Back in June, I received a few samples of a new cigar called the ORTSAC 1962 (Castro spelled backwards). The cigars were sent my way by Victor Vitale of the Cigar Agency and he asked that I smoke them and give him my opinion. After smoking a few samples, I moved right along and reviewed them here on Stogie Review.
Those initial samples were good solid cigars, but they were entirely too consistent for my taste. In that review I made mention than I might just find the cigar more appealing if it were available in a smaller vitola, a corona perhaps.
A few weeks ago I got a couple of more samples in the mail from Victor for another go-around. This time I had a new size, a Robusto, to try. While the cigar may be smaller, I still found it too consistent for my taste. Just as before, the cigars smoked beautifully and were excellent in terms of burning characteristics and construction.
With the level of consistency in these cigars, I still hold the same opinion that this might be more up my alley if they were available in a corona, or even a lanecro, variety. The fifty-ish ring gauge makes for a long smoking cigar that doesn’t veer enough from the flavor path to keep my attention. If you prefer a cigar with little change from start to finish, you might find this one to be a winner.
nice review!
You just cant sugar coat a cigar if it is not up to your flavor profile! I want to try some of these just because they are in the mild-medium range to see if maybe they might be good for a smoke when I dont have the time to pay as much attention to the cigar as I would a nice Illusione or something.
I think the CAO La Traviata has really set the bar higher for lower cost smokes and with this being in the $5-$7 range, I doubt it will hold up compared to that smoke, but it is worth a shot I think.
Mike
Now a days pricing is being made more prevelant due to the economy and people just cutting back. Maybe if they would put these in a bundle for $2-$3 a piece it might attract more attention..??
I smoked the Ortsac on the golf course a while back and I really really liked it. The price point was also impressive. Thanks for the review Walt!
Nice to see a video review back up! Keep them coming. Defiantly sounds like a boring cigar to me.
I’ve smoked a few of these, and you are right that the flavor profile is very basic and does not change at all. My local cigar shop (2 guys smoke shop – salem nh) has really pushed this cigar since the day it came out and they fly off the shelves there. The store also does a yearly cigar of the year, and has this cigar nominated for the 2009 winner with about 5 other cigars. If it wins, I won’t understand why, but the price point is fabulous.
I have smoked the Ortsac several times. Sometimes, I agree with the review above, other times I thoroughly enjoy them…depends on my mood. I smoke several cigars a day, so this is one of the earlier cigars. It is a medium body cigar at a good price point. It is a great golf cigar as it stays lit while you leave to take your shot. If you ever see the corona size, grab it. I got a chance to smoke one of the pre-release samples. It is great!!!
Let me tell you why I love this smoke. I have handed this smoke to more people then any other, and everyone says the same thing. “Great smoke”. people that have never smoked before like it and people who have been smoking daily for 10 years buy it now and then. I have had reactions to this stick from all sorts of people. Reactions like “fabulous cigar” to “that s*** be popin”. that is why I love this smoke. I like to smoke it from time to time and I feel good when I hand a ortsac out because people like it and it didn’t set me back $15…..