Blind Cigar Review: ted’s | Farris Robusto

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Nicaragua Viso, Dominican Cuban Seed Ligero & Seco
Factory: Victor Sinclair
Blender: ted’s Cigars and Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas
Number of reviewers: 5 —– Gregg (McGreggor57) Ron (shuckins) Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) Jiunn (jliu) Emmett (rhetorik)
Price: $10.00
Age: 3 Months
Release Date: 2014
Contributed by: ted’s Cigars

Cigar Info

From Manufacturer – “I named it after a legendary woman who lived a tough life up in the northern reaches of Tennessee. She always managed to share a smile when she knew folks needed it. “Happiness is a choice,” she liked to say. And there was no doubt it was her choice.

She was known for her iron will and independent spirit. And the sacrifices she made caring for others. “Good woman” they all said of her when she passed a few years ago. Her name was Farris. Lois Farris. And, yes, she was my Grandmother. And, even in her wildest imagination she could never have thought that her name would end up on a cigar one day. But I thought it was the right and proper thing to do. Not just in her memory. But because it reflects the very qualities that made her so special. Her perspective on life. Her optimism and her belief in people. Keep focused on where you’re going and don’t borrow trouble was the way she looked at things. And those are good thoughts to have when you settle back, think about life and smoke a Farris.

If you know anything about Ted’s Cigars, you know that in the nigh-on-to-20 years I’ve been creating these premium cigars, I’ve never compromised on the high quality tobaccos I’ve chosen or the impeccable craftsmanship I’ve demanded. I think you’ll find Farris is the personification of my pursuit of excellence. Bold, Balanced, Always smokable.

If Lois Farris was here today, she’d tell you to light up, enjoy. And don’t borrow trouble.”

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 90

“Appearance of the cigar reveals a smooth medium brown wrapper with random blotches of dark brown. Well adhered triple cap. No major visible veins. Semi-firm pack with no soft spots.” –Jiunn (jliu)

Aroma: 88

“Nice aroma of coffee with cocoa and cedar,but it’s very faint.” –Ron (shuckins)

First Third

Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Woodsy tasting tobacco,with peppery accents that was a little harsh to start the cigar off. By the end of the first third, enough coffee with light cocoa flavor moved to the front as the wood taste faded to the back. The pepper stuck around, although it wasn’t as strong as it started.” –Ron (shuckins)

“The first puffs of this cigar are extremely mild, and mainly are presenting some subtle tobacco notes with just a bit of pepper through the nose. I’m glad I decided to smoke this with beer instead of scotch or strong coffee as I think I’d lose all flavors entirely…very, very mild.” –Jason H.

Second Third

Flavor: 86
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The draw is opening up quite a bit, allowing the flavors to come through more easily. Some nice rich coffee with just a touch of black pepper holds my interest. The is an earthiness that pairs nicely with some bakers chocolate.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)

“In this third the vegetal taste has faded somewhat into a grassy or hay flavor and the nuttiness has also subsided. Part way though I start to pick up a semi-sweet flavor, raisin. This cigar keeps throwing me things I’m not expecting. Some spices are starting to come out now, black pepper mostly. I’m picking up a little vegetal taste again in the form of squash.” –Emmett (rhetorik)

Final Third

Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Things settled down during the final third, with the wood tasting tobacco fading and taking the heat away. This let the flavors become more of a coffee and light pepper blend. There was just enough cocoa in the mix to add some padding to the kick the pepper brought to the show.” –Ron

“The flavors are starting to balance out more and get creamier. This third seems to be taking a turn for the more traditional with wood and spice. The cigar is finishing out a little hot, but the flavors are still good.” –Emmett (rhetorik)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 88

“Draw was just a tad bit on the loose side. No big deal though.” –Jiunn (jliu)

Burn: 93

“Taking the wide open draw into consideration, the burn performance was actually pretty remarkable. The burn line was mostly even, and the rate was acceptable. It took work to keep it this way, unfortunately, as I had to focus on how I took each puff.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Construction: 94

“Construction was very good, there were no problems except for the glue on the cap.” –Emmett (rhetorik)

Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Overall Experience: 88

“I wasn’t sure what was in store as the flavors of the first third seemed to change rapidly. When the guessing game finally stopped, I was left with a wonderfully rich profile of coffee and chocolate tempered with the right amount of sweetness of baking spices. The black pepper that came and went always seemed to compliment the other flavors rather than just adding heat on the nose.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)

“A pleasant cigar to smoke, but it lacked the “wow factor” needed to make it into my rotation. I would like to visit it again as I think it deserves another chance.” –Ron (shuckins)

“This cigar is not for me. It lost my attention about 5 minutes in, and never presented enough to capture it back. More flavor, a firmer draw, and less effort are all things that would need to be present for me to reach for another. As it is, I’ll pass.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“Overall, a subpar cigar. This is definitely not a morning cigar. If I were to smoke this again, I would make sure I eat a huge steak beforehand. Although I am not the type to pair my cigars with anything aside from water, I believe this cigar will benefit by pairing a nice rye bourbon or whiskey barrel aged imperial stout. Doing so will probably taper the heavy spice down and draw more of the creamy sweetness and cedar notes. My after cigar sweet chocolate is the highlight of this smoking experience.” –Jiunn (jliu)

“This was a very unique cigar, the flavors were ones I don’t normally pick up like vegetal and squash, but accompanied with more traditional ones like wood and nuts. I would definitely get some more of these, if nto just to have something different. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to others, I’m curious if time will smooth out the final third.” –Emmett (rhetorik)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 61

 

Edit

Reviewer	Appearance	Aroma	1/3	2/3	3/3	Draw	Burn	Constr.	Overall
Gregg	90	90	90	92	90	88	90	88	90
Ron	92	88	88	87	88	90	93	93	88
Jason H.	90	88	88	85	88	88	93	88	85
Jiunn	88	85	80	83	80	88	95	95	83
Emmett	90	92	88	92	88	97	97	95	90

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
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Blind Cigar Review: ted’s | Farris Robusto