Carlos Toraņo Exodus Silver Epicure (Toro) Review
Cigar: Carlos Toraņo Exodus Silver
Size: Epicure (robusto) 4.7" x 52
Wrapper: Criollo
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Costa Rica/Honduras/Mexico
Price: MSRP ~$7
Initial Impression/Prelight
First off, ignore the 'Toro' in my un-editable title. This was a robusto.
The Exodus Silver had a good-looking light brown Criollo wrapper. Quick inspection revealed no visible flaws, and only minor veins. The head felt a little loose, but the rest of the cigar was firm. This cigar has been in the humidor at 65% RH for about 4 months.
I used a punch, and the pre-light draw is slightly looser than I'd prefer with a light tobacco flavor. I got a pot of strong coffee ready, and sat outside to enjoy the beautiful 70 degree morning.
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1st Third
Once I light it up, my worries about the loose draw were alleviated by clouds of thick, white smoke. The cigar had a bright earth flavor, and another quality I usually like - no black pepper to be found.
The wrapper was visibly thick and felt great - despite that one small crack developed near the head but didn't affect the experience and I got past it quickly. Flavor and strength were solidly medium.
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2nd Third
Flavor remained earth with a nice woody touch. I kept getting great big plumes of smoke, including pouring off the foot. I had to retouch once; probably would have been fine at night, but since I could see it clearly I had to give it a quick torching. Started to pick up some spiciness by the end of this section.
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Final Third
I got that pleasant earthiness all the way through, and the bit of spiciness showed through over the last inch or two. I started picking up some clove flavor and sweet spice, which was a nice ending to an already good smoke. No more retouches needed, and I smoked it right down to the nub.
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Overall Impressions
The Exodus 50 Years is one of my top couple cigars, the Exodus Gold is good, and this Silver lived up to my expectations. It shares little other than the name with those two cigars, but I definitely enjoyed the flavors of this one. From the start it was attractive both in terms of wrapper and the band. It burned well, put off big, chewy smoke, and had some complexity and flavor changes towards the end.
The Silver falls right in my wheelhouse of medium cigars, and I'm going to try to keep a few of these around now. I'd keep my good eye open for a 5-er or two at a good price.
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