Don Kiki Green Label Torpedo

Reviews9 Comments on Don Kiki Green Label Torpedo

Don Kiki Green Label Torpedo

I’ve been eying these cigars ever since I brought them back from RTDA. Unlike the other ill-gotten gains I brought back from that trip, I didn’t get these cigars from the show. These guys were handed out by one of the generous people from the Cigar Live forum I met at a herf at an Irish pub my first night in town. I’d never heard of them before, and the guys were pretty enthusiastic about them. So right then and there I determined I’d hold off and give them a proper review at my first opportunity. That time is now, so let’s check it out.

Cigar Stats:
Size: 6 x 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoking Time: 1 1/2 hours
Beverage: Water
Price: $1.60+

The Pre-Smoke
The cigar’s bright green and gold band really stands out in the humidor. It calls out to be smoked. (Which is probably why I didn’t forget about them or where they came from.) In looking closer at the wrapper I found it to be a little veiny and lumpy, with kind of a worn look. Almost like a well worn leather jacked. With the sporty flourish of a name on the band, the cigar reminds me a little bit of a school varsity jacket.

I tested the firmness of the cigar and found it to be consistent, but a bit on the soft side. At the foot of one cigar there was a small triangular section missing from the wrapper. Otherwise the cigar had no visually apparent flaws.


Technically a flaw, but kinda cool looking

The scent of the wrapper was very light, slightly vegetal and sweet. At the foot it was a bit earthier. I got pretty much the same flavors in the cold taste. I took this as an indicator of what I had to look forward in the smoke: light and sweet.

The Burn
The burn was great in the first half of both cigars. Even, good volume of smoke and a sizable, solid, white 1 3/4 to 2 inch ash. The second half was a bit more problematic. The burn became uneven, the ash a bit crumbly, and the cigar made it clear to me that it was done smoking a lot earlier than I was. Of course, being generally stubborn and irrational, I don’t let the cigar tell me who’s boss when I’m doing a review.

One thing I didn’t have any trouble with was the draw. For me, draw problems weigh more heavily on my opinion of a smoke than an uneven burn. Though I have to say in the final third, it was an uphill battle to keep it lit, and as a result, the smoke was often a bit thin.

The Flavor
I was right in my suspicion that this would be a pretty light, sweet smoke. In the first third I got a lot of syrupy wood flavors, a little bit of coffee and some buttery creaminess. In the second third the sweetness took on a raisiny flavor and some tasty leather started to appear. In the final third the leather became more prominent, but the sweetness was still present. I also noticed the body picked up a bit in the final third. At it’s fullest point, it was around a medium body.

The Price
I’m not entirely sure of the price, as these were given to me, but I did a little snooping around the internet and saw them selling for around $40 for a bundle of 25. I intentionally did this review without checking on the price beforehand to see how these held up against other cigars. I’d say it did a pretty good job in the mild-to-medium body category.

The Verdict
I did enjoy the flavors in these cigars, but I think I would have preferred a fuller body. The lightness of the smoke left me wanting more and feeling a bit unsatisfied. However, I don’t think it’s a bad cigar, and I’m going to give it a pass on the burn issues. I’ll tell you why. It turns out the humidor I was keeping them in was running a little too high in terms of humidity. (Unfortunately I didn’t realize that until after I smoked them.) Based on the cigars’ proximity to the humidification unit, it makes a lot of sense that the second half would be so difficult to keep lit.

With user-error allowances made for the burn issues, at a price around $2 a smoke it’s hard to find any fault with them! As I mentioned earlier I smoked them without checking to price first, and would say they held up admirably against more expensive cigars. I’d say what we have here is a good candidate for a budget smoke!

Liked It: It was pretty good.
Buy It Again: I’ll keep it in mind.
Recommend It: Yes, for anyone looking for a lighter-bodied cigar with good flavor at a budget price.

The Tower of Burn
And here for your viewing pleasure, is the celebrated Tower of Burn.





DAILYDEALS_728x90
enjoying cigars since 1997

9 thoughts on “Don Kiki Green Label Torpedo

  1. Glad you liked the review Joe! I checked out some of the reviews on the Cuban Crafters website, and in spite of being a pretty mild cigar, it seems to be very enjoyed even by fuller bodied cigar smokers. Give it a shot!

  2. Hey Brian, if you liked these, then you simply HAVE to try the Brown label if you have not. The stogieguys.com did a review on them and I found their review to be pretty accurate. I mention these because you stated you like a more of a fuller bodied and thats what these are. Very delicious, smooth, leathery licorice with notes of sweet chocolate. Give’em a go once, and once again at around 2 bucks a stick.

  3. These are so cheap it’s difficult to fault them but they really are pretty bland compared to even other cheapo sticks.

    I have some more if you would like me to send you a couple from the Uk ?

    Good review as always though – thanks.

    ROY.R

  4. Thanks for the offer CreekEnd. These cigars aren’t for everyone, and they did strike be as being a bit on the light side. But it’s hard to beat the price! I’m going to keep my eye out for that fuller brown label, since it sounds like it’s just what the doctor ordered.

    Yeah paula_nurse_alturas, you do get some good flavor out of these cigars, but generally not a very even burn. Still worth smoking, though!

  5. I’ll give it a 2 of out 10. No complaints as I cant really fault a cheap cigar. You get what you pay for.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back To Top