Car. Torano Exodus 1959 Toro

I guess I was expecting a bit more hit from this based on the dark complexion of the wrapper. Instead, this was a pretty mild cigar, with fairly unnoticable flavors. The burn was a bit uneven and the general aroma wasn't as lovely as I would like. All in all, an average cigar.

-appearance--nicely rolled,great box press.nearly vein free.nice even color as well.attractive.-construction--had a few issues.one the cigar had a piece in the middle that just didnt want to burn along with the rest of the cigar causing an uneven burn.although that was not the only part that burned crooked.no draw problems.-flavor--decent flavor.did notice it got a little harsh at the end.there was nothing great about the flavor but then again nothing bad.-value--not a great value.can find alot of cigars with better value.-overall--ive been impressed with other cigars that ive smoked in the line as well as this size,not saying this was a bad stick.every cigar is differant.cigar to cigar,not just size or blend.

Excellent draw with a taste of smooth leather and a peppery edge. A little bitter at the end, but still worth the time to enjoy. A good evening cigar!

The flavor was exceptionally smooth. It was not harsh at all. As some of the reviewers stated, there were mocha elements. There was a caramel taste as well. The only problem I had was with the construction. The burn was extremely uneven-- uneven to a point that I have not seen before even in lower quality cigars. Other than that, this is a very good cigar.

Picked up a five pack on CBid for $17, which I considered a bargain. After letting them rest in my humi for 2-3 weeks, I smoked the first. Great appearance: dark brown wrapper, nice black & gold label, soft box press. Excellent prelight draw and flavor -- dark, sweet, hint of spice. Lit easily and burned pretty well; not perfect, but no touch ups needed. I really liked the flavor, which was complex and everchanging. It was pleasantly peppery in the first third, with sweeter chocolate and coffee notes emerging in the second third. Flavors of vanilla and spice and even licorice appeared in the last third. I smoked it to the nub, which took about an hour and a quarter. I'd call it medium to medium-full. I didn't experience any of the construction problems or off-notes that other reviewers reported. A thoroughly enjoyable smoke, particularly if you can pick it up for a good price on an auction site.

This stick started off just fine. Lots of great biting tobacco/peppery flavor. Unfortunately, that was just a 5 minute tease. After that, it was a distinctly campfire kind of taste/smell. It had been properly stored in a humidor for 3 months so I would have to say that this cigar was fairly representative. Either that or these Torranos are inconsistent. Your call.

As for construction/burn, it was okay. Minor spooning that I eventually solved by torching - something I don't usually do with a good tasting cigar.

Time for my annual review of the Carlos Torano
Exodus 1959 Toro. I have to say that the ones I smoked this year didn't seem to have the flavor as in 2006. Everything else was the same, still has a very fine taste, just not quite up to it's usual chocolate and carmel goodness.

Good looking with perpetual burn problems. Decent taste with mocha elements.

This is a beautiful cigar, but the draw was really bad.... when you spend that much trying to get it going it's disappointing... there were also some cracks that developed near the mid point... it's a shame because from what I could taste it was a nice smoke...maybe they'll revisit this @ Torano

Milder than my regular smokes. Too mild. First third-a real yawner, second third- mild nut and spice flavors with an uneven burn that required too many touch-ups, last third-much better but maybe not worth going through the first two-thirds. If the whole cigar tasted as good as the last third, I might buy some more. A "decent" $2.00 cigar.

This dark box-pressed cigar was a real beauty. It had a great flavor, with lots of wood and an occasional hint of vanilla. Judged on its own merits, the flavor was excellent. However, after seeing the Torpedo placed in CA's top 5 in the annual Cigar of the Year feature, my expectations were very high. In the first quarter or so, there was an unpleasant metallic finish, but this passed once the stick warmed up. At about this time, however, the wrapper began splitting, but this was contained to only about an inch near the lit end, so it did not affect the second 1/2 of the smoke. They had been in the himidor for 6 months at very consistent humidity, so I don't feel like this was the culprit behind the split, but it wasn't that big of a deal and didn't really affect the experience. The burn was fairly inconsistent, but self correcting. For the $3 / stick I snagged these for, I'd say the value far exceeded the price tag.

Had heard decent things about this but was disappointed with this one. Started off smooth and then progressed into bitter coffee with strong tobacco. Harsh taste that I did not enjoy. Can't say I'm looking fwd to trying another. Everything was so avg about this one. Wrapper not the smoothest and burn/ash nothing special.

This was my first Torano. Great look. No burn problems, nice ash. Chocolate and leather flavors that were very tasty. Would love to have one of these burning all the time, just for the aroma. Good finish. One of the few cigars I've had lately that didn't leave me with an ashy taste afterwards. No nicotine kick (a good thing for me). I will definitely buy this one again.

