Quite possibly the single most popular review on the Stogie Review website is Jerry’s notorious Equus Limited Ligero video review from a about a year an a half ago. (If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out now, it’ll help set the stage for this review.) To say Jerry didn’t care for the cigar is putting the case mildly. Ever since then, I’ve been saying that I’d follow his review up with one of my own, if for no other reason than to see if any cigar could be that bad! And now that my review schedule has cleared up a bit, I’m making good on that promise.

I should mention that the cigars for this review were generously provided by my friend Troy (aka boomerd35 on CigarLive). When he gave them to me, he told me he actually thought they were a pretty good smoke. And that just made the Equus more enticing. Heck, they might even turn out to be great smoke, or maybe they’d be the worst cigar ever. Clearly there’s no real consensus when it comes to the Equus.

When it comes to details about this cigar, there aren’t many that I can find. All I really know is that they’re sold by Atlantic Cigar, and according to Troy, they’re actually very popular. Even with Jerry’s review! So will my Equus experience be as poignant as Jerry’s? Let’s find out.

Cigar Stats:
Size: 6 x 60
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Cuban Seed Dominican Olor Ligero
Filler: Nicaraguan, Two types of Dominican Ligero
Smoking Time: 2 1/2 hours
Beverage: Water
Price: ~$3.50

The Pre-Smoke
It’s probably the color of the band, but every time I saw these smokes in my humidor, I kept wondering where I got the ACID cigars, and why I put them in with the rest of my smokes. And then I see the rustic cedar sheath the cigar is dressed in, I remember what I’m looking at. It must be the band. Overall, it’s a pretty good looking cigar. With the cedar off (I love that it isn’t glued or taped together), the cigar is smooth, a little oily, and covered with very fine veins. Of the two smoked for this review, the only flaw I found was a small wrapper rip near the foot of one cigar.

I noticed the wrapper scent was milder in the portion of the cigar that was covered by the cedar, but generally, it was a pungent, tangy compost scent. The scent was even more potent at the foot. If smell is any indicator, this just may turn out to be a great smoke!

After popping off the cap with my new toy, the Xikar Xi 744 cigar pocket knife, I noted that the tanginess of the wrapper aroma was also present in the cold taste. As was sweet chocolate.

The Burn
I have to give the Equus credit in the burn department. Aside from a jagged, slightly irregular burn toward the end of the cigar (and a relight or two), the cigar burned like a champ. The big eye grabber was the huge, 2 inch plus column of light colored ash that the cigar produced. The ash was solid enough that when it dropped off the end of the second cigar, the ash stood upright. The construction didn’t come at the expense of the draw, which was great.

The Flavor
The cigar started off with a smooth lightly sweet fruity flavor that took on some earthiness and coffee as the burn progressed. I definitely got that “dirty pear” flavor I associate with Cameroon. It wasn’t too far into the first third that I started tasting chocolate that sometimes kind of tasted like a Whopper malted milk ball.

Shortly after the second third began I started tasting some sweet cedar that went nicely with the chocolate and malty flavors that carried over from the first third. Though the sweet fruity flavor was gone at this point, it did reappear toward the end of the the third. In one cigar, I did get an unpleasant burnt flavor for a while in this third.

In the final third, I started to get some prominent leather, a bit of earth, but interestingly the fruitiness carried over.

The Price
I had to guesstimate the price on these, as this particular vitola is sold out and the price isn’t listed for this specific smoke. But the rest of the prices are. Even if I’m off by half a buck, it’s hard to complain about a cigar of this size for four bucks. Well, provided you enjoy the cigar!

The Verdict
The first of these I smoked I thought was OK, but the unpleasant burnt flavor I got in the second third gave me some pause. The second really hit me at just the right time, because I kept thinking how much the cigar was just hitting the spot. Honestly, I’m surprised, I really enjoyed the cigar. As a one who generally enjoys Cameroon leaf, I shouldn’t be, but these are special circumstances. And I think if anyone who has been curious about this cigar should give it a shot.

So as much as I hate to disagree with the Grand Torpedo, I’m going to have to side with Troy on this one. I don’t think Jerry’s crazy, though. (Crazy charismatic, maybe.) Had that nasty burnt flavor been a more significant portion of the cigar, my opinion would have been considerably different. I suspect it was in the Equus Jerry smoked.

Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: I just might
Recommend It: Yes

Tower of Burn
Here for your viewing pleasure is my trademark Tower of Burn.