This cigar is a great looking stick. From the flawlessly made wrapper to the flashy Opus X band and the Lost City below it. Pre light brings about some soft woody notes like all other opus's I've had. After lighting it I get something that I haven't had from an opus, smooth softness! Yup, no pepper kick but in it's place is an almost sweet woody flavor. The aroma is very good with lots and lots of smoke. The flavor was a bit complex and though I can pick out a few of them it's not everything. We've got some woody notes probably more cedar, sweet creme, coffee, leather on the light side, some fruityness almost like an apple, some floral and light tobacco. I could really taste the sweetness while letting the smoke stay in my mouth, as well as the majority of the flavors. Through the nose lost some of the sweetness but damn a great flavor. The cigar burned mostly evenly but corrected itself. The ash was tight and didn't flake at all. I tapped it off twice just so it didn't fall off on me. The flavors were quite complex as I mentioned earlier. The cigar stayed flavorful all the way until the end. The pepper or strength kicked up after half way but was subtle and very welcomed. Overall this cigar is very good. If you like opus, then I say give this one a try if you can find it. I'm almost tempted to get another box as these are only being released once. Some have said they taste more like back when they were first released but as someone who never had a origanal opus I can only mention it. Though I've heard this from people who say the blend has dropped in standards since then though I really enjoy all the X's I've had. Either way it's a good cigar.
Well at least someone reads these things!!!! Yeah it's a good cigar. Been contemplating on ordering another box but yet I feel that 280 bones is a bit much for another 10. I was hoping on getting a couple of other boxes... Oh the decisions...
This is one of the few review threads I read consistently and trust. The price is a bit steep. I'd say go with variety and save these for those special occasion smokes and let them age a bit to see how they develop.
This is one of the few review threads I read consistently and trust. The price is a bit steep. I'd say go with variety and save these for those special occasion smokes and let them age a bit to see how they develop.
I am planning on smoking maybe 1 a year on a special occassion.
This is one of the few review threads I read consistently and trust. The price is a bit steep. I'd say go with variety and save these for those special occasion smokes and let them age a bit to see how they develop.
This is one of the few review threads I read consistently and trust. The price is a bit steep. I'd say go with variety and save these for those special occasion smokes and let them age a bit to see how they develop.
This is one of the few review threads I read consistently and trust. The price is a bit steep. I'd say go with variety and save these for those special occasion smokes and let them age a bit to see how they develop.
Wow, well I hope I don't let ya down!
strange feeling isnt it phobic?
but i agree. the reviews are solid.
I really enjoy your reviews Pheebs ...keep up the good work !
This is one of the few review threads I read consistently and trust. The price is a bit steep. I'd say go with variety and save these for those special occasion smokes and let them age a bit to see how they develop.
Wow, well I hope I don't let ya down!
I trust your judgement. I've found we have similar enough tastes that I can say I'd probably really enjoy these. Thanks for the reviews.
After enjoying the Black Tubes so much and from the many people who said the Red was better than the Black I was able to secure a box of the Red Tubes from our resident "Bearded" one. I've had them for about a week or so and decided to light one up. I took some pics but am lazy right now but promise I'll post them asap!
So this stick is constructed more solidly than the black, meaning that it doesn't feel as soft and doesn't have such a delicate wrapper. Moving into the first few puffs I get more body than the black and some great sweetness. A bit more strength too. The black was all about a sweet-like flavor, were as this one is more about a tobacco flavor. I picked up some coffee-ish and cocoa along with a sweet tobacco. After a few more puffs and settling in, I got some pepper through the nose along with some sweet hints. The aroma, like the Black was sweet but not as strong.
