Carlos Torano- 1959 Exodus VS. 1959 Exodus 50 Years

In this write up I will compare the 1959 Exodus in a box-press size to the newer 50 Years edition that was released in 2009. The cigars are of a different blend, binder and wrapper. The original "Gold-Label" Exodus came out in 2001. The newer "Copper-Label" 50 Years Edition came out last year. Although they are linked by name, these are two completely different cigars. Lets see how different.



Carlos Torano 1959 Exodus- The manufacturer's website states..."The Exodus 1959 commemorates the Exodus of expert Cuban cigar families and their impact on the cigar industry after the nationalization of all tobacco farms and cigar factories by the Cuban government in 1959. The Toraños were one of those families. This cigar has rich and bold flavors with a dynamic blend of tobaccos from five different countries."-- I couldn't have put it any better than that without plagiarizing, so there you have it.
This stick is packed full of tobacco from Mexico, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. The binder is Honduran and the wrapper Nicaraguan.

Prelight- This cigar has an interesting look. Its a box-press, 6" in length, with a nippled foot. I've never seen another cigar with this shape. I like a good box-press, so this should be interesting. The construction feels nice, and the stick is spongy and firm to the touch.
The prelight draw has a weird taste. It tastes of chemicals a little bit. Ewwww, I hope the smoke tastes better than this. The draw itself is a little tight, but that is probably from the nippled foot.

Sparking it- The cigar lights with ease and the nippled end simmers to a nice even burn. The ash is a light grey and solid. This cigar is nicely made. The only problem...I'm not sure if I like the taste. It tastes a little bit like coffee and wood, but that chemical taste from the prelight is lingering in the smoke. Even the resting smoke has a chemical-like aroma to it. I'm not far in to the burn, so we'll see what the rest of the cigar has to offer.

Smoking it- This stick would be great, if it had a completely different blend of filler in it. The cigar burns great, other than a piece of the wrapper lifted up about a 1/3 way through the smoke. Unfortunately, the burn is negated by the fact that it tastes bad. It isn't horrible, but it is bland and tastes like smoke off a campfire. I'm almost certain I got a good cigar...its fresh and from a shop that only carries quality. - I have never read a review on this cigar or spoke to anyone about it, so I'm not sure if this is a popular smoke. But I don't like it.

Overall- C-


COMING SOON - REVIEW OF THE 1959 EXODUS - 50 YEARS!!!!