Camacho Factory Unleashed 2

In 2022, Davidoff released the second installment of the Camacho Factory Unleashed Series – appropriately titled Camacho Factory Unleashed 2. The Factory Unleashed Series has turned into an annual release for Davidoff’s Camacho brand. Each year has seen a different blend released in the series. As the name indicates, Camacho Factory Unleashed pays homage to the Camacho factory, Diadema Cigars de Honduras SA. facility. If you go back to 2013, Davidoff was embarking on a major period of innovation across all of its brands. Around that time, Camacho did a high-profile refresh on its brand, and it led to a period of great growth. As a result, Camacho needed to expand and upgrade its factory operations. The Diadema Cigars de Honduras SA facility would open in 2017 and replace its old factory, Agroindustria Laepe SA. The Factory Unleashed Series is intended to showcase the innovations that have come out of this factory. Today we turn our attention to the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2.

As for the Factory Unleashed Series, there have been three current installments. As mentioned, each featured a different blend. The following are three installments. Each of these installments had a different wrapper option as noted in parentheses.

Camacho Factory Unleashed (Ecuadorian Corojo)
Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 (Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade)
Camacho Factory Unleashed 3 (San Andres Mexican)

Without further ado, let’s break down the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

In addition to the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, the blend for the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 consists of a Nicaraguan binder and fillers that include Corojo from Honduras and the Dominican Republic. Production comes from Camacho’s factory, Diadema Cigars de Honduras, S.A. in Danlí, Honduras.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Honduras and Dominican Republic
Country of Origin: Honduras
Factory: Diadema Cigars de Honduras, S.A.

Vitolas Offered

The Camacho Factory Unleashed comes in one size – a 6 x 50 Toro. The vitola features a 1/2-inch shaggy foot where the binder is exposed. The shaggy foot is a staple of the Camacho Factory Unleashed series. The cigar is available in 100-count rustic wood crates. One thousand crates were made available for retail partners. In addition, an additional 2,500 paper-wrapped bundles of ten cigars were reserved for E-Commerce.

Appearance

The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper of the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 had a buttery light brown color to it. The surface of the wrapper had a slight amount of toothiness to it. The wrapper also had a light sheen of oil on it. There were some visible veins and some thin wrapper seams. As mentioned above, there is about 1/2 inch from the footer where the binder is exposed.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

A straight cut was used to remove the cap of the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2. Once the cap was detached, it was on with the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered notes of cream and wood. There were also hints of natural tobacco present. While it wasn’t the most exciting pre-light draw, it wasn’t a bad one. Since the pre-light draw does not factor into the numerical score or value rating, there was no loss of points here. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 and progress into the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 opened up with notes of classic wood, mixed pepper, and a slight cream note. Shortly after, some natural tobacco entered the equation. There was no dominant flavor early on while the cigar burned through the rough cut section. The mixed pepper notes were present on the retro-hale.

As Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 transitioned to where there was a wrapper, natural tobacco emerged as the primary note. A baker’s spice note emerged in the forefront as well. Meanwhile, notes of citrus, cream, and mixed pepper emerged as secondary notes. The retro-hale now mixed in notes of cedar and an underlying sweetness.

The second third of the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 saw the natural tobacco remain primary. The baker’s spice diminished and would move into the background. There was an increase in the citrus and pepper. The cream notes would eventually dissipate. Perhaps the biggest change was the natural tobacco notes developed some bitterness. The citrus and pepper combined seemed to have some harshness.

The final third of the Camacho Factory Unleashed didn’t see much change. The natural tobacco notes still were primary and had some bitter qualities. The pepper was now a much more prominent secondary note. There still were notes of citrus and baker’s spice present. By this point, the secondary notes seemed to be on the harsher side than anything. As the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 came to a close, it finished with a soft and cool nub.

Burn

One thing I’ll say about the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2, when it came to transitioning from the rough cut to the finished section with the wrapper, the burn transition was as smooth as it could get. However, as the cigar burned through the main area, it required touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path and line. While the touch-ups did the trick, there were more touch-ups needed than I prefer. As for the ash, it was on the firm side. This was an ash that was silver-gray with some dark streaks in it. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Burn of the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2

Draw

The draw to the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 was quite good. It had a touch of resistance to it – which I like. Overall this was still a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

Strength wise, the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 started out mild. It quickly progressed to mild to medium by the transition out of the rough cut section and by the second third it moved to medium where it remained for the duration of the smoking experience. As for the flavors, they started out mild to medium bodied and by the second third, they progressed to medium-bodied.

Throughout the smoking experience, the body held the edge over the strength.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

One thing I really like is how Davidoff handled the packaging. I like the 100-count crates going to the retailers and I like soft-pack bundles going online. Many know I am not a fan of paper bundles, but most of my rationale is I don’t think they are retail shelf friendly. In this case, it makes more sense to put these paper bundles for online sales.

Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 Bundle

100 Count Crate of Camacho Factory Unleashed 2; Photo Credit: Davidoff of Geneva

The band is similar to the original Camacho Factory Unleashed. It has a white, black, and silver color scheme, but in this case, it adds a red “2.” I didn’t think these bands would contrast nicely with a Connecticut Shade wrapper, but I was wrong.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 started out really nicely. In fact, the first third where the baker’s spice notes shined was quite enjoyable. As the cigar approached the midway point is where the bitterness and harshness surfaced – and it resulted in a less enjoyable cigar. These cigars had almost 12 months of age on them, but this pattern seemed present even when I originally smoked these cigars in 2022.

Priced at $8.00, the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 definitely delivers an attractive price point. For almost $2.00 more, I can have a Camacho Connecticut – one of the most consistent Connecticut Shades out there. While I’d still recommend trying a sample of the Camacho Factory Unleashed 2 (while they are around) and seeing what you think, I’m still inclined to go to a tried and true cigar like the regular production Camacho Connecticut each time.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Baker’s Spice, Cream, Citrus, Wood, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium to High
Strength: Mild (Start), Mild to Medium (Most of 1st third), Medium (Remainder)
Body: Mild to Medium (1st Third), Medium (Remainder)
Finish: Good