My first Torano. I liked the construction and appearance of the cigar. The box press was nice and the veins were thin. It was very well constructed creating an easy draw with a lot of smoke. The smoke was creamy and enjoyable. The first quarter of the cigar had a bit too much pepper for me, but that soon ended and mellowed into a nice bitter chocolate taste. Continuing on taste, the taste was like nothing i've ever smoked. I've smoked a few hundred cigars and I can't recollect one that had the same taste as this one. I know that others have compared it to the RP 1992, but i've smoked a '92 and I don't remember it tasting quite the same. I will have to revisit it. The finish was fairly long, lasting about the last third of the stick. Once I hit the last quarter, the cigar got a little to much tar for my taste. All in all it was a good smoke for the price. I got it in a sampler, and it has been aging for about 6 months. I have 1 more left, so maybe in another 6 months i'll give that one a go.

Appearance: nice box press, dark wrapper, well constructed. Taste: 1st third was peppery, leathery and smooth. Medium/full smoke. Not bad, but didn't blow me away. 2nd third: stayed the same, leathery smooth and woodsy/cedar. Last third: Stronger leather, slightly harsher. Burn was good, needed touching up once. Overall, the flavor wasn't a total hit with me and I prefer the RP 1992 over this for a similar price, and better taste profile (if you like med/full and leathery that is). Not bad to have around, but not a go to stick for me.

Gold Exodus 1959
Wrapper: Honduras
Appearance: Dark wrapper, nicely box pressed. No veins. Generally nice looking. Looks like darker version of Nepalese Warrior from Gurkha. Same size as that also.
Prelight: Medium easiness to light, smelled sweet
Context: Aged in 1 month in humidor at 65% RH
First third: Tasted medium strong on first few draws. Peppery, leathery, also smooth. A few draws through the 1st third, it really reminded me of the Rocky Patel 1992 Vintage
2nd Third: Became mild during first few draws then stayed consistent. Leathery smooth. Tastes of wood/cedar also.
Last Third: I was hoping it wouldn't go harsh, but it got more bitter. More so than I liked. Became a harsh leather. A littler more pepper, but drowned out by the harsher leather taste.
Drink: Tawny Port. This never overpowered the cigar and was a good match for the taste.
Burn: Burned somewhat uneven during 1st third. One piece of the edge hung on for a while but after that it was quite even.
Overall: Appearance: 8/10; Taste 7/10; Burn 7/10; Value 7/10 (paid $3 on CBID
Recommendation: If you like medium/strong then this might be a good bet. I'd recommend the RP 1992 over this though, so therefore don't pay more than the RP 1992. If you like leathery tastes this could be for you.

Overall Rating: 7.75/10. Not my favorite, but worth another try (got a few more in my humidor anyway!)

I enjoyed the double corona more than I enjoyed this. I'm not a fan of box-pressed, and the flavor on this just wasn't as smooth as other 1959s that I've had. This had three months in the humi, but just wasn't up to snuff as to where they usually are. Still, a good cigar and a great bargain.

This is a beautiful cigar. I’m loving the box pressed gars. This one burned just fine, one of the better burning cigars I’ve smoked lately. When the flavor, which started out fine—bitter chocolate, coffee, leather—went just a bit over average I started looking for gopher holes on the hill. I could sit the gar down and leave it for minutes at a time and come back to the cigar, and all I had to do was follow the smoke trail back to it. It burned very well. Great ash. Nice cigar overall. I was expecting more in the flavor department, though.

Fires up easily, and goes right to work building a solid white ash that holds for two inches. This baby burned perfectly straight. It has an earthy somewhat tannic base, overtones of coffee, and an element of sweetness, as if a couple teaspoons of sugar were thrown into the coffee. And while we’re at it, some cream. This is definitely a smooth smoke. The finale was a dose of peppercorns zinging on my tongue. Cap this off with superb construction and a price point in the four dollar range, and you have one fine cigar.

The Exodus 1959 is a lovely cigar, actually the presentation is quite magnificent. The cigar is perfectly rolled in a gentle box press. The wrapper is extremely oily and a deep semi-sweet chocolate brown, veinless and with an appearance of thickness. The tastefully designed gold and black band with an embossed multi-colored shield only enhance the first-tier presentation of the 1959. The pre-light aroma is a sweet, somewhat barnyardy aroma. Upon lighting you get some pepper and burnt cocoa flavors, soon a bright sweetness emerges followed by a tasty and smooth spiceyness. Like the CAO Black this cigar offers a constantly emerging panapoly of complex flavors. It represents a truly fine medium to full flavor experience. The smoke is fragrant and the ash is light grey with black flecks and of medium firmness. There were some important flaws in this beauty however. It often burned unevenly and needed some help from the torch. It also went out twice but the re-light was easy without bad flavors. I have had the pleasure of enjoying a number of Exodus 1959 toros. I have also tried the tordepo and churchill sizes. They all seem to exibit the same pluses and minuses. Even with the faults mentioned I highly recommend the Exodus 1959 for its wonderful flavors and presentation.

