Camacho Ecuador BXP

After re-envisioning the Camacho brand as the “Bold Standard” in 2013—arguably among the most drastic and influential cigar overhauls in the last decade or more—Camacho built upon their newly simplified lineup for the first time in 2014; introducing Camacho Ecuador as the fifth cigar in their “Everyday Bold” (core line) series. It wasn’t only the cigar blends that had been updated for boldness, but the packaging as well. Camacho introduced a clean and well-organized experience, with large bands and bright color schemes that made it an easy task to sort out the brand’s range of profiles. Red equals Corojo (natural & maduro), orange equals Connecticut, yellow equals Criollo, and blue added an Ecuadorian Habano smoking experience.

SEE ALSO: Camacho Powerband Ranks #8 Cigar of the Year for 2016

And with a core line of five cigars, Camacho spent the last few years filling out other areas of their lineup—most notably, adding the critically acclaimed American Barrel-Aged and Camacho Powerband cigars in a premium collection dubbed the “Master Built Series.” But apart from adding new sizes and simplified purchasing arrangements for consumers, little had been done to progress the brand’s core lineup since the addition of Camacho Ecuador in 2014.

This all changed with the announcement of a trio of new blends in January, 2017. In a similar fashion to Camacho’s parent company, Oettinger Davidoff and their 2016 introduction of the Davidoff Nicaragua Box Pressed, Camacho has taken their three best-selling brands and tweaked their blends, packaging, and shape for a completely new experience.

Camacho Ecuador BXP Breakdown

The cigars hit the market the month following, showcasing three tweaked blends (Corojo, Connecticut, and Ecuador), each offered in three sizes: Robusto (5″ x 50 – $8.00), Toro (6″ x 50 – $8.25), and Gordo (6″ x 60 – $9.25). But what has fans most intrigued is not simply a new shape; Camacho has altered the blends, adding Pennsylvania Broadleaf to each cigar’s filler, making for a more intense experience that builds on each cigar’s familiar profiles.

These box-pressed offerings have been fine tuned to deliver a bolder, more impactful taste experience. As an added spin, Camacho’s master builders have amplified each of the original core blends with the addition of American Broadleaf tobaccos grown in Pennsylvania. The introduction of these Broadleaf tobaccos greatly intensifies the aromas and dramatically boosts the overall taste experience, while box-pressing delivers a noticeably longer and cooler smoke with a more comfortable mouth feel.

Look / Feel

In typical Camacho fashion, the updated series is very well laid out. Each blend features the same look, swapping the cigar’s colored areas and black contrasts. Where boxes featured black lids and blue fronts, they now use blue lids and black fronts. Where bands were blue with black font, you’ll now find the reverse. There is also a new “BXP” identifier below the Camacho logo on the cigar’s bands.

The cigar itself has a nice appearance, with an ultra-smooth wrapper—having a feel like wet leather—showcasing a habano wrapper that appears on the darker side for the varietal. There are subtle hues of orange and even maroon, with subtly dark mottling throughout. The box-pressed shape is on the softer side, giving a good feel in the hand. The cigar is on the lighter side (weight-wise), and test squeezes give the impression it uses a light bunch.

The cigar is very aromatic, with a punchy nose of seasoned steak; there are also background notes of leather and musk, and notes of earth, cabinet spices, and generic barnyard on the cigar’s foot. With a double guillotine cut, the Ecuador BXP shows a medium-firm pre-light draw, with notes of peanut skins, earth, and a damp mustiness. The wrapper and freshly cut tobaccos also have a nice sensation against the tongue—smooth leather and a bright, citrus zing.

Smoking Experience

Camacho Ecuador BXP kicks off with a blast of sharp pepper on the tongue. There are fairly intense spices through the retrohale, with an underlying sweetness rounding out the finish. When the debris clears from the pepper assault, the profile begins to shape up—offering citrus, caramel, toned-down black pepper, and buttery nuts. The profile can best be described as “bright,” with loads of flavor hitting on every sensory receptor.

A medium amount of smoke can be exhaled through a medium-firm draw on each puff—it is slightly tight, but certainly manageable. The burn line becomes wonky after only a few puffs, but maintains its composure throughout the first third—with the lightly stacked ash falling after only half an inch. In total, the profile builds to full flavor, medium strength, and medium-plus body in the first third.

As the smoke progresses, the bright profile remains, adding complexities of light, freshly roasted, pour-over coffee and an interesting popcorn note in the background. The cigar’s slick wrapper makes for a great mouthfeel, imparting a dense, nearly wet smoking texture that aids in the impression of the flavors soaking into the palate. Added notes of cinnamon and cedar can be found, as well as a nice peppermint note, which imparts a cooling sensation in the mouth.

In the final portion of the smoke, flavors darken and lose complexity. There are still a few interesting developments, with notes of citrus, darkly roasted and buttered bread, and a touch of anise on the finish. The most interesting flavor though, in this third, is a sweet and buttery kettle corn note—this can only be found for a few fleeting moments before the profile darkens. The final profile tally can be marked at medium flavor, medium-plus strength, medium-plus body.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

In a heartbeat! I’ll be quick to praise this bend as the best smoking experience I’ve had in Camacho’s core lineup. I’ve always enjoyed the other four blends in the series (not counting Connecticut BXP and Corojo BXP, which I have yet to smoke)—with the original Camacho Ecuador being my previous go-to—but it’s almost immediately apparent that the new Ecuador BXP is superior. There is simply too much bright and lively flavors going on here not to enjoy yourself.

This is what I love about the recent direction of Davidoff/Camacho, where they manage to make a simple vitola addition fun and meaningful. When you smoke the Davidoff Nicaragua Box Pressed, it feels unique from the original line, and the same feels true for the new Camacho BXPs. Yes, every manufacturer notes that slight blending tweaks are done for every size, but most don’t capitalize or emphasize this aspect—with the exception being Cuban Habanos blends. This is the feeling I get from this new series, where new vitolas within a preexisting lineup manage to set themselves apart, acting as a crossover from the original blend and something new entirely (not Camacho Ecuador 2.0—more like Camacho Ecuador 1.5).

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