After about the half way mark I started to pick up some harshness and it didn't go away. In fact I had to correct this stick more than several times, in fact I really didn't keep count, but there was always a quarter or so that just didn't burn. Pushing out before taking my two puffs helped but ultimately I got tired of the harshness and the correcting so I put it down a little past the half way mark. Overall I liked the flavor of the stick before I ran into the problems mentioned above. Has anyone experianced this? Am I the only one? Maybe it was the stick but maybe I need to give it a good six months or longer...? eh, either way I'll find out. The strange thing is the Black I smoked seemed fantastic out of the shop I bought it at and my only gripe was the burn had to be corrected a few times which I don't really mind but as a spendy cigar I'd expect a bit more.
Hmm interesting take. I'm starting to wonder if maybe the Black and Red tubos just suffer from construction issues. I've smoked only one Red, but aside from a couple minor corrective burns, it performed admirably and I encountered no harshness until I got to the nub, which isn't uncommon at all. I'm going to have another Red tonight, and I'll post back and see how it holds up against my experience with the first one.
I just picked one up and got the red since it seemed to be the harder one to get. Will let you know how it is when I light it up. Will try to make it soon. Really anxious to try this one.
I've had a couple of each of these and have found that they do suffer from some construction issues. I did let a red tubo rest outside of the tube for about 7 weeks and it was easily the best performer of the bunch, no real need to touch up. They all still had great flavor. I'm hoping that just a little extra rest will do these some good. Maybe pete pushed these a little too quickly out the doors.
The owner of my local shop said Pete told him there was some kind of issue with these and they needed some rest before they are ready to smoke. Not sure what the issues are exactly, but he wasn't happy at all about it.
Funny, I was torn between a box of Red or Black. Sandman and I got one of each at a local shop and smoked them together. I had the Black and loved it - it was much stronger than I expected after reading your review. I was reeling halfway through, and pretty much all I smoke are heavy/full bodied cigars. Sandman had the Red and loved his as well - razor sharp burn the entire time and loved the flavo, a little lighter bodied, but he still had a nice buzz by the end. We both agreed the Black had better flavor - though it was a close one - and I went with a box of the Black.
I'll smoke my first from the Box in April when my baby is born. I'll let you know how it goes.
Funny, I was torn between a box of Red or Black. Sandman and I got one of each at a local shop and smoked them together. I had the Black and loved it - it was much stronger than I expected after reading your review. I was reeling halfway through, and pretty much all I smoke are heavy/full bodied cigars. Sandman had the Red and loved his as well - razor sharp burn the entire time and loved the flavo, a little lighter bodied, but he still had a nice buzz by the end. We both agreed the Black had better flavor - though it was a close one - and I went with a box of the Black.
I'll smoke my first from the Box in April when my baby is born. I'll let you know how it goes.
For some reason I don't get much strength from cigars most say are strong, so I guess when I say a cigar is mild it may be a bit fuller bodied and stronger than what I say... Oh now I'm confused, lol.
I'm not quite sure what to think now. I had a Verocu tonight and was a more than a bit let down. Basically it just didn't smoke right, it burned hot the whole way and I struggled to get any smoke out of it, because of that the flavors were off. On the whole, I'm really feeling like I bought a sub-standard product in the Black and Red tubos, I don't consider either one of these to be worth the money and quite frankly I wish I had just bought a couple singles of each instead of boxes. Looks like I'm not touching the remaining cigars for several, like 6+, months.
I'm not quite sure what to think now. I had a Verocu tonight and was a more than a bit let down. Basically it just didn't smoke right, it burned hot the whole way and I struggled to get any smoke out of it, because of that the flavors were off. On the whole, I'm really feeling like I bought a sub-standard product in the Black and Red tubos, I don't consider either one of these to be worth the money and quite frankly I wish I had just bought a couple singles of each instead of boxes. Looks like I'm not touching the remaining cigars for several, like 6+, months.
I enjoyed the blacks, but yeah, 6+ for the reds for me too.
