I have a feeling I’m not going to be disappointed.

Bolivar Royal Corona

Construction

The Bolivar Royal Corona is a very well rolled Cuban cigar with minimal veins throughout the wrapper leaf. It has a nice rustic-brown color that is very similar to one of my other favorite Robusto cigars, the Ramon Allones Specially Selected (RASS), I have noticed that the Royal Coronas are consistently better rolled than the RASS with less construction issues. And like the RASS, the Bolivar Royal Corona has a slight box press.

Everyone of Bolivars that I’ve squeezed have no soft spots with a slight spongy feel. The triple-cap is nicely applied, but still not as nicely done as the ones on the Montecristo Edmundo, but obviously an issue that has little to do with taste or flavor and more with aesthetics. Looking at the foot of the cigar, it seems to be rolled tightly and packed with plenty of tobacco.

The Bolivar Royal Corona burns evenly requiring very few adjustments to correct any slight uneven burning. The ash holds firm for an inch to inch-and-half before breaking off. The draw is great, easy to pull with just the right enough of resistance.

Flavor & Taste

The Royal Corona is a full-body cigar with lots of powerful taste, but not overly kick-you-in-the-ass strong. Pre-light flavors are spicy, peppers, and mildly earthy.

Once lit, the predominant taste is pepper with roasted almonds and coffee. Occasionally I’ll enjoy the Royal Corona with a Grande Starbucks Chai tea and they compliment each other well.

I like how it’s almost buttery smooth like the Montecristo Edmundos and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. The flavors come out best, never getting harsh, at the last-third mark where you can’t resist nubbing it to where it burns your fingers.

Value

At $7.16 a cigar when purchased in a box of 25 is certainly not a bad value. With solid construction, great taste, and a 45-minute smoke time, you can’t go wrong with a box of these in the humidor.

Conclusion

Between the RASS and the Royal Corona, those are my go-to stick when looking for a daily smoke. With strong, complex flavors that never leaves you bored, it’s a great cigar for those days you’re looking for something different. A box purchase of these are a no brainer. This cigar is definitely on my recommended cigar list.

As always, be sure to checkout these other great reviews of the Bolivar Royal Corona:

• Cigars.ie
• CigarAficionado.com
• Cigars-Review.org
• CigarInspector.com
• CigarSmokingLounge.com
• CigarWeekly.com
• Humiblog.com
• StogieGuys.com
• StogieGuys.com – Quick Smoke

Bolivar Royal Corona Gallery Pictures

I was planning to review the Petit Edmundo without many comparisons to its larger brother, the Edmundo, but there are more similarities than differences of the two vitolas. So this review will be different that other cigar reviews in that it is more of a comparison between the two Edmundos.

Montecristo Petit Edmundo

Construction

The Petit Edmundos has a nice oily-sheen milk chocolate-brown wrapper with many fine veins very similar to the Edmundos. I noticed with the Petit Edmundo, the triple cap seems to be hastily applied on more than a few sticks, surprising since the Montecristo Edmundo has some of the best looking triple caps I’ve seen of the Cuban cigars I’ve tried.

The Petit Edmundos I’ve tried so far, all of them have exhibited consistent smooth draws; not too tight and not too loose giving you nice bellows of smoke. The Petit Edmundo is solidly built with no hint of soft spots when squeezed. The burn is decent, solid and slow with salt-and-pepper colored ash that holds on for an inch or more easily. The occasional minor burn corrections are needed to keep the Petit Edmundo burning evenly.

I was surprised to find that the Petit Edmundo has a larger ring guage (52mm) than the Edmundo (50mm) despite advertising suggesting otherwise. I can’t imagine this is a typo as many other online cigar review sites have listed the Edmundo and Petit Edmundo as having 52mm ring gauges. The Edmundos I own are not counterfeits, so it’s a bit perplexing. So as an FYI, the Montecristo Petit Edmundo has a 52mm ring gauge and the Montecristo Edmundo has a 50mm ring gauge. [2010-01-22 UPDATE: So this is quite interesting, I just received a box of 25 of the Montecristo Edmundo and it has a ring size of 52mm. It seems like the Montecristo Edmundo tubos have a slightly smaller ring gauge for whatever reason.]

When purchased in a box, the Montecristo cedar dress box is absolutely beautifully constructed with perfect hinges and a similar decorative lock type latch found on the Cohiba dress boxes, minus the shiny veneer finish on the Cohiba.

