Argyle Maduro Toro

I got this cigar for free last time I was at Holt's in PA. It normally sells for $3.20. This cigar had good firm construction and smells really nice. I gave it a V cut and paired with Wild Turkey 101. I was outside shoveling so I did not pay a huge amount of attention to the cigar but I did enjoy it.

It had good flavor, that I would place in the medium flavor range. Had a medium finish and medium to full strength. Nice kick.

I put it out at about an inch to go only because it was cold as Hell. Otherwise a finger burner.

From Holt's Cigars:

High quality, inexpensive Dominican cigars are exceedingly hard to come by. The best ones tend to be a bit spendy, and the cheap ones are often plagued by construction issues and offer little to please your taste buds. Taking all this into consideration we created Argyle: a mild blend of Dominican tobaccos finished with either an elegant, creamy Natural wrapper or a sweet, nutty Maduro wrapper. Those looking for a tasty, mild cigar under 2$ should look no further. Argyle has it all.

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Strength: Mild
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican

Benchmade Robusto

Great smoke. Pretty firm but not hard. Not peppery or harsh, perfect smoke down to the nub. Lot's of smoke and an even burn. Surprised me when it went out unexpectedly but that was the only issue.

I smoked this one on the Freeland's deck after eating some great backyard barbecue. Paired with my old stand-by, Bud Light. I really enjoyed this one.

I gave Jim H. the Argyle and he seemed to like it. He said it was mellow as I had told him it would be. He does not have a cigar often and he smoked maybe 1/2.

From Holt's Cigars:

Benchmade is an exciting new brand manufactured by Pepin Garcia exclusively for Ashton. These no-nonsense handmades boast the flavor and construction of a super-premium cigar, yet the attractive price-tag of a value bundle. Crafted in Nicaragua, the Benchmade recipe includes a lovely dark-brown Nicaraguan wrapper, 2 sturdy Nicaraguan binders and a delicious sandwich blend of top-quality Nicaraguan fillers. The flavors are medium to full-bodied. A solid backbone of sweet earthy richness is accompanied by intricate layers of spicy complexity. These cigars come packaged in elegant cedar boxes and each cigar is finished with a pigtail top. Available in 5 traditional sizes, Benchmade is the new benchmark for the value cigar.

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

Argyle

Second cigar of the day. I would say that the construction of this cigar was fair to poor and a bit on the soft side. And the the wrapper was pealing a bit. Also, I found a crack 1/2 way up cigar, probably from being packed in my suitcase? All that being said, I liked the smoke. Mellow taste, a small bit of pepper but overall mellow. Good nicotine. No bad aftertaste. I would buy again but maybe a larger size so it lasts longer.

From Holt's Cigars:

High quality, inexpensive Dominican cigars are exceedingly hard to come by. The best ones tend to be a bit spendy, and the cheap ones are often plagued by construction issues and offer little to please your taste buds. Taking all this into consideration we created Argyle: a mild blend of Dominican tobaccos finished with either an elegant, creamy Natural wrapper or a sweet, nutty Maduro wrapper. Those looking for a tasty, mild cigar under 2$ should look no further. Argyle has it all.

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Strength: Mild
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican