Carolina Blue was founded in the Dominican Republic in April 2016. Christopher Moore went to Tabacalera F. De La Cruz, granted Christopher Moore and started his own cigar brand.
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.
There are a maximum of 2,000 sticks made per week. Master Blender Francisco De La Cruz has been in the business since he was 13 years old and has managed the Tabacalera F. De Le Cruz Factory since 1997. De La Cruz is a highly respected blender and business man in the cigar industry. He has helped other cigar businesses such as La Flor Dominicana and Romeo and Juliet climb the success ladder and reach effortless success.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro
Length: 5 3/4″
Ring Gauge: 54
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Criollo 98, Piloto Cubano, and Nicaraguan
Factory: Tabacalera F. De La Cruz,
Blender: Francisco De La Cruz
Number of reviewers: 5 – Alan(Eulogy) Mickey T.(irratebass) Ryan H.(Ryan H.) John A.(Bostoneo) Dave W. (mdwest)
Price: $9.00
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: April 2016
Contributed by: Carolina Blue Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 90
“5×52 tri capped very minimal veins. Nearly invisible seams construction makes me excited to smoke this cigar. Someone took their time making this cigar” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
Aroma: 89
“The wrapper has a faint grassy note to it; while the foot and pre-draw both have notes of rich tobacco and spice.” –Alan (Eulogy)
First Third
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“I dont want to say this cigar is absent in flavor, it is just a profile i dont experience in cigars often the profile is very unique. It is also mostly solidairy profile of raw oak like you would experience if you were in a wood shop. It also has a white pepper note present acrossed front middle and back of palete. Medium to medium plus” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“Initial flavors of dark leather and strong tobacco coat the mouth. Cedar and spicy greens transition to the base profile of this third. This transitions yet again into a silky smooth brown sugar base with black pepper. This was a truly enjoyable third. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“The bitter notes are now gone. The smoke output is actually very nice and creamy. The pepper is a little milder now but still pretty heavy; just not the pepper bomb it was when it started. The richness of the leather and cedar notes are very well balanced. The floral note is more detectable as lavender now, not a constant part of the profile but adds a nice dimension. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“Flavors of oak and pepper with a salty undertone. Rich and flavorful cedar replaces the oak that once was and a nice medium plus body reveals itself for the remainder of this third. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“The final third is where it starts to get a bit muddled in terms of flavor as the strength and body amp up. The rich woodsy flavors that are slightly sweet take over until the very end where it just tastes like very strong tobacco. Not bad overall. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“The sweetness is really front and center now. The cigar has stayed medium in strength all the way, and the toasted marshmallow flavor never went away.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 93
“Just a little lose but much tighter than I thought it would be compared with how loose the pre-draw was.” –Alan (Eulogy)
Burn: 94
“Even, cool, combustion from beginning to end that produced a straight burn line that was maintenance free. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)
Construction: 93
“Other than the slightly tight draw, there were zero performance problems with this stick. It was clearly well rolled. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)
“This was a very full bodied cigar. I know that I am more sensitive to nicotine and pepper than most, but it wasn’t overpowering or unpleasant for me. If I hadn’t just eaten before I’m not sure if my opinion would be the same. The flavors were rich but didn’t have a real evolution throughout. If you’re a fan of rich full bodied cigars this is a great choice, but I would need to be prepared to smoke something this powerful again. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“This was a really nice medium in strength cigar that had quite a bit going on in the flavor department with flavors of toasted marshmallow, dried fruit, coffee, cinnamon and some vegetable elements. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“I dont know where that metalic acidity came from but i didnt like it. The consistency is spot on if consistency is your thing. Like i said the profile was unique.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“Overall this was a pretty decent smoke. I enjoyed the rich flavors that it provided throughout the entire duration of the smoke. Although the burn was slightly off at times the construction and dry all seemed spot on. My only qualm was the appearance of the binder veins pushing against the wrapper making it look a bit rustic. Otherwise, fantastic smoke that I would definitely burned again. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“Overall this cigar provided a very nice smoking experience. It was subtle in many ways, but easy and enjoyable to smoke. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Carolina Blue | Maduro Toro
Overall Score – 91 – Very Good
Blind Cigar Review: Carolina Blue | Maduro Toro
Summary
"This was a very full bodied cigar. I know that I am more sensitive to nicotine and pepper than most, but it wasn't overpowering or unpleasant for me. If I hadn't just eaten before I'm not sure if my opinion would be the same. The flavors were rich but didn't have a real evolution throughout. If you're a fan of rich full bodied cigars this is a great choice, but I would need to be prepared to smoke something this powerful again. " -Alan (Eulogy)
