Argyle Dark Corojo Staff Review
Fall is one of my favorite seasons, especially when I get an evening to kick back in front of the bonfire with a bourbon and a good cigar like the Argyle Dark Corojo I’m about to fire up in a 6-by-54 Toro Grande. Argyle cigars are handmade in the Dominican Republic by highly skilled artisans in a small factory renowned for cranking out some of the best cigars you can buy for the money. Argyle is an excellent brand to consider when you’re looking to buy cigars to share with your buddies because they start around eighty bucks for a 20-count box when they’re on sale.
Argyle Corojo is blended from well-aged Dominican and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos finished in a dark and oily Corojo wrapper leaf. When I slide a Toro Grande from a fresh box, the cigar’s reddish-brown sheen gives off a noticeable aroma of leather and cayenne pepper. Corojo is a seed varietal that originated in Cuba, but it’s grown in many countries today, including Nicaragua and Honduras. Argyle Dark Corojo cigars are dressed in two cigar bands, one at the top and another at the foot.
I’m always impressed by the consistency of these cigars. Every cigar in the row has been expertly color-sorted to reflect a uniform appearance. And the cap is meticulously applied. When I slice through it with my Jetline Judge V-Cutter, deep notes of mesquite, earth, and spice come through in the cold draw. The airflow is marvelous, and I’m ready to toast the foot.
Corojo wrappers are known for being spicy, and Argyle Dark Corojo is no exception. It’s not as intense as other spicy cigars I’ve smoked from La Flor Dominicana and My Father, but the Dark Corojo will cause your nose hairs to stand at attention in the first few retrohales. The cigar comes to life with lots of leather and wood once its zestier tendencies calm down. Hints of coffee bean and malted chocolate surface in the aftertaste of each draw after fifteen minutes of smoking.
The Toro Grande fills the air with big clouds of smoke that mingle perfectly with the campfire aroma pouring from my backyard firepit. After twenty-five minutes, I’m well into the second half of the cigar which has shifted into a rich and hearty profile of hickory and walnut with an underlying note of red pepper and some peat. A solid white ash grows as the cigar progresses. I can tell an experienced roller assembled this cigar because the ash stays intact until I’m ready to tap it off.
You can easily smoke the Toro Grande for over an hour. I recommend sipping a Bulleit Bourbon with Argyle Dark Corojo because it’s a straightforward spirit with hints of caramel and butterscotch that balance out the peppery taste of the cigar. Once the band is off and I’m powering through the nub, a big expression of wood, cocoa, and spice layers my palate. Overall, Dark Corojo is a medium-bodied cigar. The finish lingers a bit in the final draws, but it isn’t bitter or acidic. It stays smooth the whole way. The last few draws are creamy and full of oak and coffee bean notes before the Toro Grande gently expires in my Argyle ashtray, which is perfect for smoking outside because it’s made of a heavy-duty melamine plastic that won’t break if it gets knocked over.
At the end of the day, Argyle Dark Corojo gets my stamp of approval with a 93-point score. The cigar’s flavor, aroma, and performance met or exceeded my expectations because I’ve smoked cigars for twice the price that don’t even compare. Add a few Dark Corojo cigars to your next order and let me know what you think. If you’re new to Argyle, explore this blend in our ‘Micro Batch’ Monster Deal which also comes with the brand’s popular Banquet Selection, Conundrum, and White Glove cigars.