Rauchvergnuegen RVGN Cigars makes it’s home in Hamburg, Germany. RVGN was founded by three engineers, Joachim aka Joe, Klaas and Oliver. The company philosophy is “German Engineered Cigars”. The idea is to apply German Engineering concepts to cigars.
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 cigars themselves are rolled at InterCigar S.A. in Dominican Republic. The blend uses an Ecuadorian Hybrid wrapper, Dominican Criollo 98 binder, and Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Pennsylvania fillers. There five vitolas of RVGN, each number signifying the cubic centimeters of volume of each cigar: #18 (3 1/2 x 44), #36 (4 x 60), #42 (5 x 54), #62 (6 x 58), #64 (9 1/4 x 47).
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Robusto Length: 4 3/4″ Ring Gauge: 54 Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Wrapper: Ecuadorian Hybrid Binder: Dominican Criollo 98 Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Pennsylvania Factory: InterCigar S.A. Blender: Undisclosed Number of reviewers: 5 – Alan(Eulogy) James H.(Keikan Jim) John I. (John I.) Kevin J. (maninblack77) Nate H. (SineQuaNon) Price: $10.86 Age: 3 Months Release Date: March 2016 Contributed by: Rauchvergnuegen RVGN Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 93
“Looks like a very well made cigar. The seams are seams are tight, veins are delicate, a tightly rolled triple cap is well applied at the head, and the wrapper is slightly oily to the touch. All in all a very handsome cigar. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Aroma: 93
“When I nose the cigar, I really don’t get much of an aroma. That being said, if I hold the cigar away from my nose, I really pick up some milk chocolate and hint of cinnamon and nutmeg. This blows my mind. ” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
First Third
Blind Cigar Review: RGVN | #42
Flavor: 92 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“Lots of bold leather notes, so much so it even sticks to the lips. There’s a mild level of pepper in the background with a bit of leather thrown in for good measure. The smoke output is phenomenal and I’m picking up a slight floral note on the retrohale. An odd char and vegetal note start dominating the profile and it’s a bit of an odd couple. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“The cigar starts out with a pleasant, mild flavor, with the earthy hay from the pre-light being present. Upon retro, however, spicy pepper is immediately apparent, and seems almost at odds with the medium strength and body that it otherwise presents. The draw is firm, but adequate, and smoke production is quite generous. The burn so far is steady, but slightly wavy.” –Nate H. (SineQuaNon)
“Going into the second third, the draw opened up just enough to make it enjoyable. The burn line which was a little wavy at first, has corrected itself to be almost razor sharp. I’m liking the direction we’re headed. The dark grey ash is firm and holding steady. The smoke is dry with a sweet cinnamon toast flavor which leads me to believe this cigar has a Sumatra wrapper but don’t hold me to it. As reach the end of the 2nd third, I get a slight increase in strength but it never gets out of the medium range. The retro can sneak up on you if you if you don’t watch it but is otherwise smooth. ” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
“The second 1/3 has much improved upon my initial impressions of the cigar, which were already solid. The pepper has calmed down a significant amount, and the flavor has added some complexity that is quite enjoyable. The earthiness and hay are still present, but an almost clove-like flavor has joined the party, along with a pleasant sweetness that lingers on the palate after a solid puff; it always makes me happy when a cigar’s flavor profile changes for the better, instead of the worse, and this one is killing it. The burn and draw are still acceptable, and the dark-grey ash comes off cleanly with gentle pressure in the ash tray. ” –Nate H. (SineQuaNon)
“Leather, slightly more aggressive level of pepper, chalk, cedar, and bitter anise round out the end of the cigar. The floral retrohale adds a nice dimension though.” –Alan (Eulogy)
“At the start of the last third, I noticed a slight crack in the wrapper. This was probably caused by rolling it in my fingers to loosen the draw when I first lit the cigar. Flavors have been fairly consistent throughout the smoking experience with no noticeable flavor changes. ” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 87
“The draw was always consistent, though just a tad firmer than I like. It was still completely manageable, though, and produced a good volume of smoke with every strong pull. ” –Nate H. (SineQuaNon)
Burn: 91
“The burn started with a wavy line but it never got out of control. This quickly corrected itself and burned true the rest of the way. ” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
Construction: 91
“Very nice looking cigar packed full of filler tobacco. The stick was firm to the touch but developed a few soft spots along the way. Not bad, just not great” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
“The construction, smoke output, and draw are all top notch. The flavors are just a little out of my wheelhouse. It’s a solid cigar just not for me. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“This cigar had promise but failed to deliver for me. Virtually no shifts in the flavor profile from start to finish. What was there was good but far from great. Like all cigars, it’s worth a try and you may a much better experience than I did. ” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
“This cigar started out with tremendous promise. Great flavors, bright sharpness and peppery bite with a finale of exceptional spice. Unfortunately by the end of the middle third the large void in the filler rendