Cigar Weekly

Don Tuto is a small, family owned and operated cigar company based in Costa Rica.  Operated by "Tuto" Garcia and his son-in-law, Pedro J. Martinez, the company is one of a handful of Costa Rican cigar makers that grow their own tobacco for binder and filler.  In a few years, Don Tuto will begin using wrapper grown in Costa Rica (Cameroon seed and Connecticut Broadleaf seed) producing a cigar that will be made with 100% Costa Rican tobacco.

The current Don Tuto line is made with an Indonesian wrapper and Costa Rican filler and binder that the company grows themselves.   They process and age their tobaccos using traditional methods, never steaming or oven curing.

Don Tuto cigars are only available in the U.S. through the Internet (http://www.dontuto.com), providing a direct relationship between the manufacturer and the consumer, assuring better customer service and lower prices.  In Costa Rica, the cigars can be purchased at Jose Maria International Airport, Artesania stores, La Casa del Habano and a few major hotels.

Cigar Weekly reviews are blind taste tests conducted by our readers. Reviewers are sent three samples with all identifying marks removed. Reviewers are chosen randomly from the list of everyone that has signed the Cigar Weekly Guest Book. Their comments are below.

Pre-Smoke Comments

Cora Lynn Deibler (GoGo): Before lighting, the cigar had a nice aroma- not particularly pungent or earthy, but light and sweet. The cap was well applied, but I did notice some veiny qualities in the wrapper leaf and variegated color. In addition, one sample had a loose wrapper. The two cigars varied in bunch quality; one was firm while the other had some soft spots and lumps. This may point to some inconsistencies in the overall construction of the brand. Looking at the foot, the color of the bunch was an even, well matched brown- no greenish tones- a good sign. Both samples lit easily and developed a flat, not coned, ember. A pleasant, subtle aroma complemented the even draw. One sample burned evenly and remained lit (the firmer bunch), but the wrapper did unravel in the second half. The other developed a tendency to go out and canoed several times. It was an overall bad burn and I grew tired of struggling with it, finally putting it out a little early. The ash was flaky (consistent with a loose bunch). Both cigars had an evenly colored light gray ash.

Dale Sturgill (DSturg369): A great looking Natural shade cigar. Very smooth with very few veins, although a few splotches were visible. Nice cap and no soft spots to be found. Very well bunched. Outstanding construction and burn with no problems at all. A firm, dark gray ash. Easy draw with lots of smoke and a not unpleasant aroma.

Glen Pirnie (LabRat367): Cigar had a very uniformed wrapper. Tan to claro in appearance. No soft spots, almost no veining. Firm, maybe too hard roll. Cap was barely detectable. Very little, if any, pre-light aroma Feels very lightweight for a toro size cigar.

Lisa Sturgill (CigarWench): This 5 3/4 X 50 Colorado ish shade cigar had several blotches & fine speckles throughout, with a firm, smooth construction. Pre draw of the unlit cigar had good air flow, & burn was even with rounded coal, dark gray & solid ash. The draw was consistent & easy from beginning to end, but the aroma was biting & left an excessive burn in my throat.

Michael B.Raymer (Mayhem_VI): a very well constructed cigar. a lattice of small veins (which I like) instead of paper smooth (which I don't like). good, firm construction. no problems with the cap, especially after clipping. the roller knew what they were doing.

Mike Cataldo (fvfanmc): The cigar was wrapped nicely. Cap did not unravel when punched. The ring size was to my liking as was the length. It had a great balance and evenly packed.

Ray J Bilyk (raybilyk): The first thing I noticed was the beautiful appearance of the cigar. It was very oily with a natural veiny build. It was not exactly like a maduro, but very close (dark brown). It had a medium head and a firm bunch. On a whole, a very well built cigar. It was a strong build without being tough like a stick. The burn was very even and had a beautiful white ash. It had a solid ash structure with some minor flaking, but no problems at all. It had a perfect draw, with an aroma somewhere between brief and subtle. It also had a very light burn my throat. Both cigars were very consistent. I was going to enjoy this.

Smoke Comments

Cora Lynn Deibler (GoGo): In both cases this smoke began mild- at first not yielding the amount of flavor or volume of smoke I enjoy. At approximately the halfway point, the flavors intensified (almost turned on a dime) and developed more fully, becoming a medium-bodied cigar, without any bitterness or "bite" of youth. The tobacco tasted mature. Both samples, however, remained without much depth and I didn't care for the "grassy" quality which seemed to persist and override (at some points) the rest of the flavor. The light spiciness of the wrapper and the peppery quality in the back of the throat were enjoyable. This cigar had a pleasant flavor but left me wanting more in complexity, with less grassiness.

