At $11.00 for a box of 10, these have to be one of the best bargains in small cigars today. Packaged in a neat white cardboard box emblazoned with the Ashton logo in black and gold, I was surprised to find these small cigars (3.5″ x 30 ring) to be unbanded, pre-cut and rather rough-looking. The text on the inside cover of the box was also printed upside-down, which didn’t help allay the overall impression of shoddy workmanship which this pack exuded.

However, upon popping one of these guys into my mouth, I found a perfect draw and a pleasing, faint aroma of leathery tobacco. The Señorita takes easily to the flame and produces a lot of white smoke. The overall taste profile is medium-bodied with sweet and creamy flavors dominating up front and some refined leather building as the cigar burns down. Occasional hints of cocoa or coffee come and go but remain little more than faint background notes.

The burn on these little guys is pretty good and problems were always self-correcting, though the ash is ugly and unstable. Overall, however, this is not a bad cigar: the flavor is good enough to smoke on a day-to-day basis, though it’s nothing award-winning. In summary, good size, good taste, good value. 3.5 / 5

The only problem with the C.A.O. Brazilia Minis, which I really enjoyed when I reviewed them last summer, is that they are increasingly hard to find. My B&M no longer carries them and I can’t find mention of them in a cursory search online. Luckily, however, the Nobel Petites seem to be available everywhere. I read about them in a Cigar Aficionado piece a while back, then last year I spied a box at Peretti’s in Boston. They’ve been behind the counter at any number of shops I’ve stopped at in the interim, but for some reason I’d never bought them until a couple weeks ago. When I saw a 20-pack of these ubiquitous cigarillos on sale for $10 at a local cigar bar, I decided to right a wrong and give them a try. I was not disappointed.

Rough-looking but toothy, these smokes have a heady pre-light aroma of pepper. On firing them up, however, the Nobel Petite Brasil is less reminiscent of a Pepín García spice-monster than it is a Padrón maduro: woody, earthy and pungent. If smoked slowly, these cigars retain their balance and leathery notes mix pleasantly with creamier tones to create a rich whole. An excellent accompaniment for a cup of coffee, these small cigars do fine outside the humidor. Even after a couple weeks’ rest on my shelf, they’re as full-bodied as ever.

I actually wonder if the Brazilia Minis were just a re-branding of these smokes. The Nobels are imported by C.A.O. and in every respect bear a striking resemblance to the Brazilia cigarillos. I for one, am happy they do. 5 / 5

Not to be confused with the Cariocas (which are about 4×40 – by my estimate – and come in tins of 5), the C.A.O. Brazilia Minis are cigarette-sized, come in packs of 20 and are, like the larger vitolas in the Brazilia line, a full-flavored treat. Unlike many cigarillos which don’t produce the rich taste many cigar smokers are after, the Brazilias pack a pretty big punch and are not overwhelmed by a strong drink – an aspect I find particularly appealing.

Wrapped in a toothy, thick, rosy wrapper resembling that of their larger cousins, these cigarillos are a bit rough in appearance but alluring nonetheless. The aroma of a freshly-opened pack is also wonderful: earthy and pungent tobacco. Upon lighting, the first few puffs smack of chocolate but never cloy: the sweeter notes are balanced by leather, earth and cedar. Through the heart of the 12-minute smoke, the taste is a hearty blend of these flavors with the occasional addition of a floral note or a whiff of dried fruit. As the cigarillo closes out, spicy cedar tends to dominate. Don’t smoke these too fast: the spice will overpower the nuances which linger all the way down to the nub.

Add to these flavors a white ash which is surprisingly solid and a “real cigar” aroma, and you’ve got a winner. I wish more cigarillos were as full-bodied as the Brazilia Minis, but whether or not other brands follow C.A.O.’s lead in the future, these small cigars will remain one of my reliable favorites. 5 / 5

Blonde in color, these cigarillos appear to be made of homogenized wrapper leaf due to their seamless look. While I have a knee-jerk aversion to the mass-produced feeling which such a construction instills in a cigarillo, the truth is that these cigars are no more commercial than their rougher-looking natural-wrapper counterparts. And as it turns out, whatever the manufacturing process for the Café Crème Arômes, it seems to be working pretty well. These are a pretty darn good smoke and are among the most consistent small cigars I know.

Upon opening the tin (I got a 5-pack for about $3.50), I was met with a strong scent of aromatic tobacco, not unlike a sweet pipe blend. Upon lighting and taking the first draw, the cigar tastes quite sweet, with caramelized sugars and a buttery texture overpowering any nuance. However, after the first couple of puffs, the flavor mellows out to a smooth combination of sugar and some floral notes with whisps of earthy tobacco underneath. As the 15-minute smoke wraps up, the flavor shifts away from sugars and into the realm of toasted tobacco.

In all, I was very pleasantly surprised by the assertive yet attractive flavor of these cigars. The Arômes pair well with coffee because they provide a sweet counterpoint to the drink’s darker flavors. If you’re looking for an interesting sweet smoke, you should definitely think about picking up a pack of these treats from Café Crème. 4 / 5.

The Zino Red Mini Cigarillos come in a very attractive ruby cardboard box filled with 20 small cigars. According to the New York City Davidoff Shop website, these cigarillos come with a Brazilian wrapper, a binder from Java and a filler of Brazilian and Javanese tobaccos along with French Burley. My guess is that it is the burley which lends these cigars their distinctive pre-light aroma of hay. Whatever it is, these Zinos start off with an unusual and pleasant mild note.

Upon lighting, the cigarillo has a sweet, mild flavor consisting mostly of hay, but which builds with the addition of vanilla and hints of wood. Due to their mild profile, these smokes wouldn’t lend themselves to being paired with a strong drink, though a smooth scotch or a cup of tea might work out well. Overall, a quality quick smoke for those who like a mild cigarillo. 3.5 / 5

The decision to start a new blog dedicated solely to cigarillos was a long time in coming. For the last year or so, I have been posting off-and-on to my other cigar blog, Coffee & Cigars. Recently, however, I find myself smoking more and more small cigars and wanting to review them. These reviews, however, have felt a bit out of place among the many full-size cigar review sites. I decided they needed a home of their own. Hence CIGARILLO was born. In order to kick off this new site, I’ve pulled together the links to some of my old cigarillo-related posts from Coffee & Cigars. Enjoy!

• Cigarillo Review: Agio Mehari’s Brasil
• Storing Dry-Cured Cigars
• Cigarillo Review: Three Cigarillos (The Griffin’s Griffiños, Davidoff Mini Cigarillos, C.A.O. Brazilia Minis)