Cigar Weekly

Cuba Aliados Originales Toro

Published Monday, March 30, 2009 
Compiled by Doug McGuire (Mad Dawg)

Rolando Reyes Sr. has been involved in the cigar industry since 1938. By the age of 21, Don Rolando had established his own cigar factory (“Los Aliados”) in Havana, Cuba. Following the Cuban Revolution, like so many of the paragons of the Cuban cigar industry, Don Rolando’s trademarks and properties were seized by the communist government, and he was forced to emigrate to the United States.

In the early 1970s, Don Rolando began commercial production of cigars he blended under the Cuba Aliados brand. The original blend consisted of Dominican filler and binder tobaccos, with a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. After trying his hand at a number of different things, Don Rolando established Fabricas Puros Aliados in Danli, Honduras in 1998. In 2002, a new facility was completed south of the old factory, and all operations were moved there.

So, production of cigars under the Puros Indios and Cuba Aliados lines has taken place under Don Rolando’s guidance for decades. New lines have been introduced, and blends have changed, but many people fondly remembered the original Cuba Aliados blend. Enter Holt’s, one of the more successful online cigar retailers in the US. Holt’s contacted Don Rolando about re-creating the original Cuba Aliados blend, and after considerable time and work by Don Rolando, the Cuba Aliados Originales line was born.

The blend is centered on Dominican filler and binder leaf, wrapped in an Ecuadorian-grown Sumatra wrapper. The wrapper is generally a dark colorado in color, and the cigars themselves are mild- to medium bodied.

The cigars for this review were graciously provided by Frank Santos, Marketing Director for Reyes Family Cigars.

Pre-Smoke Comments

Fishin’ Phil: Not the prettiest cigar I’ve ever seen.  Kind of vein, blotchy, and lumpy.   The draw was a little on the loose side, But it did burn nice and even.

TommyBB: This specimen was another of the really pretty cigars we have been getting to test and review. This one has a light, attractive Connecticut Shade capa. The construction was fairly solid.

ronin: Upon unwrapping the cigar, the appearance was veiny but with a nice toothiness to the touch. The bunch was soft, the cap was smooth and clipped easily. The prelight was too easy. That was to be expected because of the soft bunch. There was no real prelight aroma other than a clean tobacco smell.

SLR: A Great looking cigar, nice looking wrapper, some veins evident, with a smooth cap.  It is a large ring cigar that can be a bit uncomfortable if you prefer thinner ring cigars.  It was also hard to cut since it did not fit in my double blade guillotine cutter.  The draw is perfect.  Looking forward to smoking this cigar.

Elk Twin: Fat, soft and sloppy was the way this cigar reported for duty as it slid from its cello. The light-colored wrapper was papery and mottled with discolorations, and the cigar itself was squishy and chock full of soft spots. Pre-light draw was predictably easy and had no discernible tobacco taste.

Black Plague: Looks to be a 6 x 50 toro, with a light claro wrapper.  Some veins, sunspots, and wormy-looking pockets of dark oil.  The cap looks a little bit rough, but acceptable.

Augie754: This cigar was toro sized, but the ring gauge was larger, 54 or 56. The sides were straight and the cap was relatively smooth. The wrapper was a natural brown and it had a smooth leathery texture. However there were some flaws, the color wasn’t very even and was somewhat freckled. Also, there were a couple of ridges showing from below the wrapper.

The pre light draw was good and after lighting the draw was about perfect. The burn was comparably straight, it did burn at a very slight angle a couple of time, but nothing worrisome. There was plenty of smoke and I had no difficulty keeping it lit. The ash was light gray with black specs and held on for over an inch. This was a cigar you didn’t have to trouble yourself with burn issues, it had great construction.

Smoke Comments

Fishin’ Phil: Mild, slightly sweet woody flavor.

TommyBB: The flavor of this cigar was present, but that was about it. The first one had a tiny bit of a coffee-like undertone to it. There wasn’t much else, after that. It got a touch bitter after the halfway point, but other than that there simply wan’t much to distinguish this. It was quite mild, and certainly unoffensive at the beginning and into the middle. It was not a bad cigar by any means, until past halfway, but it didn’t really make a statement.

ronin: Upon lighting, I noticed a light sweetness. During the smoke, the sweetness stayed throughout the cigar. There was a weak richness and it exhibited a one dimensional taste, just sweetness. I found it to be a very mild cigar with almost no body. It did have a nice even burn throughout.