The Montecristo cigar band has also changed. The 2007 band on my Edmundos are plain, faded milk chocolate-brown and cheap looking where the 2009 cigar band is darker brown with raised lettering and accents. The new bands look better and less counterfeit looking. According to this website, the Montecristo band was changed sometime in 2007.

Flavors & Taste

According to the box code, the Petit Edmundos I have are dated as May 2009, unusually young Cubans, and despite better judgment, I couldn’t resist trying one as soon I received my box. While I can taste the same flavors as the Edmundo, there is a bit of bitterness which I attribute to the youngness factor. The Edmundos I have are more than twice the age and the flavors and taste on those are finally settling in real nice. That’s unfortunate as I don’t think I can let the Petit Edmundo sit undisturbed for a year or more without enjoying some. They don’t taste bad, but when you know how good they can be with age, it’s hard to fully enjoy. I’ll try and let them sit in my humidor for a month and see if the taste settles any better.

Otherwise, pre-light taste has hints of almond, chocolate, and pepper. The flavors of the Petit Edmundo is identical to the Edmundo. Flavors remain consistent throughout to the nub. The Petit Edmundo is classified as medium-full bodied as with the Edmundo. There are also a number of people who seem to prefer the Petit over the full-size Edmundo.

Value

A box of 25 sets you back $189 USD where the Edmundo is slightly more at $220 USD. Despite being slightly shorter than a typical Robusto, the larger ring gauge should make it burn about the same speed.

Conclusion

I’m a big Robusto fan and the size of the Petit Edmundo is about right for my on-the-go life where the Edmundo is better suited for when time is not a concern. In short, the Montecristo Petit Edmundo has the famous Montecristo taste and you can’t go wrong with having a box or even a few sticks of these in your humidors. Despite designed to be a quicker smoke, I would definitely suggest that you take the time to savior each and every draw and the wonderful taste of this cigar.

Check out these other great reviews on the Petit Edmundo:

• CigarAficionado.com
• CigarInspector.com
• FriendsofHabanos.com
• SteveGriff.com
• StogieGuys.com
• StogieReview.com
• ThreeStogies.com

Montecristo Petit Edmundo Gallery Pictures

CAO MX2 Robusto

Construction

While the CAO MX2 Robusto isn’t the best looking cigar, it is very well-built without any soft spots when squeezed throughout. Present are some minimal veins that runs throughout the oily sheen maduro wrapper. While most maduro cigars have a maduro wrapper, the MX2 has both a maduro wrapper and binder, thus the MX2 designation, Maduro x 2.

The CAO MX2 Robusto is slightly larger than the standard size Robusto being 5 inches long with a 52mm ring instead of 4.8 inches long with a 50mm ring. The slightly longer length and thicker ring gauge makes for a longer smoke. Because of the great build quality, it required no burn corrections as the cigar burned evenly throughout, leaving a dark solid gray ash. The draw was very smooth with just about the right amount of resistance enabling you to draw in good amounts of smoke.

As one of the online blogs had mentioned, the CAO MX2 band is reminiscent of a tuxedo with a faux-dual band and silver lettering of the brand’s logo, CAO, on one band and the MX2 designation on the second. I had no trouble removing the dual band.

Flavor

So what does this cigar taste like? Dark chocolate, coffee, and pepper are dominate tastes I get throughout, all of which are quite pleasing to the palate. The Mx2 leaves a nice spicy tingling feel on my tongue each time I take a draw. The unique flavor has to do with the four different fillers blended with the maduro wrapper and binder.

The cigar starts out mellow and creamy and then gets stronger and stronger and less creamy until you’re close to the nub where the taste starts becoming harsh. I was able to almost nub it, but decided to put it down before I got sick from the very strong taste. A number of other reviews I read have the same conclusion that near the last third, the cigar loses its creaminess and becomes harsher to the taste.

Value

At $4.95 for the Robusto, this is quite a good value for about an hour-long smoke. You can buy a box of 20 for $99 from CigarsDirect.com. If you’re not sure if you will like this cigar or not, I would recommend picking up a 5-pack from CigarsDirect.com for only $32 to try before buying an entire box. You could also pick up a couple or few sticks from your local tobacconist.

