Leaf by Oscar Corojo
Leaf by Oscar Corojo
Strength: 2/5
Size: Toro (6 x 52)
Origin: Honduras
Price (local): $10.95 (plus tax)
Wrapper: Corojo
Flavor Text:
Go, go, Corojo
A collaboration between “Island Jim” and Oscar Valladares, Leaf by Oscar is a boutique brand worthy of a second glance. Offering up four different versions of their handcrafted creation, today we’ll be checking out the Corojo wrapped option – a medium-bodied charmer that I’m sure tons of you out there will dig.
Now before you go dogging this cigar, remember to remove the outer tobacco leaf. Underneath, you’ll find that the stick is actually quite beautiful, glistening with oils that have been perfectly protected by the raw tobacco on top. And it’s not just a looker, this thing performs! Toasting the foot, you’ll find a woodsy and nutty core of flavors, with hints of red pepper spice throughout. In short, this should definitely go on your “must-try” list.
At the shop I work at, we sell all sorts of Leaf by Oscar cigars. We have a Connecticut, a Maduro, a Sumatra and a Corojo. Lately, I have taken a liking to the Corojo-wrapped cigars that I have been sampling outside of these reviews, and I have heard about 50 different customers swear by the Leaf by Oscar cigars at this point. I wanted to try a Corojo Leaf because I know those, at least for me, to have the most flavor out of all of them. These cigars come wrapped in, well, a leaf that must be removed before smoking. It's a really neat, rustic way of presenting a cigar to the smoker. The leaf can be used for... other things as well, so that is a nice plus if you like to partake in different kinds of tobacco.
I unwrapped my Corojo Leaf to reveal a beautiful Toro sized cigar that had been preserved wonderfully. There were no cracks, and the slight sponginess to the cigar told me that this cigar was fresh and ready to go. This cigar was a beautiful darker brown, and it cut like a dream. The cap flipped off, and off I went. This cigar lit very easily and throughout the smoke, there was never any maintenance to the light required, and no uneven burning. There was solid white ash all the way down, a marker left behind each flavorful draw I took off of this one.
This cigar profiles as a medium-mild body cigar, but I'd say that it's mostly a medium cigar. There was a little kick to it, but for whatever reason, whenever I smoke a Corojo cigar, I always get a wine sort of taste. Not the alcohol in the wine necessarily, but the grapes in the wine. The red wine flavor was very subtle and not overpowering, allowing you to get the full taste of the tobacco. There was a lighter nuttiness throughout as well. The spice this cigar brings was almost unnoticeable when starting, and got stronger on the finish, leaving me tasting this cigar about midway up my tongue as the smoke progresses. It never reached the full-body effect of the "back of the throat" tickle, but it definitely left a little bit on my tongue. I really enjoyed the slight spiciness with the natural flavor of this cigar.
This cigar smoked fast, about an hour. To me, that is ripping it fast. It was a great hour, though, and I look forward to trying the other ones in this line. I think this is a cigar that most everyone can enjoy, sans the entirely new smokers who want to venture into the hobby with the mild stuff. Outside of those smokers, anyone can try this, including a veteran who wants a break from what they normally have and wants to try an experience with a great Corojo wrapper. It's not often used, but it's wonderful and flavorful. I would recommend this cigar to most people. It's delicious.
Happy smoking! CB
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