Hey, all. I picked up a fiver of these on the devil site a few months ago. Took the first one out for a spin the other day, without a camera, sadly. Here's how it went down.
Nutritional information:
Vitola: 6x54 toro
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Humi time: 4 months
The marketing:
CI:
A powerful Nicaraguan puro. Omar Ortez Originals are Nicaraguan-made puros with a nice balance of flavor and strength. Dressed in a toothy, dark Nicaraguan wrapper, Omar Ortez Originals combine a bold mixture of Nicaraguan long-leaf tobaccos and hearty Nicaraguan binder. The result is a robust smoke that’s rich in character with satisfying flavors.
Omar Ortez Originals are packed bandless in Spanish cedar cabinets of 60. The lid of each cabinet lifts to grab a few smokes or flip the front facing down for a sneak peek at the feet of these dark, ligero-laced handmades.
Omar Ortez Originals received a very nice rating of ’90’ points, which noted:
"Covered in a rich, dark wrapper, this toasty cigar is full of woody, leathery flavors punctuated by nutty, earthy notes before a sweet cocoa finish. Medium to full bodied"
Altadis:
True “originals” in every sense of the word, Omar Ortez Originals are rustic in appearance, robust in flavor and are packaged in unique wooden boxes. Certain to satisfy the lover of fuller-bodied cigars, these “puros” are handmade in Nicaragua with ultra rich Nicaraguan wrapper, binder and long filler tobaccos.
Prelight: Simple in presentation, with a dark, dry, veiny wrapper, bandless and rustic. This large RG toro felt very heavy in the hand. Earth and compost on the nose and cold draw. The head sliced cleanly, but the draw gave a bit of resistance.
Burn: Excellent. It lit easily, burned straight and smooth, and generated a lot of cool smoke. I didn't find any heat on the smoke even as it started to nub. The ash was very white -- pretty against the dark wrapper -- and damn firm. 90+ mins of smoking at a relaxed pace.
Flavor: The flavor was very full, rich, and smooth. It opened with wood, earth, wood, and more wood, with virtually no pepper or spice. The core flavors stay pretty consistent and balanced throughout; not a lot of dynamism, but some pleasant bitterness like coffee, dark chocolate, and stout shows up in the middle, and then some hints of sweetness in the last third.
I'm a fan of fuller-bodied fare and have developed quite a high tolerance for nicotine. But holy crap! This cigar kicked my a$$ -- the first time that has happened in a long, long time. By the time I hit the last third, I was reeling a bit and feeling the power in my gut, knees, and head. Wow. This is no morning cigar, but one to smoke after a hearty meal.
Just make sure you're sitting down.
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