Conclusion

I purchased this stick from my local store, Cigar Loft and Lounge and it sit for a few days in my humidor before I couldn’t resist smoking it any longer. The last CAO MX2 had been aged 2 years before I had it and I can say aging does nothing for them. Typically aging a medium-full to full-bodied cigar will take some of the bite out of the taste, but the 2-year-old MX2 Toro I had still had plenty of bite. The Robusto tasted identical to the Toro, same chocolate and spicy pepper taste.

I can’t say this cigar is for everyone, but I think it’s a definite must try. If you’re used to the lighter smokes, this guy will have some kick. Definitely an after dinner cigar. This has certainly become my favorite non-Cuban cigar and I would definitely pick up a box.

Be sure to read these other reviews on this cigar:

• BOTL.org
• CigarBeat.net
• CigarFan.com
• CigarJack.net
• StogieReview.com
• TomsCigars.com

CAO MX2 Robusto Gallery Pictures

I, not being a fan of torpedo shaped cigars or full-bodied Cubans (yet), opted for the Montecristo Edmundo. Montecristo also makes a shorter version, the Petit Edmundo, which is also very highly rated for those who are shorter on time or prefer a smaller vitola. I have not  tried the Petit Edmunodo yet, but from what I hear, it hits the sweet spot sooner. Definitely on my to try next list.

Montecristo Edmundo

Construction

Beautifully constructed, this Robusto vitola named after Edmundo Dantes, the hero in Alexandro Dumas’ famous novel, “The Count of Montecristo”, a favorite reading for the torcedores of the Montecristo brand.

This is a large puro measuring 5.3 inches with a 50 ring. There is hardly any veins in the wrapper with no soft spots when gently squeezed. There is plenty of tobacco packed into this beast. The wrapper has a nice naturally, oily sheen and smells great. (2010-01-25 UPDATE: I found something quite interesting. Apparently the Montecristo Edmundos that come in the tubos are 50mm ring gauges where the Edmundos from a box of 25 are 52mm. Not entirely sure why the tubed version would be noticeably smaller.)

The cigar band is a very simple design, perhaps the smallest and least decorative of its other Cuban brothers. The band design is so boring and uninspiring (Montecristo name on top and Habana at the bottom with a Fleur in the middle) you could think the cigar was a counterfeit if not for the beautiful construction, the perfect triple cap, and the robust flavors.

I received the Montecristo Edmundo 3-pack that comes in a very nice package, complete the Country’s seals of authenticity. The Edmundo in the 3-packs come in a very attractive yellow metal tubo with the ornate Montecristo logo, the cigar name, and a bar-code on each. Inside, lays an Edmundo wrapped in a thin piece of cedar to help lock in the flavor. What’s great about the metal tubos is that they prevent the cigar from getting damaged when traveling with a stick. Normally I carry cigars i plan on consuming in a Cigar Caddy, but with the tubos I can travel light and not worry my cigar being destroyed in my pocket or bag. Even with the tubos, you’ll still need to place them in a humidor to keep them until you’re ready to enjoy them.

My friends and I have not had any burn issues with the Montecristo Edmundo. Once started, it keeps a very precise burn until the end, no corrections needed. The salt-and-pepper ash produced is solid an holds for an inch-and-half easily. Because of the size and how well it’s packed, it’s easy to get large billows of nice white smoke.

Flavor and Taste

The Montecristo Edmundo has a wonderful medium-to-full-bodied taste that remains unchanged except near the end. The flavors are buttery, with pepper, vanilla, chocolate with a hint of coffee beans throughout, but pickup more in pepper once you hit the last 1/3rd.

This is a cigar that you need adequate time to enjoy. Try rushing it and the strong flavors will kick your ass like gulping down hard Scotch, shot after shot. To truly appreciate this masterpiece, you need to take sips and let the taste flow around in your mouth before letting it out. I’ve tried to smoke these down to the nub a few times, but the flavors get too strong for me near the end, so generally I know when it’s time to put it down, it’s time to put it down. Also because this is more of a medium-to-full body cigar, make sure you have a hearty meal before enjoying one, or you will get sick.

The 5-pack of 3-packs (15 cigars) I have has a date code 2007 of making them 2 years-old (3 years, if you consider that the leaves are aged a year before being used) and from what I’ve read, can only get better with age.

Value

Purchased in a box of 25, the Montecristo Edmundo works out to $8.80 per stick. Purchased individually, the cost becomes a bit more on the pricey side of ~$13. Even at $13 a cigar, I definitely think it’s worth the value unlike the $36 Opus X Churchill I had.

