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Cheap Stick Shootout 5: Oro Cubano Churchill vs. Famous Dominican 4000 Churchill

This is a showdown between two very similar sticks, the Oro Cubano Toro featuring a dark brown splotchy wrapper with imperfections, stretch marks, a lumpy appearance, lifting seams, sloppy cap extremely light pack and mild tobacco aroma. Likewise the Famous Dominican Selection 4000 Churchill has flawed construction but has a red hue and slightly lighter shade. Starting with the Oro, first light reveals: a good draw with minimal smoke output showing mild-medium flavors of a sweet raw tobacco taste and short finish. The first third drops the sweetness just going to a smooth mild plain tobacco, the ash only holding for 1/2 inch at a time. 25 minutes in at the 1/2 way point – surprise – no changes! I ended this one at 40 minutes where the last couple inches got very hot an d soggy, leaving a nasty dirty ashtray lingering aftertaste.

The Famous Dominican 4000 Toro starts off with a good draw with plentiful smoke output showing medium-full body flavors of a smooth bitter grass and a finish of the same plus a bit of cinnamon. Performing much like the first contender, this goes to a mild-medium tobacco body but retains a bit more sweetness with the faint cinnamon hanging around on the longer finish. The 2nd third has quite a wok burn while flavors drop the bit of spice leaving the sweetness to a deep caramel, pushing the body to a solid medium. Ending at 40 minutes where it completely went out with 1.5″ remaining, the only change to the last third was the strength ramping up a bit matching the body at medium.

Thank you to viewer Steve Christopher for sending in the Oro! I apologize in advance, I lost the note from the bag the Famous was in – sender, please shoot me your name so I can add it in!