Dale Sturgill (DSturg369): I feel this may have been a very young cigar and the taste simply did not agree with me. A strong medicine taste with hints of grassy herbs was present from the first to the last draw, with a metallic aftertaste that left a lingering bitterness. The flavor seemed Med to Full to me but lacked any depth of body or balance. Again, I believe this is due to the cigar being either young or possibly in a "sick" period.

Glen Pirnie (LabRat367): Lit nicely and burned evenly thru both samples. Light grey ash that was a little flaky. Draw needed a little work at times. Volume of smoke was adequate, but nothing to write home about. Aroma and flavor pretty much match presmoke aroma, very little.

Lisa Sturgill (CigarWench): At first draw an acrid ammonia taste assaulted my palate, & it continued on with a slight woodsy metallic taste added to the mix. The aftertaste was pronounced & excessive, lingering after finishing the samples.

Michael B.Raymer (Mayhem_VI): run-of-the-mill is the best way for me to describe this cigar. there was nothing at all unpleasant about it, but it wasn't holding my attention either. the burn was nice and even with a grey ash. the cigar held together like a champ, not even a hint of the cap end falling apart. no bits of tobacco on my tongue either, LOL. nice even draw, with a decent enough volume of smoke. the finish was just a bit on the hot side.

Mike Cataldo (fvfanmc): This cigar drew very well. Not too fast, but just right for me. The ash was dark gray and even. There was no woody or spicy taste. But, that is what I personally like in a cigar. No other taste, other than pure tobacco.

Ray J Bilyk (raybilyk): They had a medium richness that balanced perfectly. It was a medium to full strength and a medium body. The flavor was not too generous and was almost a bit modest, with very earthy and woody flavors. I had a nice long ash growing with both (2.5 inches for each). There was no sweetness, bitterness or burn on my tongue. They were both light in sharpness and saltiness. I did notice that it started out tasting rich and flavorful in its woody flavors, but about half way started getting very earthy, almost to the point of being a bit sour, but about 2/3 of the way, it mellowed out again. It burned a bit hot. When I asked a couple of my friends what they thought of the smell of the cigars I smoked in front of them (no sharing for these babies), I got comments from "it's not an offensive smoke" and "pleasant smell" to "kinda strong" and "smells like butt" (once again proving that you can't please everybody, so you might as well please yourself.)

Summary Comments

Cora Lynn Deibler (GoGo): Overall I would call this an average cigar in flavor, less so in construction. A pleasant, mature flavor without quite enough depth (lack of flavor and body in the first half was a real issue). While construction seemed promising at first, there were too many inconsistencies in the burn to make me go out and purchase by the box. A few more singles, maybe, just to see if the inconsistencies are reflected in a more representative sample of the line. This was mild-medium enough to give to the occasional cigar smoker, but the intensifying flavor and body in the second half might be too much for a first-timer.

Dale Sturgill (DSturg369): Great looks and burn but with a bad taste/aftertaste. Though not a "Dog Rocket", I would not buy nor recommend this cigar at the present time. I won't completely close the book on it and would like to try these again at a later time just in case I did get a "bad apple"

Glen Pirnie (LabRat367): The actual smoking experience didn't live up to this stick's nice appearance. It is definitely of the mild variety, which isn't bad, but even for a mild variety I find it somewhat lacking in flavor. Like so many ho-hum cigars out there, this was a one dimensional snoozer.

Lisa Sturgill (CigarWench): Construction, draw, & burn of this cigar was outstanding & consistent with the 2 samples. The flavor too overwhelming to me, as I prefer milder cigars.

Michael B.Raymer (Mayhem_VI): plenty of folks out there would probably like this cigar. I don't dislike it, but I wouldn't make any special trips to the tobacconist for it either. if the price is right, it might make a good aging project. once I find out what brand this is, if I ever get any more, I'll smoke it with a cold Pilsner. Coffee, scotch, rum, etc. - there are better choices out there.

Mike Cataldo (fvfanmc): I would definitely keep this cigar as part of my collection. I liked the feel of it, the draw on it and I especially liked the fact that the taste was to my liking.

Ray J Bilyk (raybilyk): I thought that it had a light and distinguished character, with a medium to generous body. I thought that it was a "great" cigar. It had a maduro flavor and taste, but it didn't look like a maduro. I would (and will) buy these for my humidor.

Scores

Review Results
Final Score: 31.2 out of 50

3 1/2 Stars -- Above Average

Having had the benefit of knowing what these cigars cost - information the reviewers didn't have - I found these cigars to be a very good value. They are not the best cigars you'll ever have, but they are well made, mild cigars with a light and distinguished character. The flavor profile isn't like a standard Nicaraguan or Honduran or even Dominican, although it probably comes closest to Dominican in strength and character. Only a couple reviewers enjoyed this smoke, the rest either thought the cigars needed some additional aging or found the flavor too mild. However, for the price, I think these cigars are a good alternative and worth a try.