Camacho Nicaraguan Barrel Aged Toro

Following up the American Bourbon Barrel release from Camacho, part of the Davidoff family of cigars is the Nicaraguan Barrel Aged. While the boubon barrel aged utilized barrels from Kentucky, this release turns to the Flor de Cana factory in Nicaragua for use of Rum barrels, some of which have been in service for more than two decades. The cigar is rolled in Honduras at the new Camacho factory and today we look at the Toro vitola.

Cigar Review: Camacho Nicaragua Barrel Aged
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Mexico San Andres Negrita
Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Size: Toro

The Look: The boxes used for the Camacho Nicaraguan Barrel Aged aren’t your typical cigar boxes. Following the footprint of existing Camacho boxes, the boxes are high gloss boxes utilizing the colors of black, rust and tan. The band of the cigar is as busy as the come utilizing the same colors. In addition to the brand name, also on the band is Master Built Series, Infamous Since 1962, Built Bold, Extra Old Rum Barrels, Nicaragua Corojo, Nicaragua Barrel Aged, Powerband Bunching Process, Peak Performance, Original Corojo, A Relentless Quest to Push the Limits,  and Wild Flavors. The footband features the same words with Nicaragua Barrel Aged front and cent. The cigar has a milk chocolate color to it with some oils visible. In the hand the cigar is of average weight with a well packed foot.

The Notes: The cold draw of the Camacho NBA reminds me of a flavored cigar which caught me off guard since it isn’t advertised as a flavored or infused cigar. The 5 months spent in a Rum barrel creates more of an infused feel than that of bourbon barrels. And the foot of the cigar mimics the cold draw. Once the cigar is toasted and lit the first note of the cigar is extremely sweet much like the sugar that didn’t dissolve at the bottom of your coffee.

Smoking the first third, the cigar as you would guess had notes of rum that served as the primary flavor profile. Hints of caramel, vanilla and honey make up the individual characteristics  and after you retrohale there is an added element of espresso and black pepper.

In the second third the cigar remains ultra sweet, although there are hints of pistachios and some of the espresso notes from the retrohale have carried over to the cigar itself. The retrohale of the cigar has notes of oak and heavy black pepper that lingers but doesn’t overpower the extreme sweetness of the cigar.

As we move into the last third of the Camacho NBA not much changes. The cigar remained the same with an excessive sweetness, some nuts, oak and black pepper with the last two being on the retrohale.

The Finish: The first time I smoked this cigar I’ll be honest, I absolutely hated it. But, I never smoke a cigar just once, always smoking at least 2; preferably 3 before coming up with a last thought and review. The 2nd time I smoked the Nicaraguan Barrel Aged I paired it with rum, which was a huge mistake as it was sweetness overkill. However, the 3rd time I smoked it was after I grilled a couple of steaks for dinner and after a meal that left me full, the sweetness was welcomed, This cigar isn’t for everyone, and honestly it wasn’t for me but I can see how it would appeal to others. For me, I’ll stick with the other Camacho lines such as the Ecuador. I’ll give it a score that reflects on the 3rd cigar I smoked, because I do believe this is a cigar that needs to be paired correctly.

Score: 88
Price: $11.00