Camacho Liberty '07 Review

5/25/2014

Cigar: Camacho Liberty 2007
Size: Corona, 6.0"x48/54/48
MSRP: $16.60
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Honduran Corojo/Broadleaf
Origin: Honduras

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Prelight: This cigar has seen better days. Given its age, and the fact that I’m not its first owner (a great BOTL generously gifted me it), it’s kind of to be expected. There are numerous tears on the barber pole wrapper at the mid-point. The aroma is very faint but woody. The scent off the foot is also faint, but kind of dusty and earthy. I v-cut the cap which gives a great cold draw that tastes extremely floral. I say a quick prayer that this cigar holds together despite its damaged wrapper.

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1/3: There seems to be very little smoke coming through the cigar. I feel that the binder has been compromised. But, the flavors I am getting are nice. There is a mild cedar backed up by a honey like sweetness and cream. The ash is thick and has a brownish center, showcasing the aged tobacco. Towards the end of the first third, I pick up on a bit of a floral taste.

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2/3: The wrapper is still hanging in there, and spices are accentuated in this third. I am tasting cardamom and nutmeg, and sometimes what seems to be cinnamon, but it could be a mixture of cardamom and cedar. The creamy honey is still prevalent, and as I pass the worst part of the damaged wrapper, the cigar starts smoking great.

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3/3: The burn is now perfect in the final third. Straight line, plenty of smoke output. The flavors have now become all that I love in a great cigar: spices, chocolate, cream, cedar.

Overall: I am glad I stuck with this cigar to the end. Although some of the loose wrapper tailings required touch-ups, the burn was great. I am not going to blame construction on Camacho for its short-comings (I will instead blame USPS for poor package-handling skills), as the final third was immaculate. The flavors are excellent, transition well and are complex. I would buy this cigar in a heartbeat, even at MSRP, and even if the wrapper was damaged.