I was cleaning out my humidor and ran across a smoke that was buried in my humidor. It's called Empresario by Thompson Cigars. It's a low budget smoke costing less than two bucks a stick. The Empresario must have been in my humidor for well over three years, since I can't remember when the last time I ordered from them. After cleaning out my humidor, I fired up the Empresario Connecticut.

The Empresario Connecticut corona measures 6 x 44. They come in a bundle of 25 for just $47. The Empresario is a blend of short fillers from the Dominican Republic and finished with a Connecticut wrapper. I was not expecting much out of this low-budget smoke, but to my surprise it was a decent experience. It fired up easily and maintained an even burn that required no relighting. The construction was firm with a tight draw. It held a two-inch ash before it fell into the ashtray. Further, the taste was very pleasant with hints of buttery almond and cedar. This medium-bodied smoke surprised the heck out of me! However, towards the nub I did eat some short filler. This was not a surprise and the stick held together pretty good. I still have a couple left in my humidor and look forward to smoking these this summer.

MonkeyDan Rating: 85