Outstanding, but not overpowering! Sweet and chocolate flavors with just the right amount of tartness. The only flaw was that this baby didn't burn evenly and I had to re-light several times. I smoked this one while camping on the highest mountain in West Virginia. It was my second cigar of the evening. Usually the second cigar is not as tasty as the first, but this one was!

Velvetty soft w/ an oily sheen cigar lighted easily and burned perfectly. Very spicey w/ notes of caramel and chocolate.
Lots of smoke and worth every penny spent.

Great looking stick. A light maduro box press, a little on the veiny side with a couple of prominant veins. I didn't experience any of the burn issues described by some other reviewers. Pre-light draw was easy and sweet. Lots of spice upon lighting this cigar. Notes of bitter-sweet chocolate, a little leathery and a little bit of char. It sayed spicy through out, but the spice faded into the background a bit after the initial burst. The ash hung on for dear life. I ashed the cigar 3 times in the entire 6 inches. (I smoked about 5 inches). Tons of smoke.

Box-pressed, chocolate brown color, uniform, oily, no sized veins, medium to hard to the touch.
Medium draw, very light-grey ash.
Chocolate, middle-eastern spices, charcoal. Nothing too complex.
Uneven burn in the second half, needed correcting twice until it was uncorrectable. Newman!

Great looking, taste was good, but I have also had burn problems with this cigar, but in fairness the only two times I smoked one was golfing. Chocolately and spicey.

Aesthetically, a knockout...beautiful, dark box-press. Taste is also outstanding: full-bodied cigar filled with spicy and chocolate flavors. However, the construction on these is consistently poor. All have had a big tunnel right through the middle of the 'gar -- leading to a hot and uneven burn. Has the potential to be a classic.

What a great smoke!

With most all maddies i've had RH needs to be 65%, especialy on this smoke then the buen is excellent other wise it will burn uneven. Beautiful looking smoke dark and attractive. Flavors of chocolate and wood, slighly spicy, rich and creamy. Ummm ummm good!

i have tried this and the torpedo.they fall apart,go out easily and tunnel. after trying with a few of these cigars i feel that the burn is such that i will not bother again.

After trying a few of the other Torano's, I decided to give this one a shot. Not nearly as oily and as flavorful as the 1916's. Kind of dry and "smoky" tasting. Left a taste of ash in my throat which I could have done without. Didn't have any problems with the construction.

Smoked one of these and immediately fell in love with the rich chocolate taste!

The Toro great eye candy, the stunning aesthetics of the cigar itself. The wrapper looks like dark chocolate, simply gorgeous. After lighting, you immediately notice a creamy, slightly spicy, and almost chocolately note. The taste is medium to full-bodied and continues throught the smoke.

Pros: Nice apperance, good aroma, finished somewhat flavorful, easy draw.
Cons: Started very weak on flavor, burned uneven(had to touch up several times, very spongy feel.
I would smoke another if given to me but I would not purchase another. I have had much better.

The anticipation far exceeded the actual event. Great looking, like all the Toranos, but this cigar was tasteless. I was shocked. It really wasn't worth the time it took to smoke. Major bummer.

It's a little known fact that when Forest Gump said "life is like a box of chocolates," he was actually referring to these babies. This cigar smells just like a chocolate bar which makes choosing to smoke it or eat it quite difficult. But what the hey, I smoked it! Flavors of cocoa are present, but not as strong as the bouquet would lead you to believe. A great cigar, but in my opinion the Signature series is still better. Maybe I'll eat the next one.

I smoked one of these while rewiring the garage last weekend. Nice old style flavor with bursts of woodiness and spice. The construction and draw were excellent, and I like the way the rectangular press kept it on the sawhorse.

The torpedo, the double corona and the toro are very, very good cigars. These will be in my rotation as long as I can afford them.

Smooth cool easy draw from start to finish. Came in a sampler pack, if it wasnt for this cigar I would have asked for a refund.

Perfect for an "exodus" from the daily routine...
Nice shape, nice ash with a lovely draw and a gorgeous coffee-vanilla-coca powder flavour.
Elegant oily wrapper. A delightful cigar

A little bitter and too mild for me taste

This is my favorite of the Toraño line and one of the best cigars for the money that you will find.

By far my first choice.

A little disappointed because of all the hype for the 1959 exodus. I can honestly say I won't be buying anymore of these. I do enjoy the Selecta reserve much more!

if you like a creamy vanilla-like cigar, this is for you. if i remember correctly, an Astral TVS tastes simlar, but not as good. smells good to bystanders (a concern if your wife doesn't like cigars), but burns a little uneven. no earthy taste that i can remember. if they were cheaper, they'd be stockpiling in my humidor.