Blind Cigar Review: Marrero | Tico Pigtail

For new readers who are unfamiliar with our previous collaboration reviews, we have invited cigar reviewers from other cigar review sites, podcasts, blogs, etc. to join the Blind Man’s Puff staff in doing blind reviews using our format. This collaboration review is with Eric from Stogies on the Rocks, Dave from Cigar Jukebox, Will from Cigar-Coop and Rob from Cigar Federation.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Double Toro
Length: 6.5″
Ring Gauge: 56
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Costa Rica
Factory: Undisclosed
Blender: Joel Vazquez Marrero
Number of reviewers: 5—–Eric (Stogies on the Rocks) Dave (Cigar Jukebox) Kent (Throck) Will (Cigar-Coop) Rob (Cigar Federation)
Price: $7.39
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: February 2015
Contributed by: Marrero Cigars

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 90

“This one had all the bells and whistles. The pigtail cap was super long (too long?) and the closed foot was a nice touch. The wrapper had a nice golden brown hue and smooth appearance. Outside of being gigantic, the cigar had a nice look to it.” –Rob (Cigar Federation)

Aroma: 89

“The cigar had wonderful earthen aromas. I was able to detect both evergreen and almost a moss-like note. These worked harmoniously together to create a delightful experience.” –Kent (Throck)

First Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“I probably enjoyed the first third the most, not because of the anticipation of smoking a cigar that was bold enough to boast a 2.5 inch pigtail ornament, but because the flavors were well balanced. Leather, and almost a buttery cashew flavor came to the forefront and persisted during the first third. Generally speaking, I enjoy the more savory notes that these types of cigars offer.” –Kent (Throck)

“The cigar started out with a blast of black pepper. The pepper quickly receded into the background and gave way to notes of cocoa and natural tobacco. While the pepper played a secondary role, I could still pick it up on the retrohale. There also was a slight woody note in the background. While this might not seem like a full-bodied cigar, when you factor in the retrohale, it does become one.” –Will (Cigar-Coop)

Second Third

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

“The sweetness is developing more in this third. The finish consists of sweetness, baker’s spice, a little cayenne pepper, rich tobacco and woody flavors, which are all well balanced. It has a lovely smooth finish. The cigar takes on a bit of a graham cracker note. The vanilla honey cream note is amazing. The finish gets heartier with more tobacco and wood notes. Sweet notes are still present, but they are beginning to fall more into the background.” –Dave (Cigar Jukebox)

“After a a somewhat dull beginning, the flavors seemed to thicken in the middle third. A mild caramel sweetness showed up and gave the cigar a nice element. You may notice that I’m using the word “mild” a lot. Everything about this cigar, other than it’s size, was mild. The flavors were nice, but they just didn’t have all that much going on.” –Rob (Cigar Federation)

Final Third

Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“Spice came back in this third. The intensity really built up more as well. That toasted char note was still the dominant note. Very tasty, I would definitely smoke this again. I love how it built over time.” –Eric (Stogies on the Rocks)

“Rich tobacco and oak flavors move to the forefront and the sweet notes that were more prevalent in the first two thirds is now firmly in the background. The cigar has a wonderful rich chewy quality to it. It takes on a more traditional finish of tobacco, wood and slight earth. The cigar does not burn hot and does not get harsh.” –Dave (Cigar Jukebox)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 92

“The draw is a bit tight in the first third, but evens out over time. Once the draw evens at the end of the first third, it remains pretty consistent throughout the cigar.” –Dave (Cigar Jukebox)

Burn: 92

“Overall, I found the burn to perform quite well. It required some touch-ups along the way, but most of the touch-ups were cosmetic. The burn path remained straight and was never in danger of tunneling or canoeing. The resulting ash was not overly firm, but flaking did not become an issue.” –Will (Cigar-Coop)

Construction: 92

“Felt solid and burned well the entire time.” –Eric (Stogies on the Rocks)

Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Overall Experience: 91

“Construction and everything was great. The flavor profile wasn’t quite in my wheelhouse, but I didn’t dislike it by any means.” –Eric (Stogies on the Rocks)

“This is a fantastic cigar with well balanced flavors and a smooth rich texture. The sweet notes in this cigar range from honey, to caramel, to a vanilla cream, which really makes the cigar come to life. These sweet notes pair well with hearty tobacco and oak notes. Construction is top notch and the draw evens out into a smooth draw with just enough resistance. This cigar may be a bit too much for beginners, but it is a necessity for experienced cigar enthusiasts. This was an amazing cigar experience and I could easily put this cigar into my regular smoking rotation. Once I know what this cigar is, I am going to hunt down a box.” –Dave (Cigar Jukebox)

“I really enjoyed this cigar from initial inspection to the final ashing. There were no issues with the construction and would likely be a customer in the future. This is a great product for those who are new to the cigar scene and do not want something that would be a bold, spicy option.” –Kent (Throck)

“Overall, this was a cigar that performed quite well. I didn’t find this to be an overly complex cigar, but I did find this to be a cigar where the flavors worked well together. It’s a cigar worthy of keeping a few in my humidor.” –Will (Cigar-Coop)

“I’m not sure I’d seek this cigar out again. It was way too big and the flavor got lost in the ring gauge. If I had another in my humidor, it would probably find its way onto the golf course. I’d have to relight it after every hole, but it would keep me busy for the first 11 holes or so.” –Rob (Cigar Federation)
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Smoking Time (in minutes): 99

Reviewer	Appearance	Aroma	1/3	2/3	3/3	Draw	Burn	Constr.	Overall Experience
Eric	Stogies on the Rocks)	92	90	88	90	90	97	97	97	95
Dave	Cigar Jukebox)	90	90	95	97	92	92	90	92	95
Kent	Throck)	97	92	95	90	88	95	95	95	92
Will	Cigar-Coop)	90	88	88	88	88	88	92	88	88
Rob	Cigar Federation)	88	85	85	85	85	88	85	88	85

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

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Blind Cigar Review: Marrero | Tico Pigtail