Being a fan of the CAO Amazon Basin, I was intrigued to see the Dagger on Atlantic. At $24.99 for a fiver, I thought it was a low-risk move to get a pack to see how it compared to the Toro. A couple of puffs in and it was clear to me that it was nothing like the Toro. It might use the same tobaccos as its larger sibling, but the flavor profile is nothing like it.
I’ve smoked the 2022, 2023, and 2024 versions of the Basin. And the word that has always come to mind when I first lit one up was exotic. The Amazon Basin – at least for me – has been a very unique smoke, with a flavor profile that is unlike anything I’ve had. But to be honest, I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
I have appreciated that the experience it has offered me in the past is unique, but I’ve never been sure whether I like it or not. It’s probably why I’ve only purchased a few at any time. Implicitly I know it’s a good, quality stick. But for lack of a better word, the profile has been a little unnverving for me because I have several WTF moments when I smoke one.
So, in lighting one of these Daggers up, I was expecting a similar exotic experience to the Toro given that it’s the same blend but in a smaller format; similar to what I’ve experienced with a Papas Fritas compared to the regular Liga Privada. But it wasn’t the same. Not by a longshot! But this is NOT a bad thing by any means. This is a cigar that can and probably should be appreciated on its own merits.
First of all, the experience isn’t exotic nor unique as one would expect from an Amazon Basin. And even though I didn’t bother to take tasting notes (it was too fuckin’ cold outside for me to write), the first thing that crossed my mind when I lit up was Hmm… I’ve tasted this before in hundreds of other sticks. And the overall profile is actually pleasing to me.
So, I asked myself, if it’s not exotic nor unique, what does it have going for it? It’s an ass-kicker from light up. Its diminutive 4 X 38 size masked a strength and boldness that completely took me by surprise! Plus, the nicotine it produced had me a little woozy until I drank some water.
As a petite corona, the influence from the Sumatra maduro wrapper was clear to me. Rich with dark chocolate with a spicy kick on the backend. An onslaught of Turkish coffee, toffee, stone fruit, and black pepper from the binder and filler accompanied that richness. And that onslaught was unrelenting from light-up to nub. Surprisingly, it was in the final inch where I started seeing similarities to the Toro. But by then the flavors and strength were incredibly intense and I was actually glad that it wasn’t a full-size cigar I was smoking.
Now here’s the rub: I appreciate the flavor and the strength of this, but I don’t really appreciate the price being asked for it. At $5/stick, considering it doesn’t have that exotic nor uniqueness to it and it’s petite corona (and that’s being generous), I don’t see the value. If CAO was setting that price and the stick was a corona like a 5 X 42, I think that would be a good price. But not for a 4 X 38 when it doesn’t offer anything profound.
But that said, I’m glad I tried it. I do enjoy it and if I see a special on it in the future, I’ll be sure to jump on it!
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