The Camacho Corojo is one of the most storied tobacco leaves in the cigar world that is best explained by the Camacho website.
“The story of the infamous Corojo seed spans generations, breaks boundaries, defies convention, and flies in the face of compromise — all in a quest to preserve the character of a legendary smoke that is the foundation of the Camacho brand.
You see, the original Corojo seed is what made Cuban cigars so famous back in the heyday of Havana. Perfected in the early 1940s, by celebrated tobacco grower Diego Rodriguez, Corojo was the exquisite result of isolating the famed Criollo strain, brought over from Mesoamerica, and crossing it with Indonesian Sumatra. The result… a bold, yet smooth flavor that quickly grew legendary among cigar aficionados worldwide. Soon Cuba would be known as the unrivaled producer of the ultimate smoke. There is no doubt that Corojo put cigars from this mysterious island nation on the map. Due to its unparalleled texture, elasticity, and bold, spicy flavor profile, Corojo quickly established itself as the cigar wrapper of choice, both in and outside of Cuba for decades. Yet there’s only one place in the world where you can actually find Original Corojo.
Camacho Corojo is built with a high-grade, fifth-priming wrapper leaf and grown from a plant that was liberated from compromise in the name of true authenticity.”
Cigar Review: Camacho Corojo
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Original Corojo
Binder: Original Corojo
Filler: Original Corojo
Strength: Medium-Full
The Look: In the past we have reviewed the Connecticut (Orange Band), Ecuador (Blue Band). However, I have never thought to review the red labeled Corojo. For some reason the red label Camacho Corojo just has appealed to me aesthetically. Beneath the red and black band is an ugly wrapper loaded with veins. It is however well rolled despite its seams being visible. The foot of the cigar looks a bit under-filled but it feels firm to the touch over the rest of the cigar.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Camacho Corojo has a bit of a molasses and earthy notes to it with a touch of spice that one would expect from Corojo. While the aroma off the foot is a tad earthy with a touch of red pepper.
Once the cigar is lit, I am pleasantly surprised at the hints of molasses that have carried over from the cold draw to the all Corojo blend. I expected the cigar to be strictly a pepper bomb, and while there are dominant notes of red pepper there is a subtle sweetness that slowly fades away during the first third.
In the second third of the Corojo the notes become spicy red pepper with a hint of paprika and becomes what I expected the cigar to be. There is some cedar and earth present, but the cigar is aggressively spicy and is a quintessential corojo smoke.
The last third of the Corojo continues down the path laid out in the center portion of the cigar. The spice is there, almost in your face with some continued earth and cedar. Like the last third, the pepper on the nose is especially evident through the nose.
The Burn: The Camacho Corojo burns a little fast with a thicker combustion line. As the cigar burns evenly it reveals a darker gray ash that holds for 1/4 of the stick at a time. The draw was a little loose for my personal taste, but it should be ok for many cigar smokers. The cigar remained lit from first light to last puff with no touch ups or relights needed for the duration.
The Finish: I would recommend the Camacho Corojo to someone who wants to try a full-bodied cigar for the first time for the simple reason that the stick doesn’t have that kick from Uncle Nic. What you get is a straight forward cigar that is easy to smoke. For those of us who like strong cigars, the lack of complexity might leave it falling a little short.
Score: 91
Camacho Corojo
Camacho Corojo Foot
Camacho Corojo Burn