Those who have had the 5 Vegas line know that there are some good cigars to be had. I personally LOVE the Relic, and the Cask 2. The Limitada 08 is also a favorite. A while back a fellow BOTL sent me 2 Limitada 06 sticks and today was the first time I lit one of them up. The cigar is lighter in color than the 08 and less peppery smelling. The nicely wrapped Torp was top notch in construction and a simple cut opened the cigar right up. The pre draw was a bit woody with some earthiness. Once Lit, the flavor of wood, earth, and some light spices came blasting out. The smoke was decent and the draw was easy. Moving into the first thrid I was picking up some light cream/butter with the wood and earth. This continued for a while, I'd say about till the first ash 1/2 way in. After the ash dropped, I encountered major burn issues. One side would stay lit and the other would go out. I kept on battling this for about another inch or two then it kind-of kept lit. I was able to pick up some wood and earth again but the semi-sweetness was gone, and in its place came some bitterness.
I let the thing burn out with about 2.5 or so inches left. Over all I thought the cigar wasn't bad, but disappointed with it as this is suppose to be a top of the line, Limited smoke that is released once a year. As with other yearly releases I have never been able to find every year hit home with me, but I do expect them to be worthy of the title. The cigar was more mild than say the 07, or 08, hell even the 09 but just didn't give me the "good" feeling as the 08 did. I haven't really enjoyed any of the Limitada line other than the 08 and the 06 will be added to that list, though I do think it was better than the 07, 09. Though I do have one more left, so maybe that will change my mind.
ive liked the 06 better than the 08 so far. i have yet to try the 09.
the only other one i have yet to try is the 05 (the first year) . if anyone has any of those please PM me. we may be able to make a deal. my favorite so far is the 06 but i feel that in time the 08 will be better with age. the 07 was ok but in comparison to the 06 and 08 im not excited about it.
Thanks to another member here, I was able to secure a few of these "nub" like Opus X's. I haven't had these long but I thought what the hay. After breakfast I poured some more coffee and started this puppy up.
The cigar smells like any other opus and the pre light draw is what I'd expect. Once lighting up, I was hit with pepper, spice, and that typical opus strength. After the first several puffs I knew that this guy was going to be little young so my expectations dropped a bit. I noticed that the burn was a bit off, but thought it would correct itself. I kept moving on with the cigar, and had lighter in had as well.
The above is what I was dealing with the entire time. For some reason it kept going out on that one side and brought with it a harshness that was ruining the cigar. I let it go out shortly after that pic. I have hopes for these if they sit a while but I have had lots of opus's from the shop and never had an issue like this.
Not sure how many have had this stick but I'm going to let you all know how it tastes and how it stacks up to the rest of the line. I've had this since december 08 and it's been living at the bottom of my humi.
CAO Tony Soprano:
A Honduras with a dark and chewy Brazilian wrapper leaf, blend of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Columbian tobaccos with a Honduran-grown binder. This size is a limited run of the line boasting a 6.5 x 60 size. They were only available in 48 count black trunk humidors or in samplers for the line. After giving the cigar a good look-see I am amazed at how eye popping gorgeous this stick is. The 3 bands that cover the wrapper to the wrapper itself. The construction is top notch. This cigar is by far one of the best looking cigars I've ever seen. While removing the labels I can't help but smell the wrapper, a barnyard-ish aroma is very prominate. I seem to get this with a lot of maduros. I went ahead and used a large punch instead of my small one since the diameter is so big. A few dry puffs and I get tobacco, cocoa, and some spice. Moving on I start to toast the foot and the cigar comes to life!!!
Moving into the first few puffs I am getting a lot of flavor. Chocolate, earth, tobacco, and a better sweet roasted flavor. The flavors are really tasty all clumped together. The smoke is plentiful and has a nice rich aroma. For this stick I am enjoying a coca cola vanilla which seems to pair very nicely especially the vanilla which seems to strengthen the sweetness of the cocoa. After moving past the first 1/3rd the flavors stay consistent without changing much. The ash is tight, and seems to be sticking rather nicely. Now one thing about this line is how they burn. I've never had any Soprano burn well, they always seem to burn faster on one side. This stick is no exception. I've had it since December of 08 and it's been in the bottom of my humi since then so the time has not made any difference on the burn. Other than that the flavor and the smoke output is very pleasing.
