Yamasa Toro.... do you eat these? Blimey!!!

[Startedat43]

Friend of mine surprised me with a pack of these from Abu Dhabi.... they look and feel amazing. Ok not amazing but like a stick of 70% chocolate. Man, I love chocolate!!!

Btw, as they're in plastic wrapper, is it best to take wrapper off when adding to my humidor or keep them on?

[Emaresee]

I dont know them but if they are actually 'flavoured' keep them out of your main humi.... Unless you want everything else to have a hint of choc too!

[ValeTudoGuy]

Never heard of these, so I looked them up.

http://www.stogiereview.com/2016/07/06/davidoff-yamasa-toro/

Not trying to bring a downer on the thread, but it appears to me that they destroyed a 100 hectare alkali habitat and still only managed to cultivate 21 hectares for limited use.

I hope they didnt destroy anything naturally unique in the process.

To actually answer your question, plastic on or off is personal choice... I dont think these are favoured.

[smokey joe]

... I dont think these are favoured.

You mean flavoured, right?

[Startedat43]

No not flavoured
Read somewhere that this cigar is 20 years in the making! Well if that's true they had better be exceptional.

[ValeTudoGuy]

You mean flavoured, right?

Yeah

[ValeTudoGuy]

No not flavoured
Read somewhere that this cigar is 20 years in the making! Well if that's true they had better be exceptional.

20 years is how long it took them to destroy 100 hectares of ecosystem in the Dominican to be able to make these. The tobacco and cigars are not actually 20 years in the making.

[Startedat43]

20 years is how long it took them to destroy 100 hectares of ecosystem in the Dominican to be able to make these. The tobacco and cigars are not actually 20 years in the making.

It's a Fair point you make VTG, forgive me for not seeing it in the same way. I suppose we all enjoy luxuries at the expense of ecosystems, non fair trade goods and so forth. I wonder how many other cigar makers cause similar damage? Another topic in its own right.

[Startedat43]

It's a Fair point you make VTG, forgive me for not seeing it in the same way. I suppose we all enjoy luxuries at the expense of ecosystems, non fair trade goods and so forth. I wonder how many other cigar makers cause similar damage? Another topic in its own right.

Oh... and I guess I'll have double impact on guilty pleasures!lol

[ValeTudoGuy]

We do all enjoy not only Luxuries, but even necessities at the expense of numerous ecosystems.... I have just never seen it be touted as a selling point before, perhaps even a proud cornerstone of marketing and branding.

It just stands out as peculiar to me, distasteful even in a sort of [look how mighty and brilliant we are bending nature to our will] kind of way. I would still smoke one as the ?damage? is done now.

It kind of makes me hope that they are particularly excellent.

Though I wonder how long the micronutrients remain now that the habitat that created them is changed.... So maybe an interesting scientific event, even if I do find the advertising distasteful.

[the pondering moose]

It does seem like a very Roman "masters of all creation" way to go about things. And then to brag about it as a way of en-biggening the premium nature of the product. I certainly wonder myself if artificial treatment of the ground is sustainable (isn't likely), but desired in business model of a high value product that is collectible and will appreciate in value most likely.

I've read that the Placensia (sp?) brand of cigars claim to be organically produced. Though this claim begs the question as to what they use on all the other tobacco.

I suppose the best case scenario with those yamasos is that they're planning crop rotation and fallow areas within their land over time...

But if as VTG observed, any unique or non-descript species vanished during this twenty year project, that does not sit well at all.

Given one, would I smoke it? Probably.

Would I buy one (even if I had the money)? I think not.

Does it vaguely offend my sensibilities? Yes, a bit. Particularly as they'd have to be frankly amazing sticks to be better than many many ones a lot less expensive, both CC and NC. They strike me as a bit like a car with a very expensive personalised number plate. If it's something widely regarded as a classic (something like a E-type Jag or something), I can nod and be impressed; if, given the area I live in, it's bizarrely on a Citroen C4, it's just ridiculous.

P.S.
That all said, I'll be very interested if they are amazing and look forward to observations when one gets smoked. I'm also not begrudging anyone getting anyone a present by the way, getting smokes off a friend away on their travels is awesome.

[Startedat43]

Evening gentlemen.
So it took me just over 3 months to give in and satisfy my temptation.
After a very late lunch today, I lit my Yamasa Toro ahead of a 3 hour drive back up North.
The cigar is by well constructed and as it's long in length between my smoking hold it felt as though it needed to be balanced.
The front end of the cigar was extremely light. I actually thought there was some construction issues but that wasn't the case.
In terms of taste/flavours and notes, it was PEPPER. Just pepper. I now know what it really means to get pepper notes.
This continued all the way through to the last 3rd. about half way there might just have been a sweet/chocolate note (singular, so probably not from the cigar itself).
The final 3rd became more intense and somewhat pleasing. Very dry woody notes - definitely, but no pepper. From that point until the end it scored points.
Other than that not particularly exciting. I remember saying to myself near Peterborough, it's one dimensional. But as an amateur do I really know what I'm talking about?

All in all this was a let down. In my scoring system the Yamasa gets a measly five from ten.

Perhaps they will benefit from some ageing? I've got three left so I will let you know in six months or so.

[PeeJay]

All that I would expect to happen is the pepper to mellow out perhaps

[Startedat43]

All that I would expect to happen is the pepper to mellow out perhaps

Yikes, so I shouldn't a spectacular smoke? Probably best to lower my expectations for the next one.[emoji848][emoji6]

[PeeJay]

Probably not. I have yet to find a Davidoff I liked yet I like the Private Stock brand which is also made by them. Try one if you like a mild but flavoursome smoke.