Mini Reviews: 5 Cigars Under 5 Dollars (Part 1)

[OHRD]

5 Vegas Gold
The value of this smoke is its biggest asset in my opinion; for under $3.50 a stick retail, you get an aesthetically beautiful cigar that is very flavorful and somewhat complex. I enjoyed this smoke and hated to see it end. I always assumed these smokes were really mild yet flavorful. Well they definitely are flavorful but they also lean toward mild/medium in my opinion. The cigar burned evenly with a slightly tight draw all the way until the last 3rd and then it started to burn a little uneven, but other than that it was perfect. (8.9/10)

Brickhouse from J. C. Newman Cigars
It is hard to believe this is a $5 smoke when it seems like all the new releases recently have been $8+. I’d have to say this cigar stands very closely to the CAO La Traviata for best value of the year. The heavy and smooth appearance, flawless burn, and very complex and enjoyable flavor profile make this an exceptional cigar at an exceptional value. I’d buy a box of these and let them rest. If you see these at your local B&M, don’t hesitate—pick up a handful. You may just find a less expensive version of some of the Nicaraguan Tatuajes. (9.2/10)

CAO La Traviata
Wow, this one is a must have–I smoked it to the nub and wished for more. I would call this a full bodied smoke, but it was not as heavy as I anticipated. CAO really blended this smoke well—this is without a doubt box worthy! The draw was excellent, could not be better, and produced loads of aromatic smoke. The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper on this smoke had a nice, oily sheen to it with minimal veins. The dark brown color was very rich and appealing and the cigar was well constructed with a nice weight and no soft spots. The burn was spot on. (9.5/10)

Cu-Avana Natural
At around $2 a stick, you will be hard pressed to find a better value. I’m sure I used the same sentence to describe the Cu-Avana Maduro, but it’s true. As I’ve spent some time with both of these smokes, I prefer the Maduro due to the added sweetness and a bit more complexity. However, for an early morning read of the paper with a nice cup of coffee, this would do the trick nicely in my opinion. It’d also be a nice addition to yard work. Though the score is in the low 8s, this is due to the appearance, which I think most of us can overlook when it comes to value. (8.4/10)

Punch Champion
This is an excellent stick, especially when you figure in the unique shape, the quality of the roll, and the price point: a 5 pack for $12—excellent value, perfect burn, beautiful ash. The draw improved as the smoke went on (biggest deduction), the flavor and body smoothed out, and the stick seemed to mellow as it aged (1.5 years). Highly recommend. (8.7/10)

* Full reviews on the website *

[pnoon]

Why not post the full reviews here, too?

[CigarNut]

Originally Posted by pnoon

Why not post the full reviews here, too?

Agreed! Why should I have to jump out of CA to get the details??

CA is my *home*

[OHRD]

Originally Posted by CigarNut

Agreed! Why should I have to jump out of CA to get the details??

CA is my *home*

I've already posted three of these here, on CA:

CAO La Traviata: http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...t=CAO+Traviata

Brickhouse: http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showth...ckhouse+REview

Champion: http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=22053

Here are the full reviews of the others:
Gold:
Size: 5 x 55, Double Nickel

Wrapper: Connecticut

Filler: Honduran, 5 year age

Strength: Mild-Medium

Price: Box of 20, $65

Grade: 8.9

Here in Georgia the dog days of summer make it hard to really enjoy a smoke due to the humidity, but one evening last week it dried up a bit. With frogs croaking and crickets humming, I fired up the 5 Vegas Gold Double Nickel and tried to enjoy the nice summer night.

Pre-light, 1.8:
Two things really jump out on the appearance of this smoke; the box pressed shape and the gorgeous Connecticut wrapper. The cigar appears to be constructed well with a very firm texture and well-constructed cap. The wrapper did show some veins towards the head but evened out towards the foot. The label was just awesome, as you can see from the picture above—just a really nice, classy label wrapping the box press. The pre-light draw produced a burst of pepper with a hint of leather at the end, which was consistent with the pre-light aroma of the wrapper.

Burn, 1.8:
The stick toasted well and produced a nice white ash on the wrapper. As I lit the filler, it produced a huge mouthful of smoke on the first draw that was a more pronounced pepper and leather, similar to the pre-light draw. The cigar held a nice white ash for over an inch before I decided it was time to knock it off. The cigar burned evenly with a slightly tight draw all the way until the last 3rd and then it started to burn a little uneven, but other than that it was perfect.

Flavor, 2.5:
I always assumed these smokes were really mild yet flavorful. Well they definitely are flavorful but they also lean toward mild/medium in my opinion. The first third produced a smoke that was somewhat peppery with some leather and spice thrown in. As the cigar moved into the 2/3, it mellowed into a creamier smoke with a hint of citrus. The smoke from the 1/3 to 2/3 was very cool with little or no heat from the draw. The 3/3 continued with this creaminess but the pepper also returned toward the very end and the smoke started to heat up.

