This will be a short review to inaugurate a new category: bargain or budget cigars. Normally these are going to be bundled cigars that sell for less than two USD. In most cases they will not require much attention to subtleties, because they will have none and aren't expected to. They're not going to get points for bouquet or an even burn — if they draw well and don't taste like crap, they'll get a passing grade.
This is a Rolando Reyes long filler second, or at least I assume it's a second… or why else would it sell for a buck? Supposedly they are the "old" Honduran variety, as opposed to a Dominican variety that was farmed out to Emilio Reyes, or the newer version made in Nicaragua for Cuban Crafters. At this price, (about a buck a stick) I really don't care if they were made in La Habana or in Detroit. There is only one question for cigars of this caliber: Do they suck?
In this case, they don't. They're fine yard gars. The Number Twos are long coronas, and smoke fine up to about the half way point, which coincidentally is about when I run out of time during a week as busy as this one has been. They taste fairly similar to the standard Puros Indios, nutty with a little sweetness, up to that half-way point when they turn a little rancid. They're about on the same level as "Rolys" from the same company; perhaps a mite better even.
A good draw, an even burn, and they don't taste like crap, at least for the first half. Bargain Smoke Grade: PASS.
Agreed. The much-maligned Pirate’s Gold is a perfectly sound cigar. With some age in the humidor they are quite good, in fact. They will not be winning any prizes for anything except the wonderful bands, however, they are not too bad at all.
The Pirate is a personal favorite of mine. The price is excellent and the deals you can find on these guys therefore are plentiful. It is a good one to keep for company (dropping the “Reyes” name is a good in) but be sure to keep some for yourself.
Best cigar value for the money. I love a full bodied cigar and even though this isn’t full bodied, this cigar pleases me because of its complexity and consistancy and taste. You won’t find a better cigar for the money and it ranks as good as any $7 cigar I have smoked.