Curivari Reserve Limitada Classica
Manufacturer: Curivari
Brand: Reserve Limitada Classica
Size: Monarcas 5.25x52
Cost: $6.30
Rest Time: 3-months
Burn Time: 2:05
Prelight: This Reserve Limitada has a firm dense pack, a milk chocolate wrapper and there is a visible ligero leaf interlaced with the regular filler. The prelight aroma is a strong musty tobacco. I use my large punch to open it up and off we go. The prelight draw is STRONG tobacco and hickory. This one may burry me.
1st 3rd:
On first light I get strong hickory, milk chocolate and tobacco. Once the cigar settles down flavors of toast, raw almonds and hickory with a strong tobacco and black tea on the finish, but the strength is not bad, yet. The smoke output is reminiscent of a DE blend.
2nd 3rd:
The ash holds on for 1.5" before I tap it. The flavors in the second third are pretty much the same with the addition of some black coffee. The finish is a strong smokey hickory and dry earth. There is definitely some strength coming in now, but nothing overpowering.
Final 3rd:
The coffee flavors are more pronounced heading toward the band. The hickory has transitioned into a strong cedar with some black pepper and spice on the tip of my tongue. My worry about the strength was ill founded as I had no tolerability issues with stick.
Summary:
The performance of the Curivari was excellent. The burn would get off track at times, but it always self corrected. While the flavors were good, they weren't anything special to me other than a few basic tastes. I normally read others reviews after I finish mine to see if I'm in the ballpark and I wasn't even close to what others tasted in this smoke. I think one of my MANY limitations as a reviewer is that I can't discern more subtle flavors in fuller bodied cigars as well as I can in mild and medium bodied sticks. The main flavors tend to overwhelm my palate and I can't taste through them. That being said, if you prefer full bodied smokes this one's for you.