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

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