The T made its debut at IPCPR 2017. It was originally going to be named The Truth but changed its name due to copyright concerns. This is a collaboration between Robert Caldwell, Matt Booth, AJ Fernández.
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.
The T. blend uses a Nicaraguan wrapper, binder, and fillers. It is rolled at Tabacalera AJ Fernández Cigars de Nicaragua S.A. There were 100,000 cigars made and all comes in boxes of 20 except the Short Churchill which comes in boxes of 10. The sizes for this cigar are: Short Churchill (5 1/2 x 48) — $12, Robusto (5 x 52) — $11, Toro Grande (6 1/2 x 56) — $12, Toro (6 x 52) — $11.50, Lonsdale (6 1/2 x 44) — $12.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro Grande Length: 6 1/2″ Ring Gauge: 56 Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Nicaragua Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Blender: Matt Booth, AJ Fernandez, Robert Caldwell Number of reviewers: 5 – Diana (ArmyRN) Kevin J. (maninblack77) Jason H.(Jokey Smurf) Isaac M. (The Nothing) Dave W. (mdwest) Price: $12.00 Age: 4 Months Release Date: October 2017 Contributed by: Caldwell Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 91
“This is a hefty looking cigar who’s size is masked a bit by the box press. It appears to be a 6 X 60 with a dark chocolate brown suede wrapper that is smooth with just a few rugged spots where veins were noticed. The foot of the cigar looks fully packed and the cap was nicely placed and smoothed well into the body of the cigar.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Aroma: 90
“The aroma on this sample is full of oak and wood notes with a hint of sweetness. At the foot there is a bit of compost as well. ” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Flavor: 89 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“I was happy to taste some nice coffee mixed with leather and wood when I got into the cigar. The retro produced a healthy blast of black pepper and a slight floral hint that was very nice. As I progressed into the first third the predominant notes were black coffee, a hint of leather and some saltiness on the finish.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“Lights up with a very light coffee note. It’s quite light and airy over all and I’m detecting just a hint of wood in the mix. The mouth feel seems quite rich in contrast to the very mild flavors. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Second Third
Flavor: 90 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“The flavors remained fairly consistent into the second third although the cigar did smooth out. The coffee mixed with a touch of chocolate and cocoa and the saltiness seems to have subsided a bit. Still a very nice flavor and I’m liking that it is staying consistent.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“Finally the mustiness disappears and dry cocoa and baking spices pick up. Still medium bodied. Retro is the same. Dry cocoa. Near the end of the second third I notice it changes over to a milk chocolate flavor which I really enjoy. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
Final Third
Flavor: 90 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“Not much of a change from the first light to this final portion. Bits of wood and hints of pepper with a bit of a harsher charcoal addition. The pepper through the nose has intensified a bit, but is still on the mild side.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“The final third of this cigar continued in much the same fashion as the second third. Cocoa and dry wood persist and are just a bit more intense in flavor than before. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“I had not problems with the draw on this cigar. The v-cut worked nicely for me and the draw was easy without being loose or too tight. Great consistency for a cigar of this size.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Burn: 93
“The burn on this persisted from beginning to end. Even if I was away for several minutes, it kept on going without needing assistance. Smoke output was generous as well. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Construction: 93
“This cigar was really nicely constructed for the most part…The cap was pretty sloppy, and ended up coming off after cutting but the rest of the wrapper remained intact for the duration and the performance was very good. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t like a box pressed cigar…It’s just nice that they don’t roll away!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Overall Strength: Medium Overall Body/Complexity: Medium Experience Overall: 89
“I’ll be the first to say this vitola was not my cup of tea and was potentially a tough cigar for me due to the size. I can lose interest in a larger vitola if the flavors don’t progress enough. The balance between progression and consistency can be a fine line for my palette. However, the consistency of this smoke was impressive in all areas, flavor, burn, draw, and construction. So, regardless of my personal preferences in vitola, this was a very decent cigar that I would burn again in the right circumstance.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“If it hadn’t started off with that overpowering mustiness, i would have enjoyed it much more. That first third was not a good first impression. Luckily it went away and was overtaken by the dry cocoa flavors. Would I buy it again? I never disregard a cigar after only trying it once, but at this time I wouldn’t purchase more than a fiver. Good, not great. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“The flavors of this sample were good, but with so little change I found myself wandering to my phone and other distractions. That said, I did enjoy it from beginning to end, and would smoke another if given the chance.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“This cigar is larger than what I would normally entertain on my own. It smoked well and the flavor, to me, was on quite the lighter side of things. I would not have expected that just looking at the cigar. In the end, though, I find that it is somewhat forgettable, perhaps a good cigar to enjoy while distracted by other things.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“Simply put, this was an excellent smoke. I’ll be headed out to buy a fist full shortly after the reveal. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)
"I'll be the first to say this vitola was not my cup of tea and was potentially a tough cigar for me due to the size. I can lose interest in a larger vitola if the flavors don't progress enough. The balance between progression and consistency can be a fine line for my palette. However, the consistency of this smoke was impressive in all areas, flavor, burn, draw, and construction. So, regardless of my personal preferences in vitola, this was a very decent cigar that I would burn again in the right circumstance." -Diana (ArmyRN)
