William's Picks

William
WILLIAM
FOLLOW
TASTE:Nutty, woody, pepper, cream
HOBBIES:Video games, watching football and MMA, movies
STRENGTH:Medium-Full

CAO Gold Label Torpedo 6"1/4 * 52

91
CAO Gold Label Torpedo 61/4 * 52
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As I pick up the CAO Gold torpedo I feel lots of black pepper and dark-roast coffee notes. Mellow spices and hints of dark chocolate and leather enter. Notes of cedar and butterscotch characterize the retro-hale. After about an inch, the flavors become somewhat salty and citrusy, but still mild to the touch. The second half is nicely balanced. The retro-hale is spicy while an overall creaminess unfolds. The long, lingering finish is a perfect balance of citrus and leather with notes of charred oak but the creaminess from the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper keeps it really intriguing.And also this cigar would be a perfect pair with a cup of whiskey Picked on 02/15/2024

Macanudo Inspirado Red Gigante 6" * 60

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Macanudo Inspirado Red Gigante 6 * 60
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Starting out the first third, the Macanudo Inspirado Red Gigante immediately exhibits several flavors, none of which could be called dominant at any point: espresso beans, dark chocolate, cinnamon, spices, oak, and leather. The red pepper on the retro hale is the strongest of any flavors, just strong enough to supersede all the other flavors without overwhelming them it's a great first third. The second third of the Macanudo Inspirado Red Gigante features the same red pepper on the retro hale it might even be a bit more aggressive while the flavors in the profile are close to a carbon copy of the first third, including cinnamon, dark chocolate, baker’s spices, oak, and freshly roasted coffee beans. The berry sweetness from the first third remains about the same as well, present enough to pinpoint while coming nowhere close to affecting anything. And in the final third, the berry sweetness from the first two thirds increases enough to become a more significant part of the profile joining the other notes of oak, dark cocoa nibs, bitter espresso beans, earth, hay and just a touch of creamy nuts. The red pepper on the retro hale is as aggressive as ever, easily keeping track with the other flavors in the profile. Picked on 11/20/2023

The Griffin's Special Edition 2016 5"1/2 * 52

The Griffins Special Edition 2016 51/2 * 52
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Right off the bat! The Griffin’s special edition Robusto delivered a mix of cocoa, a little of black pepper and cedar notes. It is an amazing cigar to start the night off with. Cocoa and cedar notes moved into the forefront quickly with a mix of spices that mixed well with the sweetness of the cigar but for the first third this was an amazing cigar. During the second third, the cedar notes began to increase, and the cocoa notes decreased. At the end of the second third, the cedar notes were in the forefront while the cocoa was in the background and the pepper notes were just hitting the right notes. As The Griffin’s special edition Robusto moved into the last third, the flavor profile pretty much stayed the same. The cedar notes were still strong and there still was a mix of cocoa and natural tobacco in the background. This is the way the cigar experience ended, and I would recommend to pair this cigar with a gentleman Jack whiskey. Picked on 10/16/2023

El Rey Del Mundo Robusto 5" * 54

El Rey Del Mundo Robusto 5 * 54
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I fired up the El Rey del Mundo robusto and got earth and leather right off the bat with notes of cedar and black pepper backing them up, and a touch of sweet citrus on the finish. The nose was nutty with loads of red pepper flakes in the first third. The second third had increased sweetness, with more than a touch of chocolate in the mix. The earth and leather notes took more of a back seat and supporting role. The last third had more pepper and mixed with the semi-sweet chocolate notes. Earth was a solid presence throughout and I got some coffee bean notes as I got toward the end. Picked on 09/15/2023

CAO Colombia Tinto 5" * 50

CAO Colombia Tinto 5 * 50
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The CAO Colombia Tinto started off with a strong sugar sweetness that changed to wood, leather, and spice a short way in. Towards the end of the first third, I started to get some cream and cedar from it as well. It was firmly in the medium range to start. The cigar changed slightly to tobacco, wood, and leather in the second third with some bitterness starting to show itself toward the end of this third. The cigar didn’t move up or down regarding strength. The final third saw the flavors stay constant from the second third, but overall, I really enjoyed this cigar. For me, it was a perfect way to pair it up with a good glass of smoked whiskey. Picked on 08/10/2023

Gurkha The Classic Havana Blend Toro 6" * 54

Gurkha The Classic Havana Blend Toro 6 * 54
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In the first third of this cigar there is a subtle note of chocolate over earthy notes and a lot of pepper through the retro hale. The San Andres wrapper leaves the first third of the cigar sweet and flavorful. The second third continues with some sweetness, but the spicy notes start to come in a lot more making it a flavorful ride in all corners! The last third was a wonderful match up. All the notes were made for each other. The spiciness and the sweetness did not go away until the very end of this cigar. It’s perfect for a good night’s smoke, and it pairs up nicely with a COLD GUINNESS! Picked on 06/23/2023

