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: Corojo 2006
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera Carbonell
Blender: Undisclosed
Number of reviewers: 4—–Gregg (McGreggor57) Derek (StogieNinja) Milton (mjohnsoniii) Emmett (rhetorik)
Price: $9.00
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: 2013
Contributed by: La Hoja Cigar Co.
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 93
“The wrapper is a medium-brown with a slightly reddish hue. There are quite a few visible veins, but nothing that looks out of place. The seams are very tight. The cap is huge and very crooked.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Aroma: 92
“There were deep tobacco scents that were accompanied by hints of sweetness and barnyard.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)
First Third
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The smoke off the first few draws is very hot in my mouth masking whatever flavors lurk. As expected, there is pepper on the retrohale. Shortly in, I’m picking up a nice nuttiness with some burnt sugar in the background. Near the end, spice on the retro is picking up.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
“Dark tobacco flavors and cinnamon/clove notes start this one off. There’s a small amount of pepper in the back of the throat, and almost no sweetness, which is a positive in this case. At about one inch in, everything settles down and the flavors are simple: dark tobacco, cloves and a slight mineral flavor that’s similar to meat. It’s not bad, but not particularly interesting either.” –Derek (StogieNinja)
Second Third
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“In the second third, the flavors picked up a bit. The stale coffee I tasted in the first third was no longer stale. It had turned into freshly ground coffee with an abundance of leather and smokiness. The nutmeg was subtle but mostly on the retrohale.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)
“Kicking off this third, the coffee has morphed into more of an espresso flavor, and the baking spices have taken on a more cinnamon characteristic. Moving along more through the third, the wood flavor shifts form cedar to oak, completing this almost perfect flavor transition. Towards the end of the third, the baking spices really started to shine with clove, nutmeg and allspice added to the cinnamon.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Final Third
Flavor: 94
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“Dark coffee, unsweetened chocolate and oak combine with a toasted nuttiness. The occasional spice on the retro adds another dimension to this cigar. At the end a slight char is showing up but the flavors never become harsh.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
“There was a slight spike in strength towards the final third, but was never overwhelming at any point. All the flavors tasted during the first and seconds thirds came together perfectly, with the exception of the stale coffee. Leather and coffee were the most prominent with a slight nutmeg on the retrohale.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 99
“The draw was great throughout the entire cigar, perfect.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Burn: 89
“Nothing special to note here. The burn line wandered often, but not to the point of being problematic. There were a few times where the cigar wanted to die and required a bit of effort, but those were momentary.” –Derek (StogieNinja)
Construction: 93
“This cigar was put together very well. It was firm with no soft spots and gave a bit when squeezed. Its double cap and oily wrapper were seamless and was definitely rolled by an experienced torcedor.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Overall Experience: 93
“Dark is how I would best describe this one. The flavor profile stayed true from beginning to end with rich deep tones. No one flavor dominated, although there weren’t a lot of different ones to from which to choose. The lack of complexity was the only ding I had. Still, this is a cigar I would gladly keep in rotation.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
“Recommended for a barbecuer on a budget. Based on the simplicity of the flavors and the appearance, there’s no way this is anything but a budget-minded cigar, so you won’t mind having to put it down if you get busy with guests or the grill, and the flavors would complement any summertime barbecue meal. Not one I would seek out again, but might fit the bill for some folks.” –Derek (StogieNinja)
“In the beginning, I thought this cigar was going to be a dud. I was sadly mistaken. The coffee, nutmeg, leather and smokiness among other flavors showed the complexity of this cigar and turned out to be rather enjoyable. I look forward to trying this one again. Perhaps one with a bit more age on it.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)
“Overall this was a really great cigar. The flavors were outstanding and overall the construction was great. There were some nice transitions in the flavor and the first two thirds were expertly balanced. If time would improve the final third, this could be a contender for cigar of the year.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 76
Total Score: 93 (Excellent)
| Reviewer | Appea-rance | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gregg | 90 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 95 | 98 | 88 | 93 | 93 |
| Derek | 83 | 90 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 90 | 88 | 88 | 88 |
| Milton | 95 | 92 | 88 | 90 | 93 | 100 | 90 | 95 | 93 |
| Emmett | 95 | 97 | 97 | 100 | 95 | 100 | 95 | 93 | 97 |
| Overall | 93 | 92 | 89 | 90 | 94 | 99 | 89 | 93 | 93 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.