Vitola: Toro Gordo- 6” x 54 ring gauge
- ~$8.00
- Sample provided by Villiger Cigars
Background
A few weeks ago I wrote about the last cigar I reviewed on the front porch of the house I lived in for over a decade. Since then, I’ve moved out of that house, I am renting a room from a friend, living closer to work and other friends, and trying to develop new habits and new routines. One of the things I have to do is find a new “regular place” to review cigars. The back porch at the house is pretty great, but the daily temperatures are averaging in the high 30s to low 40s the last week or more, so that’s just not a good option. Fortunately, I’m closer to Burns Tobacconist, too…and I’ve found some good times to write reviews while I’m there.
Villiger Cigars recently sent me a care package that included a couple each of their Cuellar blends. I decided to feature them in my “cigar extra” format as I had some time. The Cuellar Connecticut Kreme came out 5 or 6 years ago, as I recall. It features Dominican fillers and binder, along with an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. It was made in the Dominican Republic, as well, and with its white label with gold foil writing, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to figure out what brand they are trying to evoke.
Notes
The wrapper leaf of the Cuellar Connecticut Kreme was a nice golden tan shade that was cleaner than expected at this price point, with virtually no mottling or variation of the coloration. It had a very clean grassy aroma to it, while the foot had notes of hay, graham cracker, and cedar. Once fired up it had a slight breadiness, overlaying notes of grass, wood, and earth. The finish had a little sweet citrus and the slightest amount of white pepper.
I’m not going to use these pages to air dirty laundry or process everything I’m feeling and thinking…but I will say this: A few years ago, I woke up in many ways to discover that I had developed a lot of habits that were unhealthy in a variety of ways. I worked for months to change my eating habits, my exercise habits, how I dressed and looked…pretty much everything that would have an outward appearance. Then I was woken up again late last year and I found some other things that needed to change.
As I burned through the Cuellar Connecticut Kreme, I have to admit that beyond the country of origin of the different leaves, it doesn’t bear much resemblance to a similarly banded Dominican mild cigar. But I also have to admit that it’s still very good, especially for the $8.00 or so price point.
Change is difficult…frankly, I hate change. But at some point the pain of remaining in the same place in life becomes greater than the pain of making some drastic change. I was talking to a friend a month or so ago and that friend wondered who I might be 6 or 8 months from now. My answer was (and is), “I hope I’ve already made all the changes I am going to make…6 or 8 months from now, I hope I’m still me…just better.”
Getting into the second third, the Connecticut Kreme got a little sweeter and smoother, with less bread and citrus providing a nice counterbalance to the grassiness. I would judge this a good choice for a cigar smoker who prefers lighter, milder blends.
So burn one today (or this week) for the sake of change…healthy change that will make your life better. Speaking of change…it keeps happening whether I like it or not, it seems. As things continue to be in a bit of flux, expect a lot more of these “cigar extra” type of pieces. They tend to take less time to research and write, which is what I’ve got time for right now. I’m hoping to get back to a more regular “full review” schedule in a couple months, and may have a few fun things in store, like the hope of a return of “Who Got It Right?”