After kicking the first bit of ash the curb (not that it fell but I didn't want it too) the smoke, the flavor and the draw are all top notch. The flavors really haven't changed all the much with the exception of the strength of the cocoa. It seems to have taken over the profile and the vanilla coke is making the taste so much more enjoyable. The burn seems to have started to get better after knocking off the ash but it's still not razor sharp.
After moving past the 2nd ash the Tony Soprano is still flavorful and smoky as ever. The Tastes have stayed much the same except more tobacco and some earth have moved in. The cocoa is stepping back a bit. There are some minor hints of wood and spice but the cigar has yet to move into a strong full bodied experience. The cigar has burned slow and cool this entire time which is a welcomed surprise. So many cigars start to get hot around this time but this guy is cool as can be.
Moving onto the last stretch of the cigar the strength picks up but not much. The tobacco is stronger and the sweetness has taken a back step. Though hints of sweet are present as is some earth, spice, coffee. I smoked this puppy until it became hard to hold with two fingers but the thing never really got too hot.
Overall this cigar was a very nice addition to the line. I feel that this cigar would be my go to Soprano however it's rarity makes that a no go. They pop up at times but at a 20 plus price tag that may not sit well with some people. The soldier/boss is a bit cheaper and though don't last as long I feel they taste very similar. I think the larger ring gauge and size allows the overall flavor come out more. The Tony lasted about 2.25 hours maybe a bit more since I didn't have a stop watch. I suggest if you haven't had any of the sopranos to check them out, however they can be found at a steep price. I'm glad that I have another of these sticks lying around as I'd like to see if they change after another year or so of rest.
Comments
but i agree. the reviews are solid.
I really enjoy your reviews Pheebs ...keep up the good work !
So this stick is constructed more solidly than the black, meaning that it doesn't feel as soft and doesn't have such a delicate wrapper. Moving into the first few puffs I get more body than the black and some great sweetness. A bit more strength too. The black was all about a sweet-like flavor, were as this one is more about a tobacco flavor. I picked up some coffee-ish and cocoa along with a sweet tobacco. After a few more puffs and settling in, I got some pepper through the nose along with some sweet hints. The aroma, like the Black was sweet but not as strong.
After about the half way mark I started to pick up some harshness and it didn't go away. In fact I had to correct this stick more than several times, in fact I really didn't keep count, but there was always a quarter or so that just didn't burn. Pushing out before taking my two puffs helped but ultimately I got tired of the harshness and the correcting so I put it down a little past the half way mark. Overall I liked the flavor of the stick before I ran into the problems mentioned above. Has anyone experianced this? Am I the only one? Maybe it was the stick but maybe I need to give it a good six months or longer...? eh, either way I'll find out. The strange thing is the Black I smoked seemed fantastic out of the shop I bought it at and my only gripe was the burn had to be corrected a few times which I don't really mind but as a spendy cigar I'd expect a bit more.
I'll smoke my first from the Box in April when my baby is born. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks for the feedback fellas.
I let the thing burn out with about 2.5 or so inches left. Over all I thought the cigar wasn't bad, but disappointed with it as this is suppose to be a top of the line, Limited smoke that is released once a year. As with other yearly releases I have never been able to find every year hit home with me, but I do expect them to be worthy of the title. The cigar was more mild than say the 07, or 08, hell even the 09 but just didn't give me the "good" feeling as the 08 did. I haven't really enjoyed any of the Limitada line other than the 08 and the 06 will be added to that list, though I do think it was better than the 07, 09. Though I do have one more left, so maybe that will change my mind.
the only other one i have yet to try is the 05 (the first year) . if anyone has any of those please PM me. we may be able to make a deal. my favorite so far is the 06 but i feel that in time the 08 will be better with age. the 07 was ok but in comparison to the 06 and 08 im not excited about it.
just goes to show how different tastes are.
