Buenaventura Picadores 650 Toro (Bundle of 10 Cigars)

• Length: 152mm
• Gauge: 50
• Strength: Medium
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan

Buenaventura Picadores Toro – Bundle of 10 Cigars

There's a good deal to be said for a cigar that puts its money into tobacco rather than an elaborate wooden box. The Buenaventura Picadores Toro arrives in a straightforward bundle of ten, and beneath those traditional brown and gold bands lies a rather interesting combination of tobaccos.

The first thing worth examining is the wrapper. It's a dark Habano leaf grown in Jalapa, Nicaragua, a region well regarded for producing tobacco with rich flavour and aromatic complexity. Jalapa's growing conditions contribute to the distinctive character of its leaf, and here the wrapper brings a pleasant spiciness to an earthy, coffee-led profile.

Inside is a mixed filler, a traditional approach to cigar construction that makes use of different lengths of tobacco leaf. It's a method with a long history, particularly among cigars intended to offer an accessible alternative to more expensive long-filler varieties.

Mixed filler sometimes gets an unfair reputation. There's an enormous difference between carefully selected tobacco pieces and whatever happens to be left on the rolling table at the end of the afternoon. The quality of the leaf and the skill of the maker still matter considerably.

The Picadores Toro measures six inches by 50 ring gauge, giving it the familiar proportions of a classic Toro. Its dark brown wrapper and simple gold-and-brown band lend it a traditional appearance, while the individual cellophane sleeves help protect each cigar during handling.

In terms of flavour, the combination of spice, earth and coffee is particularly appealing. The Habano wrapper provides some liveliness, while the deeper earthy and roasted-coffee characteristics give the blend its foundation. It's a flavour profile that has become closely associated with Nicaraguan cigar tobacco.

The bundle contains ten individually wrapped cigars, making it a convenient format for keeping several of the same blend in the humidor. There's no elaborate cabinet to find room for, either, which is useful when the shelves are already becoming rather crowded.

I rather like the thinking behind these. A handsome dark wrapper, an interesting blend and a sensible bundle format. The Picadores concentrates on the things that matter once the cigar is lit.

And while an expensive presentation box can certainly look magnificent on the counter, I've yet to encounter a cigar that tasted better because its packaging had brass hinges.