For those who can legally acquire these beauties, they come as a single tubo, a 3-pack of tubos, a 5-pack of 3-packs (15 Edmundos), and a clamshell box of 25.

Conclusion

This has become one of my favorite cigars, so far. If you want to experience Cuban cigars at its finest, I would certainly recommend the Edmundo for its beautiful construction and yummy flavors. For $8.80 a cigar, you’ll be hard pressed to find even a Cohiba that taste as good for the same price.

Be sure to read other reviews:

• Cigar Inspector
• Cigars Review
• Stogie Guys
• Puff
• Cigar Bunch (YouTube video)

Montecristo Edmuno Gallery

Being so highly rated by so many, I knew I couldn’t go wrong with the RASS; my thoughts inside.

Ramon Allones Specially Selected (RASS)

Appearance & Construction

One of the very first things that stuck me upon opening my RASS box of 25 is the build quality is the most inconsistent of all the Cubans I’ve seen so far. No less than 3 of the 25 sticks had at least one defect or another from a broken wrapper or hastily rolled wrapper to poorly applied triple cap; perhaps I was just unlucky. Although when you reach in and grab a good, it’s damn good looking and feeling. The Colorado wrapper is a rustic brown color with few veins; it has less veins in the wrapper than compared to the H.Upmann Magnum 46.

The RASS exhibits a slight box-press, no where as well done as the Padron 1964 Anniversary Series cigars. There are very few noticeable soft spots when gently squeezed and looking at the foot of most of the RASS, it’s well packed with tobacco. There isn’t an issue with the draw, very easy to take in bellows of smoke. One thing I found interesting is that 2/3rds into the cigar, the cigar starts getting more spongy when squeezed unlike the other Cubans I’ve had, which continue to stay stiff when squeezed. So far, I haven’t noticed any issues with it. Of the four RASS I smoked so far, the third one had a very loose draw that felt like sucking air through a large straw; I should have figured that would be the case upon inspecting the foot and noticing that it wasn’t rolled as tight. It wasn’t until about the last third before the draw started to tighten up and become more smokable. Quality control on the box of 25 of the Ramon Allones Specially Selected (RASS) is lacking.

It's very easy to get an inch, if not more of ash sticking to the cigar

All four of the RASS I’ve smoked so far, I’ve found I’ve had to correct the burn many times as the RASS seems to burn unevenly, an issue I’ve never had with the Montecristo Edmundo. The RASS typically takes me approximately 45 minutes to smoke from beginning to nub. I’ve not had them go out on me.

I should also mention that the cigar box is absolutely gorgeous! The only other cigar boxes that are perhaps nicer than the RASS are ones by Cohiba. The artwork is very detailed on the cedar boxes from the Ramon Allones brand name inscribed repeatedly along the outer edges of the box to the colorful artwork that adorns it. The lid is held closed with a single small golden nail. After you splice the official Cuban state seal and the Habanos S.A. chevron, you pull the lid directly up and there is the official green and white warranty card. Underneath is a cover that is permanently attached to the box bearing the Ramon Allones seal with the first thirteen cigars nicely laid out with the cigar band properly facing up. Underneath those thirteen is a thin cedar sheet with the crescent cut in the upper right hand, when removed, will reveal the remaining twelve RASS cigars with a single white cardboard placeholder in the thirteen slot. The presentation I must say, is nothing less than beautiful.

Flavor

The one thing I’ve been reading about the Ramon Allones Specially Selected cigar is that it really young in taste and needs to be aged at least a few years to get it’s full potential. The box code on the RASS I have is March 2008 and I’m hoping that I can manage to keep my hands off a good number of them and let them sit in the humidor for at least another year and see if it gets better.

I found the pre-light draw to be bland: hints of tobacco and slight pepper, but that changes after a few puffs once lit. The most noticeable taste, to me, is the chocolate. There are also cedar and earthly tones.

One thing I found very pleasing about the RASS is it stays creamy, even right up to the nub, with no hint of harshness or harsh aftertaste but it doesn’t have the complexity of taste as the Montecristo Edmundo, my favorite cigar at the moment.

Value

From what I hear, a box of 25 for the RASS runs about ~$189 USD making it $7.56 per stick which isn’t too bad for a ~45 minute smoke. A couple of years ago, the RASS used to run for $135, which was an excellent price!

