Pairing Review of Casa Torano Cigar and Decadencia Port

Sometimes we like to pair a cigar with a matching libation and review the entire smoking and drinking experience. The cigar now being reviewed is the Carlos Torano Casa Torano Robusto, which measures 4 3/4 inches in length with a ring gauge of 52. The cigar is made with a mixture of Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, plus a special family blend of Central and South American tobaccos, all inside an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed wrapper. The drink selected to accompany the cigar is actually the same chocolate port that inspired the Toranos to create their Reserva Decadencia flavored cigar. Although we may talk about artificially flavored cigars on this website, we do not review them because they are not comparable to natural cigars made only with 100% tobacco. Anyway, Decadencia is the award-winning chocolate port made by Wilson Creek in the Cucamonga Valley of California.

The Casa Torano Robusto is a mild-to-medium cigar that is packed with flavor. This cigar is mild enough for a beginner, but has a complex flavor that will satisfy most seasoned smokers, also. The taste was rich and smooth, and very enjoyable all the way down to the last two inches of the cigar. This was not really a spicy cigar, but I did detect just a hint of spice, plus some other subtle flavors that were hard to identify. The flavor is unique because the cigar is made with a blend of some special filler tobaccos that the maker will not specifically reveal.

Since I like port, and I also like chocolate, I just had to try this Decadencia Port which the Toranos enjoy so much. I was hoping that the synergy created by combining two great flavors would result in a beverage that tasted greater than merely the sum of its ingredients. However, I have to say that I was disappointed by the Decadencia Port, especially when consumed at room temperature. When chilled, the drink became more enjoyable, but still not what I expected. But the good news is that when combined with the Casa Torano cigar, the overall smoking and drinking experience was one of the best cigar and libation pairings that I have done so far. Only the pairing of a Tusker cigar with Amarula was comparable to my level of enjoyment.

The Casa Torano Robusto cigar was expertly constructed, had an easy draw, an even burn, and did not require any relights or even a touch-up light. The cigar lasted for about 45 minutes, and there were not any issues with its construction to prevent the maximum enjoyment of this very fine cigar.

A box of 25 Robustos costs about $85, which averages out to only $3.40 per cigar. As usual, expect to pay more for a single stick. This is a very good value for a great tasting quality cigar that beginners will enjoy, as well as more seasoned smokers. I enjoyed this cigar so much that it is now on my list of top cigars for beginners. And again, seasoned smokers will also enjoy the Casa Torano, which will go very well with a morning cup of coffee. It is also a great companion to Decadencia Port, which I only recommend to accompany a cigar. As a stand alone dessert beverage, you can certainly find better values than Decadencia at $30-$40 per 500ml bottle.

For one example, a dessert wine that I can strongly recommend (at about half the price of Decadencia) is Bogle v2005 Clarksburg Petit Sirah Port. It not only makes a great companion to accompany a cigar, but it is also a great stand alone drink, with more subtle hints of chocolate, blackberry, and raspberry. In my opinion, the chocolate flavor in the Bogle compliments and enhances the taste of the port, instead of competing with it.