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: Perfecto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 52
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Habano 98
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras
Factory: Assouline Omega Tabacos
Blender: Felix Assouline
Number of reviewers: 4 —– Cindy (Ms_CindyLynn) Robert (NavyPiper) Brian (B-daddy) Emmett (rhetorik)
Price: $7.50
Age: 7 Months Rest
Release Date: July 2013
Contributed by: Felix Assouline Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 96
“I love everything about the appearance of this cigar. It’s very unique perfecto shape and box press make for an extraordinary presentation. The wrapper is a reddish-brown and very even in color. There are no large veins or imperfections.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Aroma: 90
“Not much. A touch of sweetness and cedar.” –Brian (B-daddy)
First Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“The flavors were “mm mm good.” Immediately after lighting, the flavors were filled with leather and dark espresso. The taste was rich and bold. No bitterness. I loved it.” –Cindy (Ms_CindyLynn)
“The first puffs are woody and sweet with not much spice. As I get a ways in, I start picking up some nice baking spices, basil most apparent. The burn is proving to be somewhat problematic from the narrow foot, I’m hoping it corrects itself soon. Towards the end of this third I start getting some espresso flavor.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Second Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“The pepper has continued to mellow and is now more balanced with the mustiness and a wood type flavor. A little hint of sweetness came in at the end of the third.” –Robert (NavyPiper)
“The leather is back in the second third and now it has some cedar mixing with it. Throughout this third, I’m getting some flinty/mineral flavors, particularly on the finish. Also, getting some nicotine buzz.” –Brian (B-daddy)
Final Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The leather came back into the forefront at the last third. The espresso almost disappeared, with the smoky wood flavor becoming more apparent. The smoke was consistently smooth.” –Cindy (Ms_CindyLynn)
“Flavors in the final third are similar to the second but they have mellowed out and become softer. I’m still getting cedar and some soft leather notes on the draw and cedar with some mineral flavors on the finish. Stays cool and burns even all the way to the nub.” –Brian (B-daddy)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 95
“The draw was great, just snug enough to produce a lot of smoke.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Burn: 91
“Pretty even throughout. Never any problems and very good smoke volume.” –Brian (B-daddy)
Construction: 94
“Great construction, no problems. A lot of care went into the making of this cigar.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Overall Experience: 91
“This cigar was very good. There was not too much of a change in the cigar, but enough to keep me wanting more. The cigar did start out very strong with a nice kick in the mouth and mellowed a bit over time. I would definitely recommend this.” –Cindy (Ms_CindyLynn)
“It wasn’t bad overall, some interesting flavors. The mustiness didn’t trip my trigger, but it wasn’t what I’d call a definite turn off. The draw, as I mentioned earlier, initially was horrid, but once past that foot reduction it was fine.” –Robert (NavyPiper)
“This was an interesting flavor profile. I liked the leather and cedar flavors and the mineral notes were pretty interesting. I was surprised that the flavors didn’t build in intensity through the last third but, rather, mellowed out. I’d smoke this again. I liked it.” –Brian (B-daddy)
“This was a great smoke, the spice was so dynamic. One minute it was a red pepper, and the next dark baking spice. Kept me very interested. The rest of the flavors were solid throughout. I would definitely smoke more of these and would consider it box-worthy. It wasn’t strong enough to scare away anyone, but enough to make it exciting.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 73
Total Score: 92 (Very Good)
| Reviewer | Appea-rance | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cindy | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 95 | 97 | 97 | 100 | 92 |
| Robert | 88 | 88 | 90 | 88 | 90 | 93 | 90 | 90 | 88 |
| Brian | 93 | 88 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 93 | 92 | 93 | 90 |
| Emmett | 97 | 95 | 92 | 92 | 95 | 97 | 88 | 95 | 95 |
| Overall | 96 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 93 | 95 | 91 | 94 | 91 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.