SLR: At first, the cigar started off bitter and uneventful.  But after about an inch into the cigar, it mellowed out and this great tobacco flavors presented itself.  It was earthy, very strong tobacco flavors.  Not complex at all but it is not a bad thing since the dominant earthy flavor that dominates this cigar really tastes great.  It has a long finish that has this sweet tobacco flavor that is rather pleasing.

Elk Twin: White ash fell like dandruff from the time I lit this cigar up, but surprise, after an initial harsh burst the flavor was light and moderately decent. The loose roll made for a fast burn and it was easy to overheat this cigar, which may have contributed to the green, tart finish which left a sharp, oily aftertaste throughout the smoke. Puffed slowly and shallowly the flavors that were coaxed forth were on the light side with a coniferous overtone and notes of almond and oak, but it was hard to maintain that equilibrium for long. Annoyingly, chunks and flakes of ash kept cascading off the medium grey cone as the cigar went along. The aroma was sharp and off-putting as well.

Black Plague: Tastes like a Connecticut Shade wrapper.  Light woody, very subtle sweetness on the finish that hinted at caramel.  Dry, slightly ashy aftertaste.  One-dimensional and not very noteworthy.

Augie754: The pre light taste was woody and after lighting it was spicy on the tongue. This quickly faded to rich earthy flavors with touches of spice. The flavors were good throughout and had mixes of wood, leather and spices, all coming and going with varying degrees of strength. Toward the end, the cigar it was primarily earthy flavors and some small amounts of harshness; some aging might solve this issue. Overall a medium to full bodied smoke with pleasant flavors that constantly changed.

Summary Comments

Fishin’ Phil: While this was not a bad cigar, I found it lacking in the flavor department. Would be OK as a morning cigar, or for knocking around out in the yard or at the lake.

TommyBB: I can’t really pan this cigar, as it wasn’t horrible. The construction was actually pretty good. It lit and drew nicely, the ash held strong throughout. I like a mild cigar, but this cigar just barely got there.  I’ll supply the usual cliché—this would be a good first cigar of the day, but a strong cup of coffee as I drink, could almost overwhelm this cigar. Not that I wouldn’t smoke it under those circumstances, I would. This would make a very fine example of the cigar you give to your friend who only smokes one or two cigars in a year, and does that to be sociable, more than anything else. Its mild character with just discernible flavor would be pleasant and enjoyable for him. But, to a seasoned cigar smoker who enjoys many brands and blends to experience the myriad possibilities of fine cigars, this isn’t quite up to that task.

ronin: If you are looking for a mild all day smoke that does not require any concentration on your part to discern any nuances, this is your cigar. Overall, a very mild, light cigar. Great for the beginner.

SLR: The ring size of this cigar can be a bit much for some.  Overall this cigar is really good.   The flavor is generous and will appeal to a wide range of cigar smokers.   I really enjoyed the earthy flavors, and generous aroma of this cigar.  It is a big cigar so plan to give it about an hour to smoke.

Elk Twin: While this wasn't a chore to smoke, it was not a wholly satisfying experience. Rolled more tightly and with a slightly more body in the blend this would have been a much more complete cigar. As it was, the overall impression was a bit tawdry. I'd expect to see these in the closeout bin relatively quickly.

Black Plague: An OK cigar, but mostly boring with no real changes.  Construction was good except for a weak ash.  Tastes like a typical mild Dominican cigar.

Augie754: This cigar was a good smoke, great construction and rich full flavors. Some additional aging would probably round off the slightest hard edges. I definitely would like to try more of these, as they aren’t the prettiest and may be a good price point.

Scores

Review Results

Final Score: 32.4 out of 50 – 3.5 Stars – Above Average

 
I found this cigar to be fairly well made, with a slightly open draw and an even burn. Although a bit on the mild side for my tastes, it offered a simple yet pleasant flavor profile that featured notes of cedar, leather, and earth. A pleasant morning cigar, or at any time a simpler smoke is desired.. 

The Cuba Aliados Originales line comes in five sizes, all packed in boxes of 20: 

Media Corona (5.5x44)

Corona (6.5x46)

Robusto (5x50)

Toro (6x52)

Churchill (7x48) 

Best of all, box prices range from $44.95 to $64.95, making these an excellent value smoke. Available exclusively from Holt’s: http://www.holts.com/category.html?id=201729 
 
 
 

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