For the Casual Fan or the Aficionado: Onyx Cigars

Onyx Cigars are among the prettiest on the market. The dark maduro wrappers shine without the Sun, and the bands gold lettering surrounded by black screams aristocracy. It would not be hard to imagine these sitting in Donald Trump's boardroom, if it only wasn't for the consistency concerns that this company seems to have. Hand made in the Dominican Republic, and sold for a price of $5.00 a stick, this cigar looks like an expensive cigar. However, due to its lack of aging of tobaccos, it does not always add up to being a great value.

Whenever these cigars are without substandard green tobacco, it is a pleasurable smoke, that will leave you interested in having another. The maduro wrappers are sweet, and these medium to full bodied cigars offer incredible smoke volume. It is like having a fine cup of dark roast African coffee, and finishing it off with a luscious Swiss chocolate bar, for an ultimate culinary experience. The first puffs are harsh, but it becomes smooth and refined within a couple of minutes, and becomes quite mellow at the halfway point. The flavor will tickle your taste buds, and many cigar smokers rate this brand highly. I wish I could rate it higher, but the lack of consistency creates some substandard cigars. About 25% of their cigars fail to meet my expectations, as the tobacco used was rolled before it was properly aged. Green tobacco creates a harsh, unacceptable flavor, that leaves an aftertaste which can hang on for hours after smoking. Due to this lack of uniformity, it affects their overall rating.

Construction is outstanding. The people who roll these stogies always do an excellent job, as they will not fall apart during smoking, and allow for puffs without too much effort. Lighting is a breeze, and the band can easily be taken off anytime. A simple guillotine cut is recommended with this cigar, as it will guarantee the high rate of smoke volume. It can take some chewing due to its strong build quality, and do not worry about giving it a decent "pinch test" to verify its standards of freshness.