The Cuesta Rey company, is not among the "big guns" of the cigar industry. Years ago they were more popular, but have since been eclipsed by the likes of Ashton, CAO, and Rocky Patel. However, that is your chance to get a bargain, and the 898 is one. Its a bit difficult to find, but if you are lucky enough to have a tobacco store that carries them, consider them as a good back up. They are decent, not spectacular, but at their price they are reasonable. I have enjoyed a couple of them, and while they are not exciting, they pay homage to old school cigars. That is, that they focus on a vintage flavor, but do not have a good appearance or sexy marketing campaigns. You won't see pretty ladies smoking these in magazines.

First of all, this is a ugly stick. There's no other way of putting it. I cannot imagine this being a priority for the company, but this looks like one of those churned out by machine, rather than hand rolled. Some will scoff at it, and you might endure some friendly ribbing, if you fire one of these up. Yet if your bank account is low, and you want a decent cigar, you can smile a bit. The dark maduro wrapper is proof that it has been aged properly, but it just looks like it was thrown together in seconds. That might have been the case, but at least these hold up from beginning to the end.

I did like how these light up. Its a cinch to have it fired up in under thirty seconds, provided you have a triple butane monster. The burn rate is even, and I did not contend with any plugs or other defects. You'd be hard pressed, pardon the pun that cigar smokers will get, to find better smoke volume. That is impressive, and I like how the draw rate, allows you to kick back but still get plumes of its flavors. Cigars that are much more expensive, cannot compete with it on this, although I don't like the cutting process. That was difficult. While it was far from a workout at the gym, it should not require that much effort.

As for the taste, that is where this cigar is a winner. Its rich, and full of notes, that include dark chocolate, coffee, and earthy tones that change throughout the experience. I could also detect some licorice that was a little bitter at points, but it wasn't strong enough to get in the way of the flavorful tones that I was happy with, along with its smooth composition. Its a good cigar, although not a great one, but I must say that this Cuesta Ray is full of flavor. Its medium to full bodied, and it does give you a nice kick. You will not get throttled, but this is an evening cigar, best smoked after dinner. At $5 a cigar, its low price makes it worth a try, and fire one up to see for yourself what this Dominican can do for you.

Recommended: Yes

Cigar Name: Cuesta Rey 898
Cigar Rating: A solid performer
Price per cigar ($US): 5