Today is a double-feature: the Thompson Empressario Natural Churchill & the Arturo Fuente Curlyhead. In short, these two smokes are a hit and miss combo. The Empressario is just a letdown dog rocket, while the Curlyhead *can* be an OK mild smoke, your experience however WILL vary stick to stick per the nature of the beast, being a scrap short filler cigar. Photography by BG Pictures.

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A large 7.2×49 stick that offered good promise from the start with a strong medium-full bodied leather flavor and great pepper zing, followed by a long pepper and spice finish. By the 2nd half it mellowed to medium losing the leather and most of the spice bringing a smooth nutty flavor. Unfortunately the remainder of the smoke was marred by a very bad burn requiring touch-ups and a relight, ruining the flavors by the band. Photography by BG Pictures.

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A medium-full bodied smoke with a rich, oily mouthfeel. Really nice nutty flavor with a touch of spice on the clean short finish. Minor burn issues that corrected themselves. Excellent blend of flavors that played off each other perfectly! Photography by BG Pictures.

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A mild-medium bodied 5×50 smoke with an overall flavor of dry, woody, earthy notes with a long finish. Draw is on the firm side but excellent. Almost perfect burn, long holding ash to about 2″. Photography by BG Pictures.

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A long mild-medium bodied smoke, 1 hour 45 min until it got hot at the band point. Rich creamy textured smoke from an easy draw on the loose side. Excellent burn producing a medium grey ash that held on for 1 1/2 inches. Flavors included nuts, coffee, leather, a touch of creme at points and a hint of pepper on the short finish. Available as a cosmetic factory second. Photography by BG Pictures.

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A medium-full bodied rich and smooth smoke. Overall flavor profile was nutty, slightly sweet with a hint of leather and mild pepper on the short finish. Long smoke, 1 1/2 hours. Excellent burn and draw. Photography by BG Pictures.

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Mild-medium bodied, with a light creamy textured smoke. Very loose draw, excellent burn. Overall flavors are nutty and woody with a touch of leather at points and a small pepper kick at the end of the short finish. Photography by BG Pictures.

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A medium bodied 6×52 smoke with an excellent draw and burn. Producing a rough woody first 3rd with a good pepper kick, moving to a much smoother nutty, woody and slightly caramel flavor for the last 1/2 with a touch of pepper on the short finish. 1 hour, around $2/stick. Photography by BG Pictures.

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Overall a medium bodied stick with a light volumous amount of smoke. Great draw, very good burn. First third was woody with a slight pepper kick on the end of the short clean finish. By the 1/2 way point it had a subtle leather flavor replacing the wood, and a touch of sweetness while the pepper and body subsided to mild-medium. The band point showed a slight toasty flavor with a hint of nuts replacing the leather and the pepper went away while the body went back to a medium. Photography by BG Pictures.

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