Conclusion

If the option was available, I would purchase a RASS box despite the occasional construction issues and the burn issues; there seems to be a bit of inconsistency between each stick in a box, at least for ones dated in 2009. I should note that for about the same price, one could get a box of the Montecristo Petit Edmundo (1-inch shorter than the Edmundo, and slightly shorter than a Robusto but thicker ring) and get all the great flavors that the Edmundo has to offer.

The RASS is a very good smoke when you get a good stick and it never hurts to have a few sticks lying around in the humidor.

Ramon Allones Specially Selected Cuban Cigar Gallery

Years later as I started getting back into this past-time and having had a number of cigar brands, I was beginning to understand and develop what I liked in terms of taste so I figured it was time to take a whack at the Opus X. I stopped into a semi-local B&M store at Valley Faire Mall in San Jose that I knew would have some in stock and ended up picking up the Opus X Reserve de Chateau, a churchill length cigar and it stayed in my humidor for a measly thirteen days before I decided it was time to try this baby out.

Fuente Fuente Opus X Reserve de Chateau

Appearance & Construction

First glance at the Opus X Reserve de Chateau and you can’t help but marvel at how beautifully constructed this vitola is: very few veins, very solidly built, no imperfections, with a great looking triple cap reminiscent of a Cuban cigar. In short, it’s a Dominican Republic cigar with the beauty of a Cuban.

The Opus X cigar band has to be one of the most beautiful cigar bands I’ve ever seen. Bold colors such as gold and red adorn the intricately designed band definitely letting you know this is no ordinary cigar, but a premium cigar. No detail was left out here.

I was able to get an inch and a quarter of nice white ash, a testament to the build quality, before it broke off when I accidentally placed it down a little too rough on my ashtray to take a picture.

Flavor & Smoke

After snipping off a bit of the cap and lighting the Churchill, the initial draw is very smooth. It is very easy to get a lot of smoke with this cigar given it’s length and easy draw. I would classify this cigar as a medium bodied smoke with the main taste being coffee beans with a touch of earthy taste, which lasted throughout. Just as a note, my beverage of choice was Diet Coke (usually is whether I’m smoking cigars or not).

After smoking the Opus X Reserve de Chateau for two hours, I finally decided to put it down despite having at least another 30-45 minutes left. The two main reasons for this was 1) it kept going out and the final time it went out, I was tired of having to re-light it, and 2) the predominantly coffee bean taste became boring to me. I can now appreciate cigars of the Churchill and Coronas Grande size such as the Cohiba Siglo III I had awhile back, changes taste midway keeping the smoke interesting and lively.

Value

At about $36 USD a stick, I found this cigar to be overpriced and this specific stick over-hyped, read the next section to see why I think so.

Conclusion

I was very excited when I purchased this Opus X Churchill given all the great things many have to say about the Opus X line, but sadly I was disappointed. For $36, you get a beautifully looking vitola with an equally beautiful band, but most cigar aficionados care more about the taste than looks.

One of the most annoying problems I was having with the Opus X was keeping it lit. It went out a total of no less than four times requiring constant re-light. I would take a deep draw every few seconds and had set it down twice for a mere ten seconds at most, take another draw and found that it was starting to go out. In one case, I was a able to save it and not have to re-light, but in the other four cases, I was left with a cold tobacco taste you get when a cigar has gone out and you take a deep draw. Granted it was a bit cold out (59 degrees Fahrenheit), but not windy. In the other cases it went out, I was holding it in my hand as I was watching video on my laptop. When it would stay lit, I had to spend quite a bit of time correcting the burn as one side would occasionally burn a bit faster than the other, couldn’t figure out why.

I’m willing to believe that quite possibly the Opus X I purchased might have been a fluke or I didn’t let it age long enough in my humidor, but I don’t think I will be trying the Reserve de Chateau anytime soon again, but rather I might try the Opus X robusto, since I’ve started becoming a fan of the Robusto size cigars.

Either the Opus X Reserve de Chateau is a rare cigar, or many do not prefer this Churchill as I’m not able to find many online reviews, but you can read the two I did find:

• Cigar Aficionado (rating: 92, also listed as The Top 25 Best Cigars of the Year: 2009)
• Cigar Monkey
• Cigar Friendly

Easy: it is a Maduro cigar and I don’t like those full-bodied cigar, until I tried it today. I figured this cigar might have been a bit too strong in taste for my liking, but I’m glad I took the plunge and tried my very first full bodied Maduro cigar. Goes to show you that you really can judge a book by it’s cover. I also apologize for the lack of my own pictures, I was expecting to be disappointed with this cigar and didn’t bring my camera out. Instead enjoy some of Tom’s great pics of the CAO MX2 on his blog.

