Islero is the second line extension to the Imperia line. Mike Bellody describes this a as full-boded. It has an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper, Dominican criollo 98 binder, and Dominican criollo 98 and Pennsylvania fillers.
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.
This cigar comes in the same five vitolas as the regular Imperia line: Gordo (6 x 60), Toro (6 x 50), Robusto (5 x 52), Pita (5 1/2 x 44) and Fundador (7 x 50/33). Price goes from $8.50-14 per stick. All cigars are in boxes of 20, except the Fundador is offered in a 10-count box. It is rolled at Quesada Cigars in the Dominican Republic.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
Binder: Dominican Criollo 98
Filler: Dominican Criollo 98 and Pennsylvania
Factory: Quesada Cigars
Blender: Mike Bellody
Number of reviewers: 5 – Ryan H.(Ryan H.) John A.(John A.) Mickey T.(irratebass) David F. (dfafjf) Jason H.(Jokey Smurf)
Price: $9.00
Age: 8 Months
Release Date: July 2017
Contributed by: MLB Cigar
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 90
“This cigar is sporting a dark chocolate brown wrapper leaf that is sparkling with oils and has a rough and toothy feel. The cap is slightly off center but tightly applied and the seams are practically invisible. Based on the oily looking wrapper I’m pretty excited to light this one up.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Aroma: 94
“On the cold draw sweet flavors of red fruits and leathery tobacco satisfy. On the nose is also a similar profile.” –John A. (John A.)
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Tobacco is the most prominent flavor, but there seems to be some faint oatmeal on the finish with walnuts on the retro and there is a sweetness that lingers. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“The initial flavors from this dark cigar are surprisingly light, but full of flavor. In the main there is a spicy earth note that hits my palate right behind my molars…it’s funny how much I can taste in that specific spot. Through the nose there is a hint of pepper, but nothing that is overbearing. The finish is long and leaves my palate feeling slick.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“I have had two burn corrections so far has a habit of canoeing. Draw and constructions are performing well. Puts out a ton of smoke. Bitterness does leave which is good about half way through the second third” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“The sweetness is front and center, and has brought lots of nut flavors. The cigar went out on me twice. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“In the beginning of the final third there is an earthy element with wood and tobacco. Walnuts and some sweetness end the cigar” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“Even at the final third the strength doesn’t leave the medium level. A very smooth cigar. I also prefer more complexity and spice but even without much of that, this cigar is still very enjoyable. I keep picking up this really enjoyable floral aspect that is slightly sweet and a bit salty as I have moved into the final 1/3. Really nice. ” –David F. (dfafjf)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 93
“There were absolutely no issues with the draw on this sample. It was very slightly restricted, which is what I prefer to limit overheating the smoke.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Burn: 89
” No problems in this department with it correcting itself. ” –John A. (John A.)
Construction: 92
“A solidly constructed Cigar however I did have a crack while smoking it. ” –John A. (John A.)
Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 88
“I would smoke more of them but I don’t think I could buy a box” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“This was overall a pleasant medium bodied smoke with a few transitions throughout. The profile was limited to a few flavors which I had hoped that it would be more diverse. Overall a good smoke to enjoy and relax with. ” –John A. (John A.)
“This cigar had some nice elements to it like the walnuts and sweetness, but it didn’t really wow me. I would smoke it again, but I wouldn’t stock up on it. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“This is a very enjoyable smoke. It is been a week or so since I’ve been able to smoke a cigar and this one was nice. I wished there was more complexity and more spice but this would be a nice medium bodied cigar to start out with if someone was planning on smoking a few cigars in a day. ” –David F. (dfafjf)
“This was a relatively simple, yet very enjoyable cigar. There weren’t many changes to the flavor profile but the flavors were good and kept me interested for the duration. It was interesting how the strength changed from the first portion from a relatively light smoke to a deep, powerful smoking experience. upon reflection, this may be a bit much for a new smoker, but for a veteran it’s a great way to end the evening and even pair with a full bodied drink such as a porter or red wine.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
"This was overall a pleasant medium bodied smoke with a few transitions throughout. The profile was limited to a few flavors which I had hoped that it would be more diverse. Overall a good smoke to enjoy and relax with. " -John A. (John A.)
