Petite Café, 4.5" x 42 ring gauge / $6.20, Silo Cigars, Knoxville
I make about 80 percent of my cigar purchases at Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga because I consider it my "home store." Support the home team and all. As big as their selection is, though, they can't possibly carry everything, so it's nice to get out to other shops sometimes to see what cigars I might be missing. A recent trip to Knoxville found me at Silo Cigars where I discovered the Curivari line of cigars...so I picked up a couple for evaluation. I'm starting with the Reserva Limitada Cafe, which is described as a medium to full bodied cigar with lots of coffee and cocoa flavor. It has authentic Cuban seed Criollo and Corojo leaf used, all sourced in Nicaragua. This review is based on my first experience with this blend.
The appearance was somewhat plain...a throwback, classic look, I guess. The wrapper leaf was a medium brown with a slightly reddish hue in certain light; the band complemented it well, with the simple maroon and gold motif. Construction quality looked very good...everything was smooth and well-done from foot to triple cap. On the wrapper I got an aroma of cedar along with hints of manure and autumn spice. On the foot there was a stronger earthiness along with chocolate. After cutting the head, I got a very good cold draw that tasted more than anything else like just really great tobacco.
After lighting, the main flavor on the tongue was cedar, although some of that Corojo spiciness was present, too. On the retrohale, I got mostly pepper...strong and almost painful. After a few minutes, the flavor of unsweetened cocoa powder started to come through on the palate as well. Through the first third, I continued to get more cedar than anything, along with a growing pepper spice indicative that is so often accompanies Nicaraguan puros.
About midway through the second third I finally started picking up some coffee notes that the Cafe was named for. The flavor of dark roast coffee went surprisingly well with the cayenne pepper burn that enveloped my tongue by this point. Construction was just about perfect, with a great draw and very good burn line.
The final third was a continuation of those coffee and spice flavors from the second. Overall, the size of this cigar prevented it from having much of a nicotine kick, but the body was in the medium to full range still. I enjoyed this one very much, although my lingering feeling was that it was just too short. Normally that's not something you will hear me say as I am always on the lookout for a great short smoke, but this time I felt like I wanted more time for the flavor to develop more fully. So next time I see these, I will make it a point to pick up a larger cigar and see how that fairs.
Body: 7/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 6/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
I make about 80 percent of my cigar purchases at Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga because I consider it my "home store." Support the home team and all. As big as their selection is, though, they can't possibly carry everything, so it's nice to get out to other shops sometimes to see what cigars I might be missing. A recent trip to Knoxville found me at Silo Cigars where I discovered the Curivari line of cigars...so I picked up a couple for evaluation. I'm starting with the Reserva Limitada Cafe, which is described as a medium to full bodied cigar with lots of coffee and cocoa flavor. It has authentic Cuban seed Criollo and Corojo leaf used, all sourced in Nicaragua. This review is based on my first experience with this blend.
The appearance was somewhat plain...a throwback, classic look, I guess. The wrapper leaf was a medium brown with a slightly reddish hue in certain light; the band complemented it well, with the simple maroon and gold motif. Construction quality looked very good...everything was smooth and well-done from foot to triple cap. On the wrapper I got an aroma of cedar along with hints of manure and autumn spice. On the foot there was a stronger earthiness along with chocolate. After cutting the head, I got a very good cold draw that tasted more than anything else like just really great tobacco.
After lighting, the main flavor on the tongue was cedar, although some of that Corojo spiciness was present, too. On the retrohale, I got mostly pepper...strong and almost painful. After a few minutes, the flavor of unsweetened cocoa powder started to come through on the palate as well. Through the first third, I continued to get more cedar than anything, along with a growing pepper spice indicative that is so often accompanies Nicaraguan puros.
About midway through the second third I finally started picking up some coffee notes that the Cafe was named for. The flavor of dark roast coffee went surprisingly well with the cayenne pepper burn that enveloped my tongue by this point. Construction was just about perfect, with a great draw and very good burn line.
The final third was a continuation of those coffee and spice flavors from the second. Overall, the size of this cigar prevented it from having much of a nicotine kick, but the body was in the medium to full range still. I enjoyed this one very much, although my lingering feeling was that it was just too short. Normally that's not something you will hear me say as I am always on the lookout for a great short smoke, but this time I felt like I wanted more time for the flavor to develop more fully. So next time I see these, I will make it a point to pick up a larger cigar and see how that fairs.Body: 7/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 6/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
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