Camaleón Cigars has been on the market since 2016, but it is a smaller company unknown to some. The name, Camaleón, comes from Camaleóns, the type of lizards that changes their color. Camaleóns lay eggs and Huevo de Oro translates to “Golden egg” a reference to the final blend chosen that stood out from the hundreds of test blends, hence the golden egg.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
The company is owned by Gabriel Beco and Pedro Betances and started after a trip to “Chico’s Factory” in 2016. After tasting one of Francisco “Chico” Rivas blends, they knew they wanted to do a project with him. Francisco “Chico” Rivas has been in the tobacco business for over 30 years and has produced cigars for other companies such as Flor y Nata, Chogüí, Campesino, and Vivaldi. The blend for Huevo de Oro is mostly the same throughout the line, but the Robusto size features a different wrapper from the Toro and Corona Gorda. The Robusto uses an HVA wrapper while the Toro and Corona Gorda use Havana 92. The rest of the blend features a Criollo 98 binder, and Corojo & 2020 fillers.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Robusto Length: 5″ Ring Gauge: 52 Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Wrapper: HVA Binder: Criollo 98 Filler: Corojo 2020 Factory: Manufactura Rivas Blender: Francisco “Chico” Rivas Number of reviewers: 5 – Jake P.(Jake P.) Joseph S.(Bearded Bastard) Estevan Z.(TheRealBanzi) Randy B.(randobush) Allison T.(The Yoga Ash) Price: $9.00 Age: 6 Months Release Date: Unknown Contributed by: Camaleón Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 91
“An even coat of chestnut covers this oily cigar. Small and even vines. Are found throughout this cigar. Tight seams and a triple cap finish off this beautiful cigar.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Aroma: 90
“Even from inches away I could smell an old forest smell with hints of floral like daisies & red cedar. ” –Allison T. (The Yoga Ash)
First Third
Blind Cigar Review: Camaleon | Huevo de Oro Robusto
Flavor: 89 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“started off with oak, coffee, and a hint of chocolate. Smooth as silk” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
“After a blast of sweetness, during light up, the cigars shift to a more floral minded flavor profile. This is balanced by some cedar and tannin notes. Pushing some smoke through the nose and I find myself thinking about a freshly steeped cup of black tea. The only complaint that I have so far is that it is drying out my palate. I hope that will change as we move in to the second third.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Second Third
Blind Cigar Review: Camaleon | Huevo de Oro Robusto
Flavor: 87 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“Going into the second third, a touch up was required to correct the burn. The best thing so far about the cigar is the pleasure in the retrohale. A molasses sweetness has come in, as has black coffee. The gritty baking spice is still lingering around, and the white pepper has transitioned a bit into a sweet cayenne. The draw is not blocked, but it takes a triple puff to enjoy. Burn continues to wonk out.” –Randy B. (randobush)
“After the burn issues in the beginning the cigar was fine. The second third was much more enjoyable and you started to get some decent flavors. Dark chocolate, leather and a sweet tobacco rounded out the second third.” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
Final Third
Blind Cigar Review: Camaleon | Huevo de Oro Robusto
Flavor: 89 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“Mint becomes the main attraction pushing everything else out of its way. There are hints of brown sugar that ebb and flow throughout this final third that are pleasant and complementary. Nearing the last inch of the cigar white pepper tingles the lips and sinuses helping the cigar to finish on a nice high note. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
“The final third was pretty much all black licorice, so if you are a fan of that you will love the end of this cigar. Wow that was a lot for me personally.” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 91
“Triple puffing required to get a good mouth feel of smoke. No plugs or stems blocking the draw, it just didn’t perform well.” –Randy B. (randobush)
Burn: 83
“Had issues lighting the beginning of this cigar. Not really sure why, just this one part did not want to burn. After about an inch it was fine.” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
Construction: 90
“Initially from first inspection, and even at first light, I thought that this cigar was going to perform flawlessly. It turns out that wasn’t the case. Wonky burn and poor performance throughout.” –Randy B. (randobush)
Overall Strength: Medium Overall Body/Complexity: Medium Experience Overall: 88
“I think the burn issue at the start really dampened this cigar for me. As much as I tried to look past it, and by the time it settled down the flavors of this cigar were tainted from having to re light and burn the section to get it going. ” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
“Loved it, burned great, tasted great, draw was great, and I nubbed the crap out of it” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
“I would have never guessed that the cigar would have had the profile it did by the way it was presented. This dark and oily looking cigar had wonderful floral flavors and the mint made it a winner for me. The construction allowed it to burn cool showcasing its light and delicate flavors. It never became a powerhouse which should lend it to any palate and would make you want to smoke it again and again. Once I find out what it is I will grab some to have on hand and it might make it into my regular rotation. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
“This was a beautiful looking cigar, but unfortunately, it did not perform accordingly. Positives were a descent retrohale and respectable transition of flavors through the first and second third. By the final third, any enjoyment of this cigar was long gone.” –Randy B. (randobush)
“This cigar seemed to not be in my wheel house with it’s issues & the strange change up of notes. The cracked wood lingered to long with the black pepper on the lip.” –Allison T. (The Yoga Ash)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Camaleon | Huevo de Oro Robusto
Overall Score – 89 – Very Good
Blind Cigar Review: Camaleón | Huevo de Oro Robusto
Summary
"I think the burn issue at the start really dampened this cigar for me. As much as I tried to look past it, and by the time it settled down the flavors of this cigar were tainted from having to re light and burn the section to get it going. " -Jake P. (Jake P.)