CAO MX2

Appearance & Construction

First two things you quickly notice with the CAO MX2 Toro is that it’s a BIG cigar (52 ring by 6 inches). Then it has a gorgeous dark chocolate wrapper that for the last two years have been intimidating for me as I prefer the mild to medium body taste. The CAO is beautifully constructed with a decent amount of veins in the wrapper, but nicely rolled with no visible defects. The cap is nicely applied. Squeezing about, there aren’t any soft spots and it feels nicely packed with tobacco.

One of the neat features of CAO’s MX2 line is that the outer wrapper is a Connecticut Maduro wrapper with a Brazilian Maduro binder which is the significance of “MX2″ or “Maduro times 2″ (Tom’s Cigar).

Flavor & Smoke

I lit the Toro with my dual flame Blazer butane and it lit nicely without any problems. One of the first things I noticed was the heavy gray smoke that appeared, no mistaking this for a mild or medium flavored cigar. The initial draw surprised me: it was full bodied but not overpowering taste of pepper and coffee with some slight dark chocolate. As I continued to take more puffs, I was surprised at how creamy, rich, and satisfying the taste was, the aftertaste was very similar to what you would get after having a piece of dark chocolate. Prior to this, I never fully understood what other cigar aficionados meant when they described a cigar with “complex flavors” and now I know. The pepper, coffee bean, and dark chocolate taste continued consistently until halfway the dark chocolate taste started becoming a bit stronger, certainly not a bad thing.

The CAO MX2 continued to burn fairly evenly requiring very few burn adjustments, most likely caused by the windy weather of the day. The ash produced was mostly white and it was strong enough to stay for about an inch at a time before breaking off, also most likely caused by the slight windiness.

The draw was quite smooth and it’s very easy to draw in a large amount of smoke. The MX2 didn’t go out once as I occasional have happen with the H.Upmann Magnum 46 Cuban cigars.

Value

At Cigars Direct, the cost for a 5-pack is $35.00 and a box of 20 for $109.95 which, in my opinion, is a great value for a Maduro cigar that taste great, looks greats, and is a nice long smoke. I’ve heard from numerous online reviews that you can’t really go wrong with CAO cigars.

Conclusion

I didn’t get an opportunity to enjoy the CAO MX2 Toro for as long as I would like. This is definitely not a breakfast or lunch cigar (which was my mistake for trying), but rather for after dinner. I did not smoke the cigar down to the nub, rather choosing to stop about a quarter inch, if not less, from the band as I was running out of time and the flavor started getting stronger and I didn’t want to get sick. This is one of those cigars where when you feel it’s time to stop, it’s best to listen and stop. I made the mistake of ignoring that once and was rewarded with a good few hours of nausea and slight stomachache.

When I had stopped, the timer on my iPhone indicated it took me 48 minutes to get to that point; not surprising for a cigar of this size and heft. Your time may vary as it depends on how many and how long each draw you take. Obviously cigar smoking isn’t a race to the nub for me as it is something I do in enjoyment so I like to take my time with puffs.

Now that I’ve had this full bodied cigar from CAO and turned out to really like it, I certainly would have no problems recommending this to my cigar buddies and even picking up a box for my humidor, especially given the price. The flavors and length of time it takes to smoke the MX2 toro means this won’t necessarily be a daily smoke for me, but I would imagine reaching for it when I’m looking for something different or hanging out with friends. I’m starting to have an affinity for Robusto sized cigars and fortunately CAO MX2 has a Robusto offering which I may consider trying.

I’m now open to trying other full bodied cigars and speaking of which, I was recently given some Montecristo Edmundo Cuban cigars, which are medium-to-full bodied cigars I’m itching to try now. On the same note, from what I’ve read and experienced, Cuban cigars tend to be a bit stronger than the non-Cubans in the same taste. For example, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur No. II cigars I occasionally smoke are mild-to-medium bodied as are the H.Upmann Magnum 46 Cubans, but the Magnum 46 has a stronger taste. So I’m expecting the Montecristo Edmundos to be as strong or stronger in taste than the CAO MX2.

You can read more expert reviews of the CAO MX2 Toro at:

• Tom’s Cigar
• Cigar Aficionado Forum
• Smokenspirits.com
• CigarObsession.com