Camacho American Barrel-Aged

Camacho American Barrel-Aged

Cigar Name: Camacho American Barrel-Aged

Strength: 4/5
Size: Toro (6 x 50)
Origin: Dominican Republic
Price (local): $10.95 (plus tax)
Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Flavor Text:

Camacho delivers an American classic.

New innovations are seen a lot in the cigar industry. Everyone is trying to up the ante in one way or another. Some are flush and some are bust, but it never hinders manufacturers from giving it a go. But here, we have an absolute homerun for team innovation. Camacho has been thinking outside the box for some time now, and with the cigar at hand, they pulled a Babe Ruth and knocked this one straight out of the park. Enter, Camacho’s newest innovation, American Barrel Aged.

Utilizing nearly 100% American leaves, Camacho Barrel Aged boasts a bold, oily Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper with American Broadleaf tobaccos also making appearances in the binder and filler tobaccos. The key to the blend comes in the form of a special Corojo filler leaf that’s aged for 6 years, only to be additionally stored in bourbon barrels to impart a truly unique flavor to an already stellar blend. The first Camacho to be produced in Davidoff of Geneva's prestigious Dominican factory, American Barrel Aged showcases bold notes of pepper, cashew, and sweet spices that are accented by a slight undertone of bourbon to deliver a blend you won’t soon forget.  

This is a wonderful cigar.

That might surprise a lot of you because I am not a huge Camacho guy, after some bad experiences with the blue-band Ecuador at many times in the past. The Ecuador Camacho might be the most overrated cigar I have ever experienced, so I was a bit skittish to try another Camacho after just not really enjoying their blends at many points in the past. However, I got 5 of these in an order with some Montecristo White Series cigars I ordered, and I gave it a whirl because, hey, why not? 

This cigar is much unlike many of Camacho's normal offerings. The wrapper of this cigar is aged 6 years, and the Barrel-Aged description reminds one of the aging process that some select alcohols undergo to bring out new flavors and tones for the palate and nose to engage with. I will be the first to say that you can definitely taste this process undergone by the wrapper on this cigar. There are some very faint woody tones with some bourbon, but nothing you're going to notice on every pull. These flavors were found at the very end of the retro hale from this cigar, and it was just enough for me to enjoy as someone who rarely drinks. Whenever I try something that would be barrel-aged, like a bourbon, I find it disgusting and very off-putting, but this cigar is one I enjoyed in that sense because it was just enough of a hint with a minimal aftertaste to keep me interested and enjoying it. It's just a hint.

The overall flavor of this cigar boasts some spice and pepper. Some note nuttiness, I do not note such nuttiness. This blend of cigar is just pure pepper and spice, but not the completely full-body power you'd expect. The rating of 4/5 in body, I believe, represents this cigar perfectly. It's not the full-mouth experience of power that you might get from something like a Cain or a Liga, but it's enough to let you know that Camacho wasn't playing around when they conceived the idea for this cigar. The flavor is that of powerful smoke and spice, and it's a beautifully built, strong cigar.

I am, overall, happy with this cigar. It's a bit simple, all things considered. All of their energy and time went into the wrapper on this cigar, and the flavor isn't too complex. It doesn't leave much to read into, but to me, that's perfectly alright. I love a straightforward cigar experience most of the time. The taste of this wrapper is one of the better ones I've had, and as someone who doesn't dabble much in alcohol, it's a good way to be introduced to some of the taste of what barrel-aging can bring to a vice product. It never scared me away, but I don't think a novice smoker would like this one much. It's a bit too powerful for that level of experience.

I'd recommend this cigar to anyone who has smoked quite a few cigars in their time, and wants to move onto something a bit different than what they are used to while keeping some body to their smoke. I love the flavor on this thing, and I think you might as well, if you've got some experience. It is built well, draws perfectly, and provides aromatic smoke and fantastic flavor that will leave you wanting another. It's a straightforward blend of tobacco, but sometimes, that's exactly what you want. Try it.

Happy smoking! CB