Cigar Review – A. Turrent Puro Corojo Toro

Fifth generation cigar maker Alejandro Turrent scored a big hit back in 2010 when the A. Turrent Triple Play Maduro was released, making it the 2^nd cigar ever to use 100% maduro leaves in it’s blend (the first cigar to use all-maduro was the Camacho Triple Maduro). This year’s IPCPR trade show saw the debut of A. Turrent’s second offering, the Puro Corojo, which is a full-bodied, all-corojo blend incorporating Corojo leaves from both Mexico and Nicaragua. For today’s review I decided to spark up a Puro Corojo Toro ( 5 ¾ x 54 ) to see what Alejandro’s latest creation was all about.

The stick seemed solidly constructed, and the wrapper was an even silky brown hue with a slight oily sheen. Attempts at a pre-light draw gave me very little insight into what flavors to expect, other than a peppery spice which I was already expecting, given what I know about Corojo tobaccos. A weak pre-light taste doesn’t necessarily indicate a tasteless cigar, so I broke out the trusty triple-torch and got to toastin’.

As I took my first few puffs I noticed the draw was a bit tighter than I usually like, but not to the point where smoking becomes aggravating. Initial tastes revealed notes of cedar and red pepper spice, though the pepper was much more mellow and smooth than I was expecting from a stick boasting 100% Corojo. Anyway, the taste was pleasant and left just a bit of peppery tinge on the back of my throat.

In the second third of the smoke the draw eased up a bit, which was nice, and the mellow pepper vibe continued. The pepper was complimented by subtle earthy notes, but had absolutely no bite or harshness. At this point the heavy dose of vitamin N in this stogie became apparent, causing me to set it down for a minute. “Full-Bodied” was definitely an accurate description for this cigar. After a couple breaths of fresh air and a sip of my coffee I resumed smoking.

There was a drastic change in flavor a little further into the stick, and the creamy cedar note that had been building was suddenly the most pronounced, coupled with a very mild anise taste. I decided that this cigar was officially smooth enough to qualify for the “deceptively full-bodied” category. It had a very laid-back taste and feel to it, not your typical profile for a heavy hitter like this. By this time I was three quarters through the cigar and it was pretty cold out, so I decided to wrap it up.

Other than a couple of minor burn issues, this smoke did pretty well in the overall performance area. Despite a couple breaks I took to try and curb my intense nicotine buzz, the cigar never went out. The flavors progressed naturally throughout the smoke and at no point became bitter or overwhelming. The A. Turrent Puro Corojo Toro somehow manages to be both easy-going in flavor, and potent in strength.

It remains to be seen if the Puro Corojo will make as many waves as the Triple Play did, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a little extra power in their sticks, and enjoys relaxed and refined flavor. I applaud Mr. Turrent for his efforts and give the Puro Corojo a grade of B.

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