Well while visiting one of my local Cigar Shops (and meeting with the now infamous Shuji who gifted me a beautiful couple of cigars 
) I picked up a couple each of the new FACE OFF cigars from Camacho and LaFlor Domicana.
For those who don't know (as I didn't), Christian of Camacho fame and Leon? (I think is who it is) of LaFlor fame, they each gave each other a bunch of thier own tobacco to roll cigars for the others brand name (ie: the LaFlor guy rolled Camacho Cigars for Camacho, and the Camacho guy rolled cigars for LaFlor) The bands say "CAMACHO FACE OFF, ROLLED BY SO AND SO"
Well, first of all I'm a big camacho fan, which you can tell by reading my profile- but that did not contribute any bias to this. The shop I was at only had 1 size, and I think they only made the 1 size...
First I tried the LaFlor face off (made by Camacho).
Everything you'd expect in a Camacho made cigar, very well constructed, tightly wrapped and felt like a well made cigar. Clipped the end, cut perfectly. No cracking of the wrapper, no bits and pieces in my mouth. On the pre-light draw, the draw was excellent and spicy. I fired up the torch, and burned the sucker!
The smoke was plentiful and thick... Full of flavor, though I would only give it a strong medium bodied cigar. Could it be called a full bodied? Maybe, but a wimpy full bodied... but a hard hitting medium for sure. The burn was excellent, best burn I've had from a cigar right out of a cigars store humidor in a while. Burn was perfect to the end. The ash was nice and firm (for the most part), very white. You'll know by reading my profile, I'm not one of these guy's who can taste hints of this and that in cigars, merely the taste of good or bad tobacoo... This was GOOD! I really enjoyed it. Smoked it down to the nub, outstanding cigar.
Then it went south from there... I stayed in the cigar shop long after Shuji left, talked a little with the owner and employee's and other customers. Drank a bottled water, and decided to fire up the Camacho by the LaFlor guys (vanilla colored band, light tan- like coffee with lots of cream in it). This one I had some issues with... The first thing I noticed was on the cigar I choose, I saw a small square piece of wrapper along the seem line of the main wrapper leaf- it was like it was put there to hold the wrapper on! :lookup: Maybe this is common? I have personally never seen that before on a mid-high end stick like this. I pulled out the xikar and clipped the end of this one, and the wrapper cracked. :angry: Bad first impression. So I doctored the end a little (we've all done it!), swirling it around to make the wrapper stay on the binder, pre light draw- good... definitely a completely different taste- but still good. Then I lit the end, and pulled my first couple of real draws. Lots of smoke, and little bits of tabacco in my mouth. Again, so far- I'm not impressed. The cigar started a little harsh- and kept waiting for it to get better, but it never did. the burn was excellent, comparable to the other- nice and even... but the overall taste was the same as you'd find in a $2.00 house brand cigar.... very young, earthy and acid'y... harsh, I was very VERY unimpressed. The ash was light to medium gray, and a little flaky- but not bad enough to fall off on you. I returned the second of the Camacho Face off's and exchanged it for another LaFlor made by Camacho.
Bottom line:
LaFlor Face Off (by Camacho) GOOD. (red band white letters)
Camacho Face Off (by LaFlor) BAD. (tan band with goldish letters)
Each cigar is $6.95 (at least where I bought them)
:thumbs: Toaster
) I picked up a couple each of the new FACE OFF cigars from Camacho and LaFlor Domicana.For those who don't know (as I didn't), Christian of Camacho fame and Leon? (I think is who it is) of LaFlor fame, they each gave each other a bunch of thier own tobacco to roll cigars for the others brand name (ie: the LaFlor guy rolled Camacho Cigars for Camacho, and the Camacho guy rolled cigars for LaFlor) The bands say "CAMACHO FACE OFF, ROLLED BY SO AND SO"
Well, first of all I'm a big camacho fan, which you can tell by reading my profile- but that did not contribute any bias to this. The shop I was at only had 1 size, and I think they only made the 1 size...
First I tried the LaFlor face off (made by Camacho).
Everything you'd expect in a Camacho made cigar, very well constructed, tightly wrapped and felt like a well made cigar. Clipped the end, cut perfectly. No cracking of the wrapper, no bits and pieces in my mouth. On the pre-light draw, the draw was excellent and spicy. I fired up the torch, and burned the sucker!
The smoke was plentiful and thick... Full of flavor, though I would only give it a strong medium bodied cigar. Could it be called a full bodied? Maybe, but a wimpy full bodied... but a hard hitting medium for sure. The burn was excellent, best burn I've had from a cigar right out of a cigars store humidor in a while. Burn was perfect to the end. The ash was nice and firm (for the most part), very white. You'll know by reading my profile, I'm not one of these guy's who can taste hints of this and that in cigars, merely the taste of good or bad tobacoo... This was GOOD! I really enjoyed it. Smoked it down to the nub, outstanding cigar.Then it went south from there... I stayed in the cigar shop long after Shuji left, talked a little with the owner and employee's and other customers. Drank a bottled water, and decided to fire up the Camacho by the LaFlor guys (vanilla colored band, light tan- like coffee with lots of cream in it). This one I had some issues with... The first thing I noticed was on the cigar I choose, I saw a small square piece of wrapper along the seem line of the main wrapper leaf- it was like it was put there to hold the wrapper on! :lookup: Maybe this is common? I have personally never seen that before on a mid-high end stick like this. I pulled out the xikar and clipped the end of this one, and the wrapper cracked. :angry: Bad first impression. So I doctored the end a little (we've all done it!), swirling it around to make the wrapper stay on the binder, pre light draw- good... definitely a completely different taste- but still good. Then I lit the end, and pulled my first couple of real draws. Lots of smoke, and little bits of tabacco in my mouth. Again, so far- I'm not impressed. The cigar started a little harsh- and kept waiting for it to get better, but it never did. the burn was excellent, comparable to the other- nice and even... but the overall taste was the same as you'd find in a $2.00 house brand cigar.... very young, earthy and acid'y... harsh, I was very VERY unimpressed. The ash was light to medium gray, and a little flaky- but not bad enough to fall off on you. I returned the second of the Camacho Face off's and exchanged it for another LaFlor made by Camacho.
Bottom line:
LaFlor Face Off (by Camacho) GOOD. (red band white letters)
Camacho Face Off (by LaFlor) BAD. (tan band with goldish letters)
Each cigar is $6.95 (at least where I bought them)
:thumbs: Toaster
Though I doubt I could tell the difference between something thats been aged 1 year vs. 10 years