Overall, 2.8:
The value of this smoke is its biggest asset in my opinion; for under $3.50 a stick retail, you get an aesthetically beautiful cigar that is very flavorful and somewhat complex. I enjoyed this smoke and hated to see it end. I am looking forward to firing up another one in the very near future because I am sure it will be just as good or even better.

(Total: 8.9)

Cu-Avana:
Size: 5×50, Robusto

Wrapper: Connecticut

Filler: Cibao Valley, Dominican Republic

Strength: Mild

Price: Box of 20, $39.95

Grade: 8.4

Resurrected by Fonseco’s master blender, Manuel Quesada, this Dominican filled, Connecticut wrapped cigar is a consistently smooth smoke at an exceptional value. Available in the mild Connecticut and Maduro for some time, a fuller-bodied option was recently released, the Intenso.

As much as anyone, I enjoy a great value smoke to have on hand for family and friends and of course for myself. I often look for new 5 packs that I haven’t tried in hopes of finding a great, low-mid priced box purchase. The Cu-Avana is a winner in this category! I’ve worked through quite a few of the Natural and the Maduro and we’ve got some of the Intenso headed our way. You can read our review of the Maduro here.

So, I finally decided to put a pen and paper to my value smoke and see just how well it scores.

Pre-light, 1.5:
Surprisingly triple capped, this Connecticut is wrapped with a simple blue and gold label. The exterior is a bit bumpy with a rustic, leathery skin. Though the cap is well done, the foot is quite bumpy and misshaped. The aroma on the cigar is predictably that of barnyard with some sweetness. The top 2/3 of the smoke was very tightly packed and dense. The draw was decent and had notes of sweet hay.

Burn, 1.8:
The burn on the Cu-Avana was very solid. Though the draw was a bit tight the first third of the smoke, it opened up nicely and carried a very tight and well-colored ash. The ash held well into the half-way mark of this Robusto before I knocked it off. This is a very consistent aspect of the Cu-Avana–always a clean, tight ash, a straight burn, and a good draw.

Flavor, 2.5:
If you are looking for a flavor powerhouse this is not the smoke for you. If, however, you want an unobtrusive smoothness, this very well may be your value smoke winner. The flavor is predominated by a sweet hay with the slightest bit of pepper on the opening few draws. There was little transition in this cigar—just a solid consistency.

Overall, 2.6:
At around $2 a stick, you will be hard pressed to find a better value. I’m sure I used the same sentence to describe the Cu-Avana Maduro, but it’s true. As I’ve spent some time with both of these smokes, I prefer the Maduro due to the added sweetness and a bit more complexity and transition. However, for an early morning read of the paper with a nice cup of coffee, this would do the trick nicely in my opinion. It’d also be a nice addition to yard work. Though the score is in the low 8s, this is because of a hit to the appearance, which I think most of us can overlook when it comes to value.

(Total: 8.4)

[longknocker]

Nice Reviews! Thanks!

[Vigiles]

Nice reviews as always! Thank you! I'll have to look into a few of these.

Very nice reviews. Thank you.

[Starscream]

Great reviews! Keep up the good work! I'm a big fan of the Champion. Good and cheap.

[OHRD]

Originally Posted by andysutherland

Great reviews! Keep up the good work! I'm a big fan of the Champion. Good and cheap.

The Champion is a great smoke and lots of fun too!

Great reviews! I agree with the Brickhouse and La Traviata as the best values of the year. Hard to beat a nicarguan with the that much flavor under 5$.

Happy Smoking!

-NES

[Salvelinus]

Thanks for the reviews. And in my price range even.

[blugill]

Awesome reviews!

[marge796]

Thanks Matthew!





Chris.....

[maninblack]

Thanks for the reviews! Love some cheap smokes.

[RightAJ]

Very nice MJM, keep them comin!

I have the CAO in robusto and churchill waiting to be turned into smoke, possibly this week

aj

[bigheadmark]

One of the best values .........

Diesel...around $3.33 a stick....it's an AJ Fernandez, and is phenomenal!

[okieRob]

Thanks for the reviews - I have a couple of new sticks to try now

[Langod]

I recently had one of the new(?) Triple Maduro Champions. Just as much of a winner as the regular Champion, but with deep, dark Maduro goodness.

[OHRD]

Originally Posted by Langod

I recently had one of the new(?) Triple Maduro Champions. Just as much of a winner as the regular Champion, but with deep, dark Maduro goodness.

This is the first I've heard about the Triple Maduro Champ...I'll have to check it out!

[Knip23]

Thanks good reviews