Review room
Every Captaincy review tracks construction, draw, burn, tasting progression, pairings, and final verdict: the tasting half of Learn.
Current high score
Création Liberté
100.0 points
Read review
Reviews
21
Origins
Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, United States (Miami), Cuba, Costa Rica, Honduras
Strengths
Medium, Medium-Full, Mild, Mild-Medium, Full
Dominican Republic
Meerapfel
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A charity Master Blend Toro in vintage Meerapfel Cameroon that builds from almost disappointingly mild into honeysuckle, milk chocolate, and a rosemary-mint finale. 100/100 alongside the Meir Pyramid: flawless if you accept delicate wrappers and immaculate storage as the cost of entry.
Dominican Republic
Kelner
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A soft-spoken Dominican Diademas Finas built almost entirely on baking flavours (butterscotch, salted caramel, brioche, cinnamon, and vanilla) with almost no pepper until the retrohale. 85/100. Confident and unusual, with clear upside if smoked drier and given age.
Nicaragua
Padrón
By Benjamin Charles Brown
Classic Padrón Family Reserve excellence with a creamier, more caramel-forward profile than other FR blends: coffee-liqueur first third, toasted nuts midsection, butterscotch finish. 90/100. One mid-smoke draw hiccup, quickly fixed with a Perfect Draw tool, was the only surprise.
United States (Miami)
Warped
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A step up from regular La Colmena with honeysuckle florals, icing-sugar sweetness, honey-cashew midsection, and an oaky Cuban-adjacent close. 87/100. More intensity and better progression than the core blend, though age would help soften the spice and justify the anniversary premium.
Nicaragua
Southern Draw
By Benjamin Charles Brown
An extremely pleasant, consistent Connecticut smoke with an uncommon natural raspberry and strawberry cream profile. Not complex, but light, delicious, and remarkably steady for the money. 85/100 and highly recommended as a daily cigar if fruit-forward mildness is your lane.
Dominican Republic
Meerapfel
By Benjamin Charles Brown
Two sticks smoked: one from dried-out stock that never fully recovered, and one from a trustworthy retailer in proper condition. The scored cigar shows Meerapfel’s Cameroon mastery from a spicier, earthier angle than the Meir or Ernest: sweet and nutty opening, a wasabi-spiked middle, and a juicy savory finish. 87/100 on the well-stored stick.
Dominican Republic
Meerapfel
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A limited Meerapfel Cameroon pyramid with immaculate construction and an unforgettable profile of citrus, tamarind, hazelnut, eucalyptus wood, and cardamom. Smooth, creamy, and zero bitterness from first draw to nub, provided the delicate wrapper has been carefully stored.
Dominican Republic
Patoro
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A dusty-wrapper Dominican XO that opens musty and mild with savory red pepper, cinnamon, and cedar before a final third of cream, butter, and almond. Uneven burn and low smoke density suggest drier conditioning, but the late almond-butter character hints at real aging potential.
Dominican Republic
Davidoff
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A dark Late Hour robusto that opens silky and syrupy with sweet cinnamon-danish breadiness and aged cacao depth, then settles into a more savory, pepper-forward close. Immaculate construction and a memorable first third, with room to improve through age.
Dominican Republic
Davidoff
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A store-fresh Davidoff Petit Corona with a bold yet refined Ecuadorian Rojiza profile. Creamy baking spice opens into fermented cacao, brown sugar, and nutmeg before dark coffee arrives in a final third that stays flavourful but turns a touch harsh near the nub.
Dominican Republic
Patoro
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A savory, dry, nutty Dominican robusto with a unique light-body profile of hazelnut, macadamia, and dusty cinnamon-cocoa. Decent construction and consistent through all three thirds, though the dusty character never quite lifts into something more exciting.
Cuba
Hoyo de Monterrey
By Abid Amiri
A light-bodied Cuban figurado with sweet, nutty, and honeyed opening notes that evolve through cedar and leather before settling into a woody, balanced close. Quintessentially Hoyo, with each flavor note present without overpowering the others.
Nicaragua
Perdomo
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A toasty, savory Nicaraguan puro with immaculate burn, balanced spice, and a refreshing lavender finish. Chestnut, dark roasted coffee, and mild mahogany wood build through a solid medium body before strength climbs to full in the close.
Costa Rica
Byron
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A pristine Connecticut-wrapped Elegantes with immaculate construction and a classic creamy profile that opens into honey, latte, and bready sweetness before finishing woody and cedar-forward. Promising flavor, but held back by a tight draw and thin smoke at nearly $50.
Nicaragua
Liga Privada
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A dense, well-packed broadleaf robusto that opens mildly on oak and wood before building into a bold, savory profile of leather, pepper, and spice. Construction and smoke quality are excellent, though the intense flavor profile will not suit every palate.
Nicaragua
Padron
By Abid Amiri
A box-pressed Nicaraguan maduro with superb construction, dense smoke and a profile that opens on espresso and pepper before settling into creamy sweetness. Lighter in strength than much of the Padron line.
Honduras
Raices Cubanas
By Abid Amiri
A 100% Honduran toro with earthy, leathery and cedar character that develops gentle fruit notes in the second half. A palatable medium-bodied smoke at an accessible price.
Cuba
Bolivar
By Abid Amiri
A classic Cuban belicoso with salty, creamy and leathery opening notes that build through coffee and hazelnut into a stronger, more assertive close.
Honduras
Plasencia
By Abid Amiri
A 100% Honduran robusto from Plasencia's Cosecha line, opening with intense spice before developing chocolate and cedar. An unconventional but rewarding entry in the portfolio.
Cuba
Ramon Allones
By Benjamin Charles Brown
A 2022 German Regional Edition rolled in the Geniales vitola, honouring Heinrich Villiger with the Exclusivo Alemania band. Savory, salty and mineral throughout, with light strength that builds toward medium by the final third.
Cuba
Ramon Allones
By Benjamin Charles Brown
The first Regional Edition Cuban created exclusively for Monaco, rolled in the Montesco vitola and presented in numbered boxes of ten. A savoury, herb-forward smoke with subtle creaminess and outstanding aging potential.