• Cigar Reviewed: Cuba Aliados by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Torpedo
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Vitola: Torpedo
• MSRP: $14.75 (Box of 20, $295)
• Release Date: July 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: 15,000 Boxes of 20 Cigars (300,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

From the rough and mottled reddish brown wrapper that looks like it was dipped in oil to the band featuring gold and red foil highlights, there is a lot to love about the Cuba Aliados by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Torpedo from a visual perspective. There are multiple overt veins running up and down the length of each cigar, and I can’t help but notice a large soft spot on one that is located just above the foot band. Aromas of creamy oak, leather, fresh brewed coffee, tobacco, earth and sweet bread emanate from the wrapper, along with a small amount of citrus peel. The foot smells like sweet almonds, earth, hay, barnyard, bitter chocolate and leather. Finally, after a Dickman cut the cold draw brings flavors of more almonds, earth, graham crackers, allspice, black pepper, leather tack and a slight vegetal note.

Distinct leather and earth flavors are the first things to greet me just after lighting up the foot of the Cuba Aliados, along with some very slight spice on my tongue that begins to dissipate almost immediately. After about five puffs, a cedar flavor joins the earth note and both take over the top spots in the profile, followed by cinnamon, leather tack, almonds, cocoa nibs and light citrus peel. On the retrohale, black pepper combines with a nice vanilla bean sweetness, although there is definitely more of the former than the latter at this point. Flavor ends the first third at a point just under medium, while the body and strength are both at mild-plus but increasing. In terms of construction, all three cigars feature plenty of thick, gray smoke and excellent draws, and while two of the three have no issues with the burn, one cigar runs into trouble early on that necessitates a couple of quick corrections.