No. 5 Toro 652
I
Spongy-packed and rather loose drawing. A crimped vein or two. Nigh-tight, even seams. Flavors: yeasty sweet tobacco front with a mellow-spiced earthen rear. Particulars gather mainly in them twixts: caramel, schvitzing leather, and cocoa. Finish errs toward salty/soapy notes. Through the nose is a candied clove-led clarity to spices.
II
Piquancies dial well-back, Hay comes into under-belly. Sweet yeastiness drives on. Cedar to pine. Milk chocolate. Cream. Salt/ mineral tendencies dampen, amplify. Burns straight 'nuff. Caramel drops off. Draw is a tick hesitant, likes a double-puff which threatens over-smoking due to loose packing. Smoke-out-put climbs in a sweet baccy room-note.
III
A scorchy tea-leaf note takes over for wood. Then oak sidles up. Leather is now a dry suede. Yeastiness is a Wonder Bread thing. Construction is quite spongy. Cream note on body bitters a burnt-buttery tick. Ash darkens, as doth foot-smoke. Salt bites some and mineral soapiness soars. Hot-smokin' nub.
FINAL GRADE: B
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
STRENGTH: Medium
ORIGIN: La Zona Factory, Esteli, Nicaragua
This is a re-blend/brand of the original 2012 release; to be clear. Creative Director for Espinosa Premium Cigars, Anthony Jimenez to Cigar Aficionado in October 2015: "We tweaked the blend and streamlined the design of the band and packaging. The vitolas have changed and have been streamlined to three offerings." Too, this is Erik Espinosa's original offering under his own name and outta his own factory. This coming after he and Eddie Ortega parted ways from their EO Brand. Ancient news, all this, but I'd be remiss, gentlepersons.