Cigar Info
Earlier this year we reviewed the Jas Sum Kral Red Knight Toro and it scored a respectable 90. A few months later Riste Risteski, the man behind the cigar, released the Jas Sum Kral | Red Knight Lancero.
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.
Riste created this brand because he was disappointed with offerings currently on the market. He wanted to create a profile which maintained Cuban standards, while adding his own spin to it. Knowing he had to be a part of the blending process he hand to find a factory that would allow this. He decided on New Order of the Ages or NOA, owned by master blender, Noel Rojas.
As Jas Sum Kral translates as “I Am King” in Macedonia, he designed the cigar band as Macedonian as possible. The text style was utilized to reflect the royalty of Macedonia. The 2 tailed lion is a symbol of Macedonia. For the foot of the bands, he made it a point to accommodate the customary outfit of Macedonia.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Lancero
Length: 7″
Ring Gauge: 38
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Mexican San Andres and Jalapa Seco
Filler: Corojo 99, Jalapa Ligero, Esteli Viso and Jalapa Seco
Factory: Noel Rojas factory (NOA)
Blender: Riste Risteski
Number of reviewers: 4 – Matt C. (Big Matt) Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd) Steve (ThaGreatWazoo) Dave W. (mdwest)
Price: $9.50
Age: 3 Months
Release Date: July 2016
Contributed by: Jas Sum Kral
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 93
“A really nice looking cigar with a closed foot and well executed pig tail cap. That combined with nearly invisible seams and a nearly perfect round shape = a thing of beauty.” –Dave W. (mdwest)
Aroma: 88
“The aroma on this cigar was pleasant with notes of spice, oak, and smoke. They played well together and had me intrigued to start smoking.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
First Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“That covered foot gives a hammering of spicy pepper at first light, but the first third mellows into a nice mixture of sweet and spice. Some leather aroma is textured with flavors of nutmeg and vanilla. The retrohale is surprisingly smooth with a little pepper, but mostly a toasted bread and cinnamon quality.” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
“I’m caught a bit off guard by the flavors produced in the first third. The pre-light aroma gave me an expectation of one profile, but I’m handed something completely different. Instead of something along the lines of hay and leather that was expected, I ended up with a pleasant blend of oak, pepper, and just a hint of coffee in the background.” –Dave W. (mdwest)
Second Third
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“I am really enjoying this premium cigar experience. Medium strength and medium-full bodied. Complexity is thru the roof. Someone really let the dogs out on this one. On the exhale we have: sugar cookies, cinnamon, dry cedar, leather, tobacco, cream, and Chinese five-spice. The retro is star anise, cream, cedar and white pepper and now has a nice meaty component. Burn, construction, and combustion line are all perfect. The blenders behind this one will most likely be getting a Christmas card from me this year.” –Matt C. (Big Matt)
“The second third continued with smooth flavors that played nicely together. Rich profiles of oak and pepper led the way. The retrohale was soft and full. This cigar has been really crisp throughout.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
Final Third
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The final third continues a profile that is very enjoyable. The leather aroma is basically gone, mainly replaced by a natural tobacco sweetness. Some of the sweet spice flavors are still there, but an earthy quality comes in that keeps things interesting. It is almost like a roasted mushroom kind of earthiness.” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
“The finish to this cigar was really nice. A bit of harshness tried to show, but did not come out completely. The oak and pepper were joined by a slight anise and campfire. The retrohale stayed soft and finished out the overall profile.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 96
“Perfect draw which only required twisting the pig-tail cap off the lancero vitola. Start to finish the draw was nothing short of amazing.” –Matt C. (Big Matt)
Burn: 88
“Aside from a couple minor touch-ups, the burn was good throughout. Considering how oily the wrapper was, that was pretty impressive. The ash was somewhat flaky, but it’s a lancero so that was expected.” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
Construction: 91
“This cigar was really nice to look at, and it burned properly. That showed me that it was lovingly constructed. The only downside was a couple soft spots in the pack, but that is a minor hit to an otherwise very handsome cigar.” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 93
“This is a total package cigar that I would recommend to any seasoned cigar enthusiast. The flavors are that of a multi-country blend but I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a puro, this cigar was just done right. The profile had so many flavors that meshed perfectly on my palate. We had cinnamon, five-spice, sugar cookie, and various dried woods, aged tobacco and cream on many different levels. Couple all this with a perfect draw and impeccable construction, I plan to send the blender a Christmas card this year. I will be picking up a box of these if they are available.” –Matt C. (Big Matt)
“As always, I was excited to try another small ring gauge cigar. This one looked good, smoked well, tasted very nice, and smoked down to a 1/2 inch nub. I would smoke it again in a heartbeat and would recommend it to anyone who also loves a flavorful lancero.” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
“This was a magnificent smoke. All around good flavors balanced out a great smoke production and aroma. I have an inclination as to the true identity of this cigar. If I’m right, they should be easily found and in a great price point. Get some of these if you are a lancero fan. If you’re not, get even more. You won’t be disappointed.” –Steve (ThaGreatWazoo)
“Overall this was a great smoke. I’m not normally a lancer guy, but I’ll make an exception here and will rush out to buy a 5 pack (or more) as soon as the reveal is made. I really enjoyed this one.” –Dave W. (mdwest)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 88
|
Reviewer
|
Appearance
|
Aroma
|
1/3
|
2/3
|
3/3
|
Draw
|
Burn
|
Constr.
|
Overall
Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt C. | 92 | 87 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 100 | 92 | 95 | 95 |
| Matthew T. | 90 | 87 | 92 | 88 | 88 | 97 | 87 | 88 | 90 |
| Steve | 92 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 93 | 87 | 92 | 92 |
| Dave W. | 95 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 95 | 87 | 90 | 92 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.