Cheap-ass cigar reviews Pt III

White Owl Invincible
Origin: USA
Make: White Owl
Length: 5 3/8"
RG: 41
Wrapper: Homogenized sheet, 'natural' color
Filler: short ("from five countries")
Strength: Mild

Impressions: Like W.O.'s "New Yorker", this is a mild, well-constructed machine made stick that is consistant cigar after cigar. Another one that's great for everyday..these are what I smoke on my drive home from work. They are difficult to find where I live, but the name 'Invincible' is so cool (and historic - many makers including White Owl from eons ago produced an 'Invincible'), I order them from a place in Philly. Partially closed foot.

Prince Albert Soft Cherry Vanilla
Origin: USA
Make: Prince Albert (John Middleton, inc.)
Length: 4 5/8"
RG: Cigarillo, didn't measure it
Wrapper: Homogenized
Filler: pipe tobacco
Strength: mild

Impressions: It's basically a Black and Mild. Little flavor, very mildly aromatic. It's okay, but they burn the hell out of my tongue..I won't be getting these again.

DeNobili Toscani Longs
Make: DeNobili (Avanti Cigar Company)
Length: 6 1/2"
RG: Approx 34, varies (cheroot)
Wrapper: Natural Maduro leaf
Filler: Natural leaf from Kentucky and Tennesee
Strength: Mild

Impressions: As would be expected from hickory fire cured cheroots, these Toscano style cigars have a dry, slightly woody flavor. Not unpleasant though. Most folks that have tried cigars like these either love 'em or think they're like smoking a twig. The shapes are sometimes bizarre, though not as ridiculous as some of the 'Backwoods' examples. Very mild. At about the 3/4 mark, it got a little juicy so I let it expire. Not bad, would be great for fishing or camping and they last a long time.

Captain Black Caribbean Peach Rum Little Cigars
Origin: USA
Length: 3.875"
RG: 20 (cigarette size)
Wrapper: homogenized, almost like colored paper
Filler: pipe tobacco
Strength: mild

Impressions: Really only nominally a 'cigar', it's a flavored cigarette. Very nice peach smell and flavor though. I like these better than the cherry flavored ones. Good for a quick smoke or while watching TV, they won't get you kicked out of the house.

Parodi Ammezzati
Origin: USA
Make: Parodi (Avanti Cigar Company)
Length: 3 1/2"
RG: 34 (tapers-pyramidal cheroot)
Wrapper: Natural Maduro leaf
Filler: Natural leaf
Strength: Mild to medium

Impressions: Another dry-cured Toscano-style cigar, the midget brother of Toscani Longs. Same tobacco, pretty much the same taste but a little stronger owing to their short size. The first one had a crack, a problem with dry cigars like this. The next one was okay, nothing to write home about. I'm not a big fan of short sticks, it feels like I'm smoking a bum's cigar. With a longer stick, the flavor will often change and sometimes become more complex owing to the smoke flavoring the tobacco as it burns...with a short stick it never has the chance to do this. The slightly 'woody' taste of the Toscano Longs is not as noticeable, probably once again due to the short size. Another in the pack had a damaged foot, dry-cured cigars are very fragile. If you bite down on them a la Clint Eastwood they more often than not will disintegrate in your mouth.