La Aurora 1987 Connecticut Robusto 5" * 50

La Aurora 1987 Connecticut Robusto 5 * 50
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La Aurora Connecticut 1987 Robusto The first third was really good. It started with slightly dry and spicy cedar and some creamy notes joined the profile which ends the cedar dryness. Then an inch in, the creamy cedar notes continue, and some woody notes come into play. As the second third begins, the woody notes and cream continue while the spiciness goes away. At a half inch in, the sweetness notes go away, and the woody notes start to take over. So far so good! The final third of the cigar mimics the second third, dominantly creamy and nutty with strong woody notes, but all of a sudden a welcoming slight note of black pepper mixed up with the other notes and a solid light to medium finish. Picked on 03/27/2023

Alec Bradley Magic Toast Gran Toro 6" * 54

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Alec Bradley Magic Toast Gran Toro 6 * 54
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The Alec Bradley Magic Toast Box Pressed Gran Toro starts off with an impressively rich flavor profile, mixing a bit of sweet earth, terroir, and black pepper. By the one-inch mark there is a bit of room temperature black coffee entering the profile, notably by way of a touch of acidity in the profile, which is just mild enough to be noticeable but not enough to be dominating. In the second half, it adds a bit of creaminess and softness to the profile but at the midway point the flavor dries out a bit and pick up a sharper wood flavor as the main accent. In the final, I got lots of chocolate with slight hints of black pepper that settles well with a great scotch and a late-night coffee, but I did love the draw and the aroma that the cigar was letting out. Picked on 11/17/2022

La Gloria Cubana Spanish Press Toro 6"1/2 * 52

La Gloria Cubana Spanish Press Toro 61/2 * 52
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The First Third – This cigar is a concoction full of flavor. In the pre-light, I got sweet leather and caramel. The cigar begins nicely, very crisp with bright sharp notes on lighting. The first 20 minutes into the cigar I fell in love instantly. The flavor profile is amazing. I got notes of vanilla cream, but I also sensed lots of residual leathery sweetness and some saltiness that really balances out the cigar. The Second Third - the cigar continues to offer an abundance of sweetness and cream with an addition of a bit of nutty notes. The Final Third - The cigar now packs a punch. I got lots of notes of red pepper with a mixture of nutty sweetness. This is the type of cigar that you don't want it to end, and it has a rollercoaster of flavor. Picked on 09/06/2022

Partagas 1845 Extra Fuerte Churchill 7" * 49

Partagas 1845 Extra Fuerte Churchill 7 * 49
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When I was toasting the cigar, the aroma I got was a BBQ pit, the cigar started off with a blast of spice and when I retro haled it, I got leather notes rolling off the tongue. The spice did tone down a bit by the end of the first third, but the other note I noticed was a maple-like sweetness. The cigar’s flavors in the second third changed slightly to a leather, sugary sweetness, and funny enough, I got notes of grilled meat with a slight surprise of a creamy finish. For the final third, the cigar stayed a medium to full body. The flavors really didn't change a whole lot in the final third with the exception of some bits of cinnamon thrown around it. From the start, it looked like it was going to be a full bodied cigar, but it mellowed out and turned out to a medium to full bodied cigar. Picked on 08/04/2022

Perla del Mar Corojo Robusto 4"3/4 * 52

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Perla del Mar Corojo Robusto 43/4 * 52
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You've no doubt heard the expression "Diamond in the Rough"... well, I'm here to share with you a "Pearl of the Ocean". The English translation of this Spanish-named brand is quite fitting, as this is a gem of a cigar that is luckily also easy on the wallet. The Perla del Mar Corojo is a wonderful cigar, with the first half consisting of leather, some spice, and a little bit of coffee notes. Both the flavor and the strength have proved themselves to be a medium to full. Once you hit the second half, the draw and burn become truly amazing, while the strength remained the same (which I was surprised by but loved). At this point the flavors intensified, giving off notes of figs, cocoa, and coffee, which were an amazing mix. Entering the final stretch, the spice starts to mellow out and the coffee and cocoa notes start to stand out more, which honestly made me slightly upset since I was almost finished! I suggest pairing this cigar with a big, tall glass of Guinness so you can get all of those darks notes to really float to the surface ;) Enjoy. Picked on 06/28/2022
William

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