Cornelius & Anthony Cornelius Toro Cigar

A few weeks ago I heard from Courtney Smith, the Director of Brand Development at Cornelius & Anthony Premium Cigars . I’ve known Courtney for many years from her tenure with another cigar brand, and have heard good things about the Cornelius & Anthony Brand.  Cornelius & Anthony Premium Cigars is the cigar division of the Bailey family’s 150 year old tobacco company S&M Brands.   S&M Brands is best known for its Bailey, Tahoe and Riverside cigarettes and its portfolio of other machine-made tobacco products, which includes little cigars. The family has been growing and brokering its tobacco for five generations.

The cigars I received are the Cornelius & Anthony Cornelius Toro.  The Cornelius is made at the El Titan de Bronze factory in Miami’s Little Havana. The blend is an Ecuador Habano wrapper, Ecuador binder, and Nicaraguan fillers and the toro is a traditional 6″ x 50. These are also available in a robusto and corona gorda.  I smoked the first sample Monday evening, and it was a spectacular cigar.  I would have smoked the second sample on Tuesday, but I seem to have contracted a bit of a cold, so I wanted to wait until I could properly enjoy another one of these, I was that impressed. The construction was perfect, I always appreciate a cigar that burns straight with a flat ember, it tells me that great care was taken to select tobacco that all burns at the same rate, no easy feat. It was a smooth, flavorful smoke, creamy, with some sweetness and spice along with some wood and nuts.  I was quite happy smoking this cigar, it’s easily approachable by a novice, and satisfying enough for a seasoned smoker. I can’t wait to kick this cold so I can smoke the other one I have. The $15 price tag may be off-putting to some, but it’s well worth it for a special occasion.  I really like the presentation too, the bands are visually appealing and the cigar is beautiful.

Many thanks to Courtney for sharing these great cigars with me.  Until the next time,

CigarCraig