The Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

I’ve long touted Curivari Buenaventura as an excellent cigar for the value. The Nicaraguan puro’s understated, classic appearance fits the sub-$5 price tag, but don’t mistake that as an accurate proxy for quality. Excellent construction aids  the delivery of a balanced combination of medium-bodied flavors: cocoa, espresso, cedar, oak, and earth. This reasonably priced gem is a little hard to find but well worth seeking out.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

A couple times each week we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Cigars in the Buenaventura line from Curivari have gotten multiple high marks from StogieGuys.com, including the BV 550 (pictured). This big stick—a lightly box-pressed gordo (6 x 60) Nicaraguan puro—is another one well worth checking out. It’s a bargain smoke. I paid a little over $6 for a single, and you’ll find them online for close to $5 each by the box of ten. It is medium in strength with a smooth combination of a little spice, a little cedar, and a little pepper. I’d say the BV 600 is an ideal candidate for that second cigar to get you through the final half of a football game.

Verdict = Buy.

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys

For years, my colleague has praised the Buenaventura line by Curivari as not only an excellent smoke, but an excellent value. The cigars—which sport a classic, Cubanesque presentation and have been well-reviewed at StogieGuys.com on numerous occasions—retail for about $5 each. That’s a very refreshing price point in today’s market.

Curivari has also adopted the consumer-friendly practice of selling its Buenaventura cigars in ten-count boxes. This is, as far as I’m concerned, a policy more cigar makers should seriously consider. It makes the commitment to buy a box (both financially and simply as a matter of confidence you’ll enjoy it) much easier.

The BV 500 (5.25 x 50) is one of three original Buenaventura vitolas released in 2012—the others being BV 560 (5 x 60) and BV 600 (6 x 60). Since, Curivari has expanded the line with new formats, including D7 (5.5 x 52), Mini BV (3.5 x 50), Petit BV (4.25 x 54), and Picadores 52 (6 x 52). All are Nicaraguan puros.

I picked up three BV 500s at my local tobacconist for $4.90 apiece (not including taxes). If, like me, you’re a fan of the old school Cuban presentation, you’ll love the way this cigar looks dressed in its simple, understated band. The Nicaraguan wrapper is clean, smooth, and incredibly oily, though don’t be surprised if you encounter a harmless watermark or two. The slight box press gives the spongy cigar an oval shape. Pre-light, I find only the faintest notes of sweet hay and honey at the foot. The expertly applied cap clips cleanly to reveal a smooth cold draw.

After setting an even light, I find a medium-bodied profile of cedar, rye, cashew, caramel, and a bit of sweet cream. The texture is bready. The finish has black pepper, cereals, and some leather. As it progresses toward the midway point and beyond, the flavor can best be characterized as a core of dry wood and toasty bread with background notes ranging from milk chocolate and dried fruit to syrup and cherry. The final third is much the same and, thankfully, the tasty, well-balanced smoke stays cool throughout.

Construction is impeccable, especially for a sub-$5 cigar. All three of my samples exhibited set-it-and-forget-it burns, solid ashes, clear draws, and bountiful smoke production. Notably, I find the sharp black mascara of the burn line to be quite beautiful set against the oily wrapper.

There’s a lot to love from the Buenaventura BV 500. Great flavors, classic presentation, affordability, solid combustion properties. It may not be the most complex cigar on the market, but it’s surely one of the best values. For that, I award this Curivari creation a score of four stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

When I’m asked about cigars that provide bang for the buck, I frequently cite Buenaventura by Curivari, a Nicaraguan puro that can be picked up for around $40 for a box of 10. That approachable price would seem to make the blend an unlikely candidate for a mixed-filler version, but here it is: Buenaventura Picadores, featuring the same blend and selling for $30 or less a box. The flavors are similar to the original long-filler version: medium-bodied with coffee, woody spice, and light earth. There are some indications of the use of picadura (scrap cuttings) tobaccos in the construction, including lumpiness under the wrapper, a flaky ash, a wavy burn line, and a little bit of loose tobacco after clipping the head. Given the reasonably-priced original version, I’d probably save the Picadores version for the golf course or mowing the lawn (if I had one). But its hard to argue with the solid flavors this cigar produces for the price.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

More than once I’ve praised the Buenaventura line by Curivari as not only an excellent smoke, but an excellent value (the cigars retail for around $5 each). Over the past couple years, Curivari has begun adding extensions to the line, starting with the Pralines blend in 2015. (Since then, a Connecticut-wrapped Cremas extension and a mixed-filler Picadura version have debuted, too.)

An aside: Curivari has adopted one of my favorite practices when it comes to packaging by selling cigars exclusively in ten-count boxes. This is, as far as I’m concerned, a very consumer-friendly decision, and one that makes the commitment (both financially and simply as a matter of confidence that you’ll enjoy it) much easier in which to enter. I wish more companies would adopt the practice.

The Pralines line extension takes the all-Nicaraguan blend of the original Buenaventura line and adds a Mexican wrapper. I smoked three of the P554 size (a pressed 5.75-inch, 54-ring gauge robusto) for this review, though the blend also comes in Toro (6.75 x 52) and Gordo (4.9 x 60) formats.

Visually, it’s a classic, attractive cigar with a relatively vein-free, toothy, medium-brown wrapper and a not-too-sharp box press. Unless you find the classic, albeit simple, band cheap (I don’t), there is nothing about this cigar that gives away its value-oriented price.

Once lit, you’re greeted by dry wood with light spice, bread, roast coffee, and graphite notes. As the cigar develops, the spice becomes a more pronounced red pepper flavor mingled with gingerbread, plus the slightest hint of sourness.

It’s firmly medium-bodied throughout, though there are some notable variations in flavor from start to finish. Construction is excellent with a deliberate but not overly firm draw, mostly even burn, and solid salt and pepper ash.

While not quite as flavorful or perfectly balanced as the original Buenaventura blend, there is still a lot to like about this cigar, including its sub-$6 price tag. That earns the Curivari Buenaventura Pralines P554 a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick S

photo credits: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

I don’t buy a lot of cigars by the box, but the Curivari Buenaventura is one I’ve been keeping on hand lately. The Nicaraguan puro is medium-bodied and especially well-balanced. It has subtle wood spice, cocoa, and earth. I’ve never had any issues with the construction. The quality to price ($5-6) ratio on this cigar makes it perfect for smoking yourself or handing out to either seasoned cigar smokers or novices.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Want a recommendation for a good cigar for under $5? The Curivari Buenaventura BV 560 (if you shop around you can get a box of 10 for under $50) fits the bill. With a simple band and a matte wrapper, the Nicaraguan puro doesn’t look fancy. But don’t let that fool you. The medium-bodied, box-pressed smoke features the two things I most want in a cigar: balance and complexity. The multi-level flavors include milk chocolate, coffee, bread, and cedar. Combine that with solid construction and you get a very solid buy.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys