Big Sky Cryptid – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Most cigar aficionados know that many years ago, lots of cigars were produced in the U.S. When contemplating this, one might think of Miami and Tampa. What you may not realize is that cigars were once rolled in Montana, lots of them. In 1905, the state of Montana contained 107 Cigar factories, and with only around 240,000 residents in the area at the time, that comes out to around 1 cigar factory for every 2,200 people. During this time, tobacco was imported to Montana from around the world from tobacco-growing countries around the world like Jamaica, Java, Haiti, and Nicaragua. Big Sky Cigar Co. was created with this rich history in mind, and that is the focus of our review today. We will be looking at the Big Sky Cryptid line.

The Big Sky Cryptid uses a San Andres wrapper, and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. It comes in just one size, a 5 x 60 double robusto and comes in 10 count boxes that sell for $130. The cigars are rolled at Tacasa S.A. in Nicaragua, which is home to some other brand you might recognize such as Cubao by Ortega and Veritas cigars. The name comes from what supposedly lies beneath the waters of Flathead Lake. There have been 109 documented sightings, simply known as the Flathead Lake Monster.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Double Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 60
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Tacasa S.A.
Blender: Carlos Sanchez
Number of reviewers: 4 – Jai P. (Jai) Ryan H. (Ryan H.) Quinn (quinnpins269) Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Price: $12.40
Age: 8 Months
Release Date: July 2022
Contributed by: Big Sky Cigar

Initial Impressions – Big Sky Cryptid

Appearance: 88

“A very inviting oily light brown wrapper on what looks to be a chunky Robusto. It did have noticeable seems, but the wrapper appeared to be relatively thick. Because of this, the cap did not sit very well on the cigar. It had a fair amount of ripples in it and edges that stuck up from the cigar.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

Aroma: 89

“This cigar smelled an old leather wingback chair.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

First Third

Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Out of the gate, this was a solid medium. I was greeted with a fair amount of black pepper on the front end. It was followed by a sweet earthiness that a bit of saltiness with it. It was a pleasant combination.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

“Cigar starts out as a medium plus, sans spice maybe just a little. The profile consists of chalky earth with some vegetal undertones.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

Second Third

Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Sticking with a very nice medium profile and body into the second third. The black pepper started to fade a little bit, which I did not mind. A nice amount of salted peanuts came through bringing a smooth and creamy smoke with it. With each puff the chewy smoke lingered long after the exhale.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

“Second verse, same as the first. The cigar continued to produce plenty of smoke, but absolutely void of flavor. Every other aspect of the cigar seemed just fine.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Final Third

Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“As the cigar transitions into the final third I am picking up notes of coffee and cocoa.” –Jai P. (Jai)

“I was sad to see the smooth and creamy smoke fade away into the final third. I noticed that it had started to dry out and get a bit warmer with each puff. I was introduced it a bit of cocoa here and there. But it was not overly strong, and could not overcome the black pepper that had lingered since the beginning of the review.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

Overall Impressions – Big Sky Cryptid

Draw: 93

“A slight bit loose, perhaps, but the draw otherwise was fine by my standards.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Burn: 93

“The burn was straight the entire time, never needed a touch-up.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

Construction: 92

“Other than the cap not being cleanly laid on the cigar the construction was on par. No mushy or over packed areas encountered during the smoke.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 91

“A nice cigar for a cup of coffee or tea. Subtle hints of cocoa kept it sweet throughout. Coffee notes added a little complexity, along with touches of earth. The flavor was very mild.” –Jai P. (Jai)

“A very worthwhile experience. This cigar is box worthy.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

“A very solid medium body cigar from the first puff till I finished the review. The first and second thirds were very enjoyable, but towards the end, it started to go flat and bring some bitterness. With the dryer smoke at the end I feel that it amplified the bitterness for me.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

“This was something of a new experience for me. Well, perhaps more of something that I haven't experienced in a very long time. This cigar smoked exactly the same way from start to finish, producing very little to zero flavors. If it weren't for the smoke output, I honestly would have forgotten that I had a cigar burning. Outside of the flavor department, which is the most important to me, the rest of the cigar was good. It looked good and performed well. It just had less flavor than distilled water. Perhaps something for the newbie? Definitely a let down.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 57

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Big Sky Cryptid – Blind Cigar Review