Victor Calvo is a new brand, but Victor Calvo is not new to producing cigars. The company has been producing cigars for other brands for quite some time. This cigar has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler. The Gran Robusto measures in at 5”x55 and carries an MSRP of $4.80.
In all honestly, I don't think I would have liked this as newbie cigar smoker. Rich aged tobacco wasn't something that I was super into when I started smoking and it took time for me to appreciate the nuance and quality. That being said, this cigar has that rich aged tobacco flavor as its main and dominate flavor though out and depending on how much you personally enjoy it will greatly influence your thought of it. As far as burn, construction, and draw they were all top notch. Burned cool and consistence the entire time and the ash looked like stacked nickles. The smoke output was a bit lackluster to me. I enjoy a creamier and thicker smoke myself but it was far from thin. Certainly worth a try but keep a few hours free because it took just under three hours to finish this beast.
I enjoyed this cigar a bit more than the Flor de Ynclan. I think it had the sweetness that the Flor de Ynclan was missing and full bodied to go with it. I thought the flavors worked well together and there were nice transitions from beginning to end. I really liked it.
This was an excellent cigar. It was a Connecticut, which I usually don't gravitate towards, but as I said before, this is not your typical Connecticut. There is TONS of flavor and many transitions to keep your attention. The cigar was very smooth, and could be enjoyed anytime of the day not just with your coffee or as your 1st smoke of the day, but I will recommend you smoke it on a fresh palate in order to taste all the flavors this stick throws at you. My hat's off to Riste on making a wonderful smoke.
AaronAllChurchillConnecticutDaniel MarshallDominican RepublicEmmettFeaturedManuel QuesadaQuick Cigar ReviewsShade Grown
·This was a very smooth cigar. Being a Churchill, it presents a long experience. There were some good flavor transitions, but oak was the predominant flavor throughout which mixed well with the other flavors that presented themselves. I think this cigar would be great in the morning paired with some coffee or as the first cigar of the day. It could also be paired with some other libations that aren’t overpowering such as a nice peaty Scotch. I could definitely see myself smoking more of these.
To celebrate the milestone of 10 years for El Primer Mundo Cigars, Sean Williams introduced the EPM 10 Year Anniversary cigar. It was released in June of 2016 and will be available at a very select group of retailers by invitation only. The cigar features a Rosado wrapper from Nicaragua, San Vicente binder, and Ligero Criollo, Ligero Negrito, and Corojo 2006 filler. It it made at the De Los Reyes SA factory in Dominican Republic. The EPM 10 Year is available in three vitolas. A 6x54 (MSRP $9.75) Toro, 5x50 Robusto (MSRP $8.75), and 5.5x42 Corona (MSRP $8.50). The cigar sampled for this review was the Toro vitola.
Construction was mostly fine, with good draw through a full cut and a mostly even burn with occasional canoeing and short ashes; it seemed to be a bit tightly rolled as it went out on me four times when left unattended. Lasted me for about 90 minutes.
You get what you pay for here. A unique experience with clean defined flavors that were perfectly well balanced throughout the entirety of the duration of this ultra premium cigar. Complexity is unmatched to any cigar I’ve ever had making this smoke a dream. Construction and draw were phenomenal however this particular sample had some issues with the burn line until the second half where it caught up. Because of the fullness and richness of this medium to medium full bodied smoke, it is not something you’ll reach for (providing you have the available funds) everyday. This cigar is meant for those special occasions when you want something that screams quality in terms of very rich flavor that is defined, unique and unmatched to any other stick. Whilst not my sweet spot for flavor profiles, as it was a tad too sweet for me, this definitely goes into my top echelon of cigars I have ever enjoyed.
This was a fast burner. For its size, I would have expected a longer smoke. It was a really good cigar, but for something so special, I wanted a little more. Hopefully with age, things get even better and make it more special. I enjoyed this cigar and am glad I got more to age.
The Escurio is Davidoff’s latest release and appears to be a follow up to the successful Nicaragua line. This release has its ties to Brazil. It has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Brazilian Cubra binder and a filler combination of cubra and mata fina from Brazil, along with Dominican San Vicente.


