Cameroon Especial

Over the weekend I ran into the very pretty local Rocky Patel rep and with the grace of my local brick & mortar she gifted me with a a Cameroon Especial which is a bundle smoke produced by Rocky Patel. Having never heard of it, I was eager to try it and share my thoughts with you. The cigar was released in 2008 at the IPCPR show in Las Vegas and is billed as a mild to medium bodied cigar.

Cigar: Cameroon Especial
Size: 5 x 50
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: ???
Filler: ???

Appearance and Construction (15/20): The intricate orange band has artwork that reminds me of India. Written in gold the cigar name Cameroon Especial is hard to locate against the backround. The wrapper has some flaws to it as both samples I have seen had watermarks. The Cameroon wrapper is a thin wrapper to begin with but there was a slight tear mid way up this robusto. This toothy cigar has a nice weight to it and a well packed foot with no soft spots.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): The prelight draw is very tangy and reminds me of tangerines. The first of the smoke reminds me of dry earth with some nuts. As we move the the second third of the smoke the tangy notes join the party but here they remind me more of a pear. The 2nd third also remains very nutty. The final third of the cigar is predominantly earthy but there is an underlying sweetness along with nuts in the finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (23/25): This smoke has an uneven burn with fairly thick carbon ring. The ash is a dark medium gray with absolutely no flake and it holds fairly well. The draw offers only a little resistance which you want from a cigar.

Overall (23/25): As I was smoking this cigar I found myself looking at the wrapper, and it reminded me of color forms. I haven’t played with color forms in about 30 years, and it amazes me that they would enter my mind. While this cigar will never be confused with a top notch premium cigar it is an outstanding bundle cigar. It is one of those cigars I would keep on hand for those times I want a smoke, but am unsure if I would have the time to finish it. Its enjoyable enough to fill the need for a cigar, but inexpensive enough that you don’t mind tossing it half way through to do the things you need to do.

Do you smoke bundle cigars? Which bundle cigars do you prefer?

Rating: 89
Price: $32.50 at Atlantic Cigars (tell them Barry from Brooklyn sent you!)