Thanks to another member here, I was able to secure a few of these "nub" like Opus X's. I haven't had these long but I thought what the hay. After breakfast I poured some more coffee and started this puppy up.
The cigar smells like any other opus and the pre light draw is what I'd expect. Once lighting up, I was hit with pepper, spice, and that typical opus strength. After the first several puffs I knew that this guy was going to be little young so my expectations dropped a bit. I noticed that the burn was a bit off, but thought it would correct itself. I kept moving on with the cigar, and had lighter in had as well.
The above is what I was dealing with the entire time. For some reason it kept going out on that one side and brought with it a harshness that was ruining the cigar. I let it go out shortly after that pic. I have hopes for these if they sit a while but I have had lots of opus's from the shop and never had an issue like this.
I've had this since december 08 and it's been living at the bottom of my humi.
CAO Tony Soprano: A Honduras with a dark and chewy Brazilian wrapper leaf, blend of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Columbian tobaccos with a Honduran-grown binder. This size is a limited run of the line boasting a 6.5 x 60 size. They were only available in 48 count black trunk humidors or in samplers for the line.
After giving the cigar a good look-see I am amazed at how eye popping gorgeous this stick is. The 3 bands that cover the wrapper to the wrapper itself. The construction is top notch. This cigar is by far one of the best looking cigars I've ever seen. While removing the labels I can't help but smell the wrapper, a barnyard-ish aroma is very prominate. I seem to get this with a lot of maduros. I went ahead and used a large punch instead of my small one since the diameter is so big. A few dry puffs and I get tobacco, cocoa, and some spice. Moving on I start to toast the foot and the cigar comes to life!!!
Moving into the first few puffs I am getting a lot of flavor. Chocolate, earth, tobacco, and a better sweet roasted flavor. The flavors are really tasty all clumped together. The smoke is plentiful and has a nice rich aroma. For this stick I am enjoying a coca cola vanilla which seems to pair very nicely especially the vanilla which seems to strengthen the sweetness of the cocoa. After moving past the first 1/3rd the flavors stay consistent without changing much. The ash is tight, and seems to be sticking rather nicely. Now one thing about this line is how they burn. I've never had any Soprano burn well, they always seem to burn faster on one side. This stick is no exception. I've had it since December of 08 and it's been in the bottom of my humi since then so the time has not made any difference on the burn. Other than that the flavor and the smoke output is very pleasing.
After kicking the first bit of ash the curb (not that it fell but I didn't want it too) the smoke, the flavor and the draw are all top notch. The flavors really haven't changed all the much with the exception of the strength of the cocoa. It seems to have taken over the profile and the vanilla coke is making the taste so much more enjoyable. The burn seems to have started to get better after knocking off the ash but it's still not razor sharp.
After moving past the 2nd ash the Tony Soprano is still flavorful and smoky as ever. The Tastes have stayed much the same except more tobacco and some earth have moved in. The cocoa is stepping back a bit. There are some minor hints of wood and spice but the cigar has yet to move into a strong full bodied experience. The cigar has burned slow and cool this entire time which is a welcomed surprise. So many cigars start to get hot around this time but this guy is cool as can be.
Moving onto the last stretch of the cigar the strength picks up but not much. The tobacco is stronger and the sweetness has taken a back step. Though hints of sweet are present as is some earth, spice, coffee. I smoked this puppy until it became hard to hold with two fingers but the thing never really got too hot.
Overall this cigar was a very nice addition to the line. I feel that this cigar would be my go to Soprano however it's rarity makes that a no go. They pop up at times but at a 20 plus price tag that may not sit well with some people. The soldier/boss is a bit cheaper and though don't last as long I feel they taste very similar. I think the larger ring gauge and size allows the overall flavor come out more. The Tony lasted about 2.25 hours maybe a bit more since I didn't have a stop watch. I suggest if you haven't had any of the sopranos to check them out, however they can be found at a steep price. I'm glad that I have another of these sticks lying around as I'd like to see if they change after another year or so of rest.
or is it just a limited vitola?