Vital Stats:
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
Factory: La Aurora
Blender: Undisclosed
Number of reviewers: 5—–Ron (shuckins) Gregg (McGreggor57) Paul (pmr1010) Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) Robert (NavyPiper)
Price: $11.00
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: November 2014
Contributed by: Total Flame Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 88
“Dark chocolate wrapper leaf with prominent rigid veins. Dry to the touch and somewhat bumpy. The seams are readily visible and the cap is ragged and uneven. The cigar feels heavy in the hand and has a rugged appeal.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Aroma: 89
“Sweet hay on the cold draw with a grass and barnyard aroma along the cigar and foot.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
First Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Some nice grass and floral notes topped off by a healthy dose of pepper on the retrohale are the initial flavors. As the spice fades, oak and leather come to the front creating a great balance with the softer meadow profile.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
“Nice start to this stogie. Initial blast of pepper, but then settled down to a nice campfire smokiness, leather and pepper. Flavors are evenly balanced and going good so far.” –Robert (NavyPiper)
Second Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“A meaty nuttiness is creating a more robust flavor. The leather and oak in the background helps keep the smoke creamy. There is a faint floral on the finish that adds a slight sweetness. The strength during this third is ramping up.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
“As the cigar progresses into the second portion, the pepper fades from my palate but the sweetness is enhanced by a grassy note that reminds me of when I pluck a weed to chew on while I’m sitting on a river bank…really nice. While the pepper fades from my palate, it is immediately obvious on the retrohale…zingy! The smoke is rich and oily and makes excellent smoke rings!” – Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Final Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The cigar finished much the same way it started, but with less harshness to the flavors. Strong wood tasting tobacco with lighter coffee flavor along with a healthy dose of pepper at the very end. This kept the strength level up throughout the entire cigar.” –Ron (shuckins)
“All of the flavors continued to grow and come together well in the final third. A little more tobacco flavor, a little more toasted nuts and even the caramel flavors grew as well as the scent of toast. The nicotine bite that I tasted earlier was mostly gone now which helped me enjoy the other flavors considerably. Sadly, the burn never really evened out and the ash continued to present itself as an issue by falling off just before I tried to get it to the ash tray.” –Paul (pmr1010)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 89
“Draw was good, no issues there at all.” –Robert (NavyPiper)
Burn: 86
“While not the worst burning cigar, this wasn’t good. It burned ragged and jagged the entire duration of the smoke.” –Paul (pmr1010)
Construction: 88
“Well rolled cigar, and although it had a soft spot at the foot, it was very firm everywhere else.” –Ron (shuckins)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Overall Experience: 89
“I am not a fan of this cigar as the flavor profile did not sit well with my palate and I couldn’t get past the harsh taste. Maybe it is something some time in the humidor would remedy.” –Ron (shuckins)
“The transitions between the thirds and the addition of compatible flavors were very nice. While the profile might not fit everyone’s palate, it was one I was looking for during this session.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
“The flavors that I experienced made this cigar worth smoking. All of the construction issues, the fragile ash and the burn quality made me want to put it down, but the flavors were actually very nice and that made me keep smoking.” –Paul (pmr1010)
“This was a very enjoyable smoke! The flavors were varied and enjoyable, and the experience is one I’d love to repeat. Can’t wait to see what this was!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“Despite its looks, this was one dang fine stogie. The flavors were really, really good, nicely balanced and a pleasure to smoke. Wish it was bigger, as I hated to see it end. Don’t know what it is, but sign me up for some more!” –Robert (NavyPiper)
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Smoking Time (in minutes): 58
| Reviewer | Appearance | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ron | 88 | 90 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 90 | 85 |
| Gregg | 88 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 95 | 87 | 90 | 90 |
| Paul | 88 | 88 | 90 | 90 | 92 | 90 | 85 | 88 | 88 |
| Jason H. | 88 | 90 | 92 | 92 | 95 | 92 | 92 | 88 | 92 |
| Robert | 88 | 88 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 88 | 85 | 88 | 90 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
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