Next week Gene Arganese will release two new additions to his growing line of smokes at the upcoming IPCPR Annual Convention in Las Vegas. They are called the ML3 and CL3 which stands for "Maduro Ligero to the 3rd power"and "Corojo Ligero to the 3rd power" respectively. In short, I enjoyed each one but for different reasons. The ML3 was a bit more mild and sweet versus the CL3 which was very spicy and packed a good punch. Preferring stronger smokes, I will be review the CL3 today and the ML3 next week. 

I had the privilege of smoking the pre-release Arganese CL3, which means these smokes are a little young and need about another month of aging.  In any case, I enjoyed them throughly. Gene Arganese obtained the specifications of the pre-1993 Montecristos and basically brought that stick back in the form of the CL3. He copied the soil specifications, fertilization and used the same Cuban seed and blend to create the CL3. The new CL3 is a 1st generation Cuban-seed Corojo wrapper, binder, and filler grown in the Dominican Republic. It is a full-bodied, full-flavored stick. It will be priced around $5 a stick. Currently, there is one on-line retailer taking pre-orders for $98 for a box of 20. I fired up the robusto which measures 5 x 50. Even though these smokes were a bit young, they held an even burn along with an effortless draw which lasted well over an hour. The flavor was a powerful combination of pepper and spice. I would not recommend these smokes to a novice. They kicked my butt each time I fired them up. When these smokes become available, they are a must try if you like a powerful, flavorful, well-constructed smoke.

MonkeyDan Rating: 89 (pre-release)