The Toro and Gordo viotlas were added to the Micallef Conneticut line at TPE in 2019. The line originally debuted in 2017 at the IPCPR trade show. The blend uses 4 year old tobacco in all components including: Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan Habano binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. The cigar is also aged for at least one year after being rolled. The company describes the cigar as medium bodied. The cigar features a triple cap.
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.
Right now, the Micallef Connecticut comes in three sizes: Robusto (5×52) $9.60, Toro (6×52) $10.00, and Gordo (6×60) $11.00.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro Length: 6″ Ring Gauge: 52 Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Nicaraguan Habano Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua Factory: Micallef Cigars Factory Blender: Joel Gómez Sanchez Number of reviewers: 4 – Joseph S.(Bearded Bastard) Estevan Z.(TheRealBanzi) Jake P.(Jake P.) Randy B.(randobush) Price: $10.00 Age: 8 Months Release Date: February 2019 Contributed by: Micallef Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 90
“The wrapper, a light cinnamon in color, makes this cigar a sight to behold. Near invisible seams that traverse the length of the cigar finishing it’s journey at a beautifully applied triple cap. Smooth as silk with no tooth and medium size veins throughout. This is an appropriate opening to the journey that awaits me.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Aroma: 88
“A nice farm aroma, tobacco, pleasing to the nostrils” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
First Third
Blind Cigar Review: Micallef | Connecticut Toro
Flavor: 91 Strength: Mild-Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“Upon lighting this cigar, I am met with a blast of sweet creamy cedar. After the first inch, it settles into a nice mixture of floral note, sweet cedar, and cinnamon. There’s a smattering of doughy bread and cinnamon spice when you retrohale the cigar. Much like the wrapper, the smoke is silky smooth when pushed through the nose. A great opening to this cigar.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
“Prelight draw is baking spices, weak coffee, a bit of white or cayenne pepper. 1st light is the same flavors, with a slight pepper zing initially on the retrohale that’s smoothed out by the baking spices. Draw is perfect, with just the right amount of resistance. 1” in, the ash is holding on, and the burn is a little wonky, but nothing that needs correction. Earth and a sweetness have come in to play like a raisin nougat blend.” –Randy B. (randobush)
Second Third
Flavor: 94 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
Blind Cigar Review: Micallef | Connecticut Toro
“Honey roasted peanuts has become the main attraction in this third. The bread note, from earlier, is joined by a wonderful vanilla essence and cinnamon spice making me think of freshly grilled French Toast. The flavors are deep and rich and creat a long lasting finish. Definitely the best this cigar has to offer.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
“Going into the 2nd third, the pepper has dissipated, and almost gone, with just a hint of white pepper staying on the tongue through the finish. There’s been a little bit of transition, with graham cracker and dry toast coming in with the baking spices, these three flavors being the three predominant flavors. Light cocoa powder flavor coming in as well.” –Randy B. (randobush)
Final Third
Flavor: 91 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
Blind Cigar Review: Micallef | Connecticut Toro
“Wrapped up in the final third was still this great creaminess. Earth flavors are still hanging around and even started to get some roasted coffee at time.” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
“The leather and cedar kicked it up a notch on the last end, with the pepper still popping through” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 94
“Perfect draw with just the right amount of resistance. No double puffing necessary. Great smoke output diminished a bit in the final third.” –Randy B. (randobush)
Burn: 88
“Pretty even burn, no touch ups needed, light it and forget it” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
Construction: 90
“No flaws, had a very slight crack appear in the second third, but it was minor and not noticeable af far as smoking experience ” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
Overall Strength: Medium Overall Body/Complexity: Medium Experience Overall: 94
“On a grey, gloomy rainy Northern NY day, the kind that makes Eeyore on downers look like Richard Simmons on meth, I decided to take a break from the doldrums of watching my life pass me by, and throw on some Type O Negative, and light up this cigar known only to me as “1001.” A nice looking cigar, brownie tannishy in color, typical of Connecticut wrappers, a pleasant smell of barn and tobacco. On the light up and first third, I got hints of lamb chops, BBQ oysters and diet Coke. Ok, maybe not. Cedar and white pepper were the dominant flavors through to the last third, wherein some leathery hints were thrown in. All in all, a good smoke, great construction, no burn issues, and thank goodness it didn’t really taste like BBQ oysters. A good mild to medium smoke to be enjoyed with coffee I think, then again i haven’t met a cigar yet that didn’t go good with coffee. I wouldn’t mind one of these for a good morning coffee, ease into the day, one, perhaps, that isn’t doomy and gloomy as this day.” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
“Finger Burner is the only thing that comes to mind. Beautiful construction, great flavor changes and nice long lasting finish. The flavors are approachable for all levels of smokers. I will be keeping at least a fiver of these, at the ready, going forward. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
“I was not looking forward to this smoke at first because I was worried that the wrapper patches and the cracks were going to bog this cigar down. Like everything in life you can not judge a book by its cover. This cigar was great! You had cedar and spice, but for me what really stood out was the creaminess. I felt that flavor particularly played beautifully with the cedar. Thanks for this one. ” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
“A pleasurable cigar to be sure from start to finish. There was never a puff that I did not enjoy. Transitions were minimal, but noticeable. I would smoke this cigar again!” –Randy B. (randobush)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 76
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Blind Cigar Review: Micallef | Connecticut Toro
Overall Score – 92 – Great
Blind Cigar Review: Micallef | Connecticut Toro
Summary
"On a grey, gloomy rainy Northern NY day, the kind that makes Eeyore on downers look like Richard Simmons on meth, I decided to take a break from the doldrums of watching my life pass me by, and throw on some Type O Negative, and light up this cigar known only to me as "1001." A nice looking cigar, brownie tannishy in color, typical of Connecticut wrappers, a pleasant smell of barn and tobacco. On the light up and first third, I got hints of lamb chops, BBQ oysters and diet Coke. Ok, maybe not. Cedar and white pepper were the dominant flavors through to the last third, wherein some leathery hints were thrown in. All in all, a good smoke, great construction, no burn issues, and thank goodness it didn't really taste like BBQ oysters. A good mild to medium smoke to be enjoyed with coffee I think, then again i haven't met a cigar yet that didn't go good with coffee. I wouldn't mind one of these for a good morning coffee, ease into the day, one, perhaps, that isn't doomy and gloomy as this day." -Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
