I was straining for a while to determine what cigar I wanted to write my first review blog on. I said to myself, I want this to be a good cigar, something I can really be happy smoking. As I stared at my humidor I started selecting a few cigars that I thought would fit that description. Just as I was about to make my decision my new shipment of cigars walked in. So I set aside my picks and started unloading the boxes for display when it hit me... I opened the box of Antano Dark Corojos from Joya de Nicaragua and sat in silence. Its enthralling dark chocolate colored wrapper had me mesmerized. I lifted up this puro to take a smell and was pleasantly surprised by its strong but fragrant tobacco smell.
As I slid off the black and gold band from the top, my mind was dancing with the thought of just what this puro would taste like. So I poured myself a glass of rum (sorry fellas I'm fresh out of scotch at this time), gave the puro a little cut, and lit it up. Right off the bat I got hit with a really strong natural tobacco taste with a little kick of spice in the background. About 1/4 of the way into it I started to pick up on some tasty dark chocolate notes, just the perfect amount of bitter, with similar notes of a rich Costa Rican dark roast coffee. Problem is I had to nurse the cigar a little keep it burning evenly. Past that I am quite satisfied so far.
A few more puffs in I decide to set my drink aside as the cigar is clearly overpowering my rum in flavor, quite an astonishing feat if I do say so myself. I wish I would have picked up a strong dark roast coffee or smoky scotch instead to pair with this. About 1/3 into the smoke and the first ash finally fell. The draw on it has been pleasantly smooth and has started burning evenly by it self now. The dark chocolate notes are now a lot more pronounced while the coffee taste has taken a backseat. Both flavors though are subject to the rich and hearty tobacco punch this puro is giving off.
About 35 minutes into my smoke and I'm at the nub of this beauty. There is lots of rich creamy smoke with every puff and still plenty of the dark chocolate and coffee flavors. Right now I am picking up on a cedary undertone which blends amazingly well with the dark chocolate and coffee flavors. I can already feel the nicotine flavors kicking in and I know I will really feel it when I stand up and walk to campus. Again, the draw is magnificent; no issues at all from start to...now. The ash is holding very well, still have not ashed a second time (I'm smoking the El Martillo 5.5 x 54). I need to make note again of this rich, heavy, white smoke this is giving off, it's really a great thing to see. From time to time I get a harsh kick of bitterness, but nothing that doesn't pass quickly.
Overall this is a surefire winner in my book. A spectacular blend of heavy natural tobacco, dark chocolate, and coffee notes with a smooth woodsy cedar undertone makes this a cigar I would recommend to any full-bodied cigar lover. While it does have its few negative points, like its occasional uneven burn and overly bitter kicks its positives far outweigh them. I am sure I would love to come back to these in a few months to reassess them after aging. I am quite excited for that already!
My Recommendations:
I highly recommend trying a smoky peated scotch with this to bring out the woodsy notes. Also, a nice dark roast Java or Costa Rican coffee would bring the coffee to the foreground of your palate. This would go wonderful after a heavy steak dinner as well. I would avoid lighter drinks such as most rums and lighter (white, rose, or several sweeter red) wines. Food wise this would easily overpower anything non-smoked like most fish or any chicken. As always feel free to experiment and leave your comments! Thanks for reading.
