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Stogie Reviews: 262 Paradigm Toro

9 Jun 2010

It shouldn’t surprise you when I say that my colleagues and I aren’t fans restrictive smoking bans and excessive tobacco taxes. Many cigar producers, as we are, have become outspoken advocates against anti-tobacco zealotry. But few wear their freedom flag on their sleeve like Revolution Cigars.

262 Paradigm ToroRevolution Cigars is the maker of 262 Paradigm, a blend that honors the date (February 1962) that JFK hypocritically bought a shitload of his favorite Cuban cigars before signing a trade embargo against the communist isle. “Now you can smoke the legacy with 262 Cigars, post-revolution seed with pre-revolution flavor,” says Revolution’s website.

The website also comes complete with a “262 Manifesto” in defense of the freedom to smoke cigars. “Our voices must be heard,” it reads. “Our goals must be accomplished, not solely for the sake of our immediate cause, but for the many other liberties which are, even now, hanging in the balance.”

What better way to strike a blow against tyranny than to manufacture a cigar with the capability to captivate? That, it seems, is the goal of Revolution Cigars, and the reason for launching 262 Paradigm. This blend features a Brazilian wrapper, Honduran binder, and a filler blend of seco and ligero tobaccos from Estelí and Jalapa paired with Cuban-seed cubito leaves from Colombia.

Three vitolas are available: Torpedo, Robusto, and a box-pressed Toro that measures six inches long. I sampled three of the latter for this review. Handmade in Honduras by Alec Bradley, each Toro included a white band across the foot, a dark and toothy wrapper, and potent, mouthwatering aromas of espresso and dark chocolate.

With such a delightful pre-light fragrance, I am thankful the foot lights easily and evenly with a single wooden match. Soft flavors of creamy nut and milk chocolate follow for the first several puffs. Then, after about an inch, these classic Brazilian tastes are augmented by a heartier backdrop of leather, black coffee, and spicy wood. Mighty delicious.

As the white ash continues to layer sturdily off the foot, I can’t help but draw comparisons to some of Padrón’s higher-end cigars. Sue me. Before you do, though, I challenge you to smoke a few Toros and tell me that you don’t notice striking similarities: a dark box press, a profile reminiscent of moist chocolate cake, subtle woody spices, and superb construction.

So all politics aside, I am very impressed with this savory newcomer. It tastes great to the nub, smokes like a champ, and is priced fairly at less than $9 apiece. I love cigars that look and smell great only to completely live up to or exceed pre-light expectations. The 262 Paradigm Toro from Revolution Cigars does that in spades, earning a well-deserved four and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

15 Responses to “Stogie Reviews: 262 Paradigm Toro”

  1. RyanJ Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 2:47 am #

    Been waiting for you guys to pick up on these. I recently got one of their 6-cigar (2 of each type) samplers and was blown away by the flavor. Everyone should give 262 a try. They're working on a lighter blend at the moment, too, which I also look forward to trying.

  2. dmjones Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 4:17 am #

    This is on my "try it again and hope for a better result" list. I had the Robusto and while decent for a first cigar from 262, I can't say I was overly impressed, especially at the asking price. I will try both Toro and Torpedo at some point, though, as I've now heard good things about both sizes and maybe the Robusto is just not up to the same level of flavor. Thanks.

  3. Patrick A Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 7:19 am #

    On the topic of a second blend from the company, today I received the following via email from Jerry Ernst of Revolution Cigars: "Yes, we have our second line, The Ideology, coming out in about 7 weeks. It will be a milder blend with an interesting flavor profile. We will have more info posted on the website shortly."

  4. Adam Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 12:58 pm #

    I wish you would explain why it received 4 and a half rather than five stars. There was nothing negative about this stick in your review.

  5. RyanJ Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 3:21 am #

    I take the 4.5 rating to mean "just as good as a 5-stogie, but makes a great anytime smoke. Not just for special occasions"

  6. Cigar Seeker Friday, June 11, 2010 at 2:17 am #

    That band on the foot looks like a problem to me. I have recently realized that leaving the band on reduces the chances that the wrapper will unravel during smoking (something that used to happen to me in about 1 out of 4 cigars, before I started leaving the band on). Looks like there's no way to leave the band on while smoking one of these!

  7. mighty Friday, June 11, 2010 at 3:02 pm #

    I tried a few of these cigars recently. I was not very impressed, especially at their price point. Two cigars were very very spongy. Almost like they weren't packed with enough tobacco. The flavor came and went, came and went.

    For about $10, I can personally think of a good many different cigars that I would rather have.

  8. Dannyboy Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 6:11 am #

    Yeah sorry, totally disagree on this smoke. $9-$10 is a complete ripoff. Not sure I'd pay $5. Mild to medium earth flavor that never changed is how I'd sum it up…waaaay overpriced.

  9. joey Friday, June 18, 2010 at 1:46 pm #

    inconsistant, flavors all over the place, a bit pricey

  10. roadking26 Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 4:31 pm #

    Very disappointed in the toro I smoked. I would say these are mild. A new cigar company should establish a track record with a moderately price smoke before jumpimg on the premium bandwagon. Overpriced and boring. Far too many smoke out there that blow these away for far less money. Keep an eye out for these at JR in the future at $50 a box.

  11. jchristensen Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 5:35 pm #

    Well, count me in the minority of those commenting on the Paradigm because I am in complete agreement with Patrick's review and RyanJ's comment. I have enjoyed this cigar so immensely that it shouldn't be legal. I found the trade-off between the chocolate and coffee notes during the first half of the stick to be incredibly tasty and the addition of the leather hints mixed in during the second half added a little complexity that was rewarding in my opinion. Anyone who's looking for a cigar a little off the beaten path should give this a shot. At least twice. 😉

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