes of subtle pepper and wood. It wasn’t til the second third of the smoke that the cigar came alive. There were notes of pepper joined by wood notes that were very well defined. The notes reminded me of a fireplace burning somewhere in the neighborhood on a cold winter day.In my mind I had the vision that was reminiscent of a post card. A sled pulled by horses across a snow covered field while the smokestack from the homestead showed the effects of wood burning in the fireplace. It is amazing when a cigar can trigger such vivid images. The final third of the cigar the strong wood notes remained and the only trace of pepper was through the nose.

Burn/Ash/Draw (21/25): The draw was nice but at the same time it felt hollow which is typical of every lancero I’ve smoked. It plays a huge part in why I do not consider myself a fan of the vitola. The ash was very light gray bordering on white. It was however very flaky and did not hold well. The high point however is the burn as it was perfect. Almost too perfect, if that is possible.

Overall (24/25): As I stated earlier I was never a big fan of the lancero but since they are “in” I find myself trying them from time to time. Of all the lancero’s I smoked this one so far has been the most enjoyable but it is still my least favorite size. Even with that I believe this smoke could become a staple in my repertoire.

Rating: 94
Price: 8.00

Cigar Review: My Father Lancero

My Father

I decided to do a little impromptu review tonight while chatting with some cigar bloggers on stickam. It’s amazing how the love of a good smoke can bring people from across the USA together. Joining me tonight was Justin from lasvegASHtv.com, Tom from TomsCigars, Stew from The World According to Stew, Mike aka Agent 6 from TheCigarSpy as well as some StogieReview regulars. We chatted about cigars, music, and general nonsense as I smoked my My Father Lancero.

Cigar: My Father #4
Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 7.5 x 38 (Lancero)
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Appearance & Construction (20/20): The one thing that struck me odd about this cigar is no matter how hard I looked I could not find the roll lines. There were no seams on this cigar other than at the triple cap. I actually spent 15 minutes looking for the seams and I was totally dumbfounded. The cigar had some veins but nothing out of the ordinary and the oils were plentiful. The cigar had a small pigtail at the cap as well which was a nice touch, and for those that care about the band when these first came out the pink left me undecided but the smaller size on the lancero it looked pleasing to the eye.

Flavor & Notes (23/30): Compared to the #2 which I reviewed earlier in the year, this cigar was short on flavor. The smoke was very mild and despite offering mocha on the pre-light it was almost non existent for the duration of the smoke. The 1st third offered some slight notes of sweet spice. In the 2nd third it was more defined but still short. The notes of caramel were joined by some pepper, and we closed out the cigar with some pepper with a trace of mocha and cinnamon that disappeared rather quickly.

Burn/Ash/Draw (23/25): I rarely smoke in the house, so I had the fan on exhaust in my room. The burn line was slightly jagged but I will attribute that to the fan. It was never out of hand, but it was noticeable enough to be slightly annoying. The ash was full of ridges and a tad flaky but it held on rather well considering the gauge of the smoke. The burn was a bit too lose which shocked me considering it was 7.5 inches long.

Overall (18/25): I was really disappointed from this smoke as I expected more in terms of flavor and strength. I am very glad this was not my first venture into the stick as it could of been a huge turnoff to the brand. Add into the equation I am not a huge fan of lancero smokes. Thankfully I had some good company while smoking this cigar and some great tunes from knac.com

Rating: 84
Price: 9.00

Cigar Review: El Triunfador

El Triunfador

I found out about this Pete Johnson creation on one of the cigar forums I visit. Nicknamed the Ghost Stick, it is of limited production and with me being the Pete Johnson whore that I am, I had to track these down and finding them was not easy. I located them eventually at Silo Cigars where I obtained a 5 pack.

The El Triunfador is a Cuban brand that features a similar label to the original. It is available in 1 size right now, and when other sizes are made they will have their own blends when they become available.

Cigar: El Triunfador
Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 7.5 x 38 (Lancero)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium / Full

Pre-Smoke: The cigar is not the type of vitola I like to smoke. In fact this is only the 2nd Lancero I have smoked all year despite it becoming trendy in the cigar world as of late. Many companies are jumping on the bandwagon like Oliva and Carlos Torano in producing this vitola.  Off of today’s cigar the wrapper offered notes of chocolate and the foot was very woody. While the pre-light draw was a nice combination of the two. The cigar was firm to the touch, with a lot of oils and veins. It featured a pigtail triple cap to complete the Cubanesque look.

Smoke: Upon lighting the cigar I was hit with sensory overload. The notes were popping off this stick all over the place. It took a while for me to break them down but the first third offered notes of vanilla, nuts and leather. As we approached the 2nd third the cigar has an exquisite burn line. The notes of vanilla and nuts remained and were joined by cinnamon. As we reached the final third of the cigar notes of chocolate, wood and leather finished the smoke.

Overall: I will admit this was a difficult cigar to break down. The onslaught of flavor at the beginning was insane. I can’t wait to revisit this cigar in a year and see how it has aged because I expect the cigar to be even better with age. It is yet another Pete Johnson masterpiece that continues to keep him the hottest in the business. The finish of the cigar was a nice leathery spice that lasted for quite some time.

Rating: 91
Price: $9.00