Just before IPCPR last year, El Artista announced a new size for their 2016 cigar Big Papi by David Ortiz. The new cigar, dubbed Big PapiSlugger by David Ortiz. This new “Slugger” size is not only a new size, but a new blend. While the original was described as medium-bodied, this is said to be much fuller.
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.
Originally, the blend for Big Papi used an Ecuadorian Habano Claro wrapper, Dominican Criollo ’98, and filler from Dominican & Nicaragua. This new blend for Big PapiSlugger by David Ortiz uses a San Andres maduro wrapper, Dominican Negrito binder, and fillers from Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and US. The original Big Papi came in one size, a 6 x 54 toro, this new Slugger size is a 7 x 60 Gordo XL. This cigar uses the same red and white Big Papi band as the original but now has a navy blue foot band instead of a red. It comes in 20-count boxes and each stick has an MSRP of and sells for $12.50 per cigar.
“The obvious appearance is a long and large gauge cigar. It looks very nice well constructed with a dark almost black brown wrapper. For the size it is consistent in gauge throughout the length of the cigar. The cap is well constructed and smooths nicely into the body of the cigar. The foot reveals a nicely packed filler with variant shades of dark brown.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Aroma: 89
“Leather and dry earth with a touch of hay from the foot in a dry and musty kind of way. There’s a touch of hay from the wrapper but it’s not super distinct. The predraw is very loose but does have a nice baking spice and cedar thing going on. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Flavor: 92 Strength: Medium-Strong Body/Complexity: Medium
“Great start. Begins with a nice pepper and leather flavor. Tons of smoke production. Definitely gets deep into all the nooks and crannys. 30 minutes in the ash is holding, but looking awfully flaky at the end. Flavor has developed into nice rich notes of oaky wood in addition to the bright leather. ” –John I. (John I.)
“There was an instant hint of coffee although not very strong as I first got into the cigar. It was earthy and woody and fairly smooth. I didn’t find that it progressed much through the first third but it provided enough flavor to keep me interested. There were some pepper notes for me and more so on the retro but nothing in particular came out front for me.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Second Third
Flavor: 89 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“After the first third, the second third kind of mellowed out and the flavors became more subdued. Still getting the coffee notes but alot more dry cocoa and nutmeg. But they definitely were not as in your face as they were in the beginning. Ash held on for about 2 inches before I knocked it off. Didnt need it landing in my lap. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“The second third continued with most of the same flavors as from the first. It did become a bit richer in body for me and that is something that I always enjoy. Coffee with some molasses in the background mixed nicely with the woodiness and slight pepper of the cigar.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Final Third
Flavor: 88 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“At the beginning of the last third, I was met with some bitterness that really threw me off. Luckily it went away after several puffs but man it was enough to ruin my taste buds. Rinsed my mouth out and kept going. Same flavors as the second third. Espresso and dry cocoa. But still very subdued. Kind of what I expected from a larger ring gauge. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“Just overwhelmingly bitter at this point. There’s still notes of leather, pepper, tobacco, and cedar but
they’re all masked by an aggressive bitterness. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 90
“For a cigar of this size I worry about a loose draw but this was consistently good throughout the entire burn. I didn’t have to fight to produce smoke nor did I hit any difficult spots along the way.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Burn: 91
“Usually when I smoke tree branches like this the burn is all over the place. This was not the case. I had a razor sharp burn from beginning to end and it never went out even when I let it sit there for a few minutes at a time. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Construction: 90
“The cap held nicely and there were no cracks or lifts in the wrapper during the entire smoking experience. The body stayed firm without any blocked or hard areas and the temperature never became heated or uncomfortable. Well constructed and solid cigar.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong Overall Body/Complexity: Medium Experience Overall: 89
“For a very large cigar it was fairly enjoyable. While I don’t ever smoke these big cigars, it was fun to review, if very time consuming. I’d like to see this in a robusto format to compare. Personally I’d give this an 85. Would I smoke it again, no. Large ring gauges aren’t my thing but if someone out there enjoys these big boys, give it a whirl. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“My first impressions were negative due to the size of the cigar. Eliminating my bias towards that was easy once I started smoking the cigar. It really was a pleasant and long experience. This is still not necessarily going to be a first choice smoke for me but I can say it was flavorful enough all the way through to work for a niche smoke at the right time for me. Well constructed and good looking, I’d revisit this cigar again.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“It’s log, it’s log, it’s big, it’s heavy it’s wood… Trying to be fair despite my personal preferences toward much smaller cigars. The overall flavor was really nice for the majority of this experience. Lots of nice leather and woody notes apparent throughout. Not much else, this isn’t a cigar that offered a ton of transitions. If you like what’s there, and you like a lot of it, you’re in good shape. ” –John I. (John I.)
“I feel like a cigar this size needs to have a wow factor other then its size. The flavors were the same from start to finish other then the different degrees of bitterness. It burns well and if you like leather, pepper, and cedar and want a three hour smoke it’s a good choice. I won’t smoke this again. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
"My first impressions were negative due to the size of the cigar. Eliminating my bias towards that was easy once I started smoking the cigar. It really was a pleasant and long experience. This is still not necessarily going to be a first choice smoke for me but I can say it was flavorful enough all the way through to work for a niche smoke at the right time for me. Well constructed and good looking, I’d revisit this cigar again." -Diana (ArmyRN)
