An old Cuban tobacco-growing family, the Toraño clan of today continues the age-old cigar-making tradition that flows through their veins.  And we, the cigar connoisseurs of the world, are fortunate to have them in the industry.  (Note: because of the tilde over the "n," the name "Toraño" is pronounced "to-RON-yo.")

My local tobacconist used to carry Toraño cigars, but a few years ago, for some unknown reason, they were no longer available there.  In fact, I couldn't find them anywhere.  I worried that the Toraño family was just another casualty of the 1990's cigar boom now gone bust.  But happily, a few months ago the owner announced to me that my Toraños were back -- and better than ever!  I was pleased.  I purchased three of the new line -- the Exodus 1959 -- smoked two right away, and laid the third down in my humidor to age a bit.  And last night, at Scotty Boy's urging, I lit that third one up.

The Exodus 1959 line commemorates the Toraño family's "exodus" or departure from the island of Cuba after the revolution of that year, together with so many other expert tobacco growers and makers.  As the tobacco farms and factories were nationalized, many families (including that of Carlos Toraño) escaped to the United States, most to the Miami area.  The Exodus 1959 line of cigars does more than commemorate the event; in my opinion, it goes a long way toward recovering the strength, flavor, appearance, quality, workmanship, and overall experience of those old Battista-era Cuban cigars.

The vitola I selected was the torpedo, a hefty 6.5 x 54 Cuban-pressed (i.e., semi-round) figurado with the look of days gone by.  It was a dark cigar, very, very oily, and had the smoothest and silkiest wrapper I'd seen in a while.  The shape was more rectangular than square.  The end was formed into a nice torpedo shape with a neat cap.  The stick had a lightish feel in the hand.  The overall impression was one of careful attention to detail, smooth construction, and quality.

The lightup was particularly intense.  Powerful bursts of wood and toast flavors dominated the initial experience.  This cigar was full-bodied right from the start, despite its large ring gauge (smaller ring gauges, in my experience, are stronger sooner).  The draw was on the light side of normal.

Two words could not describe this cigar: it was neither smooth nor creamy.  No, just the opposite -- in a good way, a very good way.  Amidst all that power I tasted ripe, sun-grown tobacco flavors.  Bold, vibrant and invigorating, this smoke definitely commanded one's attention.  My wife was enjoying the aroma, but paradoxically, to her it seemed "light."

This cigar could be likened to the trombone section in one of Mahler's more aggressive symphonic passages, expertly performed at a strong but not blaring fortissimo.  At fifteen minutes it was smoothing out; to continue the analogy the trombonists were still playing forte but the French horns had joined in, increasing the complexity a bit.  Consequently, my wife remarked that the aroma had "shifted;" it was now spicy, warm.  To me, the flavor could have been described in the same way.  And the draw was now perfect.

The construction was impeccable; the stick was burning perfectly.  I liked the feel of the rectangular cigar in my hand; there is something old-fashioned about it, almost nostalgic.  I had noted that this smoke was unusually slow-burning; I removed the first 1-1/2" of ash at half an hour.

The second third began as bold and hefty as before, but added flavor notes of peat and cedar served to make the cigar even more enjoyable.  At the halfway point the smoke remained remarkably consistent: bold, powerful, flavorful.  And at one hour I was enjoying the somewhat more complex, forte arpeggios, intricate passages executed flawlessly.  I removed a second inch and a half of chiseled gray ash.

At an hour and twenty minutes the stick had entered its last third.  Becoming increasingly powerful, the smoke was still enjoyable, but was beginning to be "on the edge."  Yet I continued to savor every puff.  After an hour and 45 minutes the cigar finally ended its life as a knuckle-burner, a mere 3/4" stub of its former self.  It had burned perfectly to the end, and the nicotine never became objectionable.

In my opinion the Toraño family has succeeded in recreating the bold (but not harsh), no-nonsense (but still invigorating), authoritative cigars that their family helped to produce before their untimely departure from Cuba in 1959.  For the brave connoisseur who is looking for reasonable cost, undeniable strength, good flavor, and knuckle-burning lasting power, I will go on the record to say that the Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959 Torpedo is highly recommended.