Cigar Review: Paul Garmirian Artisan’s Passion Toro

Like my colleagues, I’m an unabashed fan of Paul Gamirian’s cigars. I can’t think of one I’ve smoked I didn’t find to be excellent, and I’d heartily agree with Patrick A’s five-stogie review of the Symphony 20th. That cigar would be on my desert island list.

But until recently I’d not only never smoked anything from the PG Artisan’s Passion line, I‘d never seen them. And even though Patrick S reviewed it in 2011, I wanted to sing its praises as well.

This three-cigar line stands out for quite a few reasons. Perhaps most noticeable is the price. The short robusto is $7.60 and each of the others rises by 60 cents. For a manufacturer who specializes in finely crafted, aged cigars blended from top-grade tobaccos, that’s a good price.

Another noticeable factor is a powerful, full-bodied smoke that’s composed of all Dominican tobaccos, still unusual this many years after the introduction of Opus X.

The 52-ring gauge cigar starts with pepper that recedes quickly, overtaken by a pleasant taste of grass and hay. It produces tons of smoke from the start and burns evenly from beginning to end.

At the halfway point of the six-inch stick, there’s a terrific mix of spice and sweetness that carries through for another inch or so. The blend is incredibly smooth and the finish is great.

If you’re lucky enough to find this cigar, light it up. I think you’ll agree that it earns four stogies out of five.

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

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys