Out of the bunch of Torano cigars that were sent to me I’m already enjoyed a couple of them including the Noventa 90 and the Exodus 1959 50 Years. For today’s review I picked out the Carlos Torano Casa Torano. The wrapper on this one caught my eye due to it’s oily sheen, see more on this in the Construction section below. The Torano Family of cigars has been involved in the tobacco business since the early 1900’s. They have a rich and deep history and would highly recommend reading about it on the Torano website. The have a rich variety of lines catering to a large audience.

The Casa Torano line is avaialble in both Maduro and Natural wrappers and span 4 sizes, Robusto, Toro, Torpedo and Lancero. Today’s pick is the Robusto size. Originally, the Casa Torano blend was only offered as unbanded and freshly rolled cigars at various events. As the success of this blend grew it became it’s own line. Let’s see how this cigar stacks up on one of the warmest days so far this year in the Great White North!

Cigar: Carlos Torano Casa Torano Maduro
Drink: Diet Coke
Vitola: Robusto (4.75 x 52)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Price: Between $4 and $5
Burn Time: Just over an hour

Construction:
• The wrapper of this cigar has a variety of color ranging from a medium brown to a very dark brown, almost black color
• The wrapper presented with a nice oily sheen to it that made it initially attractive
• The patchiness of the colors makes it seem like the wrapper may be dyed
• There are no major veins along the wrapper but it is extremely bumpy and some spots look as if branches are poking out the side
• The cigar is very firm throughout the body and hardly any spring when squeezed
• The foot appears to be very well packed
• The triple cap is cleanly applied but also looks to be one of the parts of the cigar that is almost black in color
• My double bladed guillotine cutter sliced through easily but it made a mess of filler all over the place
• Draw is a little more open then I’d like

Burn:
• The foot lit up easily and glowed evenly after a short toasting
• Burn has been razor sharp through the first inch
• The burn has been just perfect through the first half of the cigar, very nice
• Great burn straight to the end

Smoke & Ash:
• A fair bit of smoke from each draw but it could be a bit more full
• There is a moderate amount of resting smoke from the cigar as it sits in the ashtray
• The ash appears strong with no flaking and a light grey coloration to it
• Ash held on for over an inch and a half, no flaking or mess at all
• Subsequent ashes were not as long but they were still clean and fell nicely into the ashtray

Tasting Notes:
• There isn’t much aroma on this wrapper at all, maybe just a bit of faint tobacco
• The foot on the other hand is full of woodsy, spice and tart fruity aromas
• The pre-light draw is mostly woodsy with some hints of peppery spice on the lips
• Initial draws taste mostly of burnt wood, and not in a very good way…
• The burnt flavors slowly dissipated and I’m left with mostly woodsy and some light spice as I get into the second third
• As I hit the half-way mark I’m still getting no new flavors or further development, disappointed so far
• The body has been medium through the cigar and it’s creeping a bit into full near the end
• The retrohale had a small kick to it but the finish was mostly the burnt wood flavor so I didn’t retrohale much at all with this cigar
• As I approach the nub here the burnt wood flavors are returning and some bitterness is creeping in, forcing me to put this cigar down a bit early

Final Thoughts:
Well I think the notes speak for themselves and I can honestly say I was disappointed with this cigar. It didn’t offer me any very interesting flavors and no dimensionality. The only upside to this cigar was it’s great burn and ash. That is clearly not enough to make this cigar a winner in my books…

Pairings:
I actually paired this cigar just with a plain ol’ Diet Coke. Nothing fancy but I find it makes a good pairing for most cigars. I wouldn’t really recommend smoking this cigar if you can avoid it, but if you must pair it with a stiff and strong drink to mask out the boring flavors.

The post Carlos Torano – Casa Torano appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Story:
The sample of Scotch Whisky I will be reviewing today was sent to us by Master of Malt. Master of Malt is an online retailer specializing in Whisky although they also sell a variety of other spirits. You can see the review I did of their other sample here of the Master of Malt – Arran 12 Year Old Single Cask Scotch Whisky. The company is based out of East Sussex, United Kingdom and they ship almost anywhere in the world. The package arrived in Canada in record time and the bottles were extremely well protected. One of the wonderful features offered by Master of Malt besides their huge selection of spirits is the ability to get many of the spirits in a small 3oz sample bottle similar to the one pictured.

The Scotch Whisky being reviewed today is from the Bruichladdich distillery from the island of Islay. Islay is well known as the source of many of the worlds most peaty and smoky whisky’s available. Bruichladdich has a rich history dating back to it’s construction in 1881. The distillery currently has a wide variety of selections which can satisfy a very wide range of customers. Click here to see Master of Malt’s wide offering from this distillery, where they have inexpensive and very rare blends ranging from about $30 all the way up to over $1000!

The blend we are looking at today is called Octomore 02.2 Orpheus and is “the worlds most heavily peated whisky”. It is aged in barrels from a top Bordeaux vineyard called “Château Pétrus”. It is a limited release of only 6000 numbered bottles and weighs in at a hefty 61% alc./vol. It actually has a young age of only 5 years. This Scotch has also won the Best Single Malt in the World (Whisky Bible 2011) and Best Peated Whisky (Malt Maniacs).

Image courtesy of Bruichladdich.com

The Bottle:
As mentioned, this was a sample Dram sent by Masters of Malt but the full size bottle of the Bruichladdich Octomore 02.2 Orpheus comes in an elegant jet black bottle with a silver top. It is quite attractive and uniquely designed.

The Eyes:
The Scotch in my glass has a very warm golden tone to it with a shade of amber or reddish hue. It is a fair bit darker the most Scotch Whisky’s and looks delicious.

The Nose:
The claim of the world’s most peated whisky is easily evident in the aroma coming from this glass. Your nose is punched with hefty peat and smoky notes. Once you become accustomed to those aromas you start to pick up some of the woodsy and spicy notes that accompany it.

The Tongue:
This Bruichladdich offering is a blast to the taste buds. Right from the first sip you can detect the complexity this Scotch Whisky is built on. The peatiness is very evident but balanced well with the smoky and woodsy flavors. The finish has a touch of dark fruitiness that lingers on the tongue with the peat. There are also hints of spice detectable on the tongue.

The Final Drop:
There is no doubt that the Octomore 02.2 Orpheus from Bruichladdich Distillery is a powerful Scotch Whisky. With it’s high alcohol content and peatiness this is a complex but enjoyable drink. It’s definitely not something you want to drink quickly. In order to enjoy this to it’s fullest you need to take the time to pay attention to each sip and the dance of complex flavors it plays on your tongue.

I have to say that this Scotch Whisky is quite unique from a lot of others that I’ve tried. It’s definitely something that’s worth finding and tasting. Considering it’s limited production and uniqueness the price is actually very fair coming in at just over $80 from Master of Malt.

The Pairings:
The Bruichladdich Octomore 02.2 Orpheus is definitely a beverage that will pair extremely well with a full bodied and spicy cigar. The peat, smoke and spice make a perfect pairing. The balance of the two would enhance both the Scotch Whisky and the cigar. Here are some examples of cigars that would pair well here:
– Man O’ War Ruination
– Drew Estate Liga Privada Dirty Rat
– Joya de Nicaragua Dark Corojo
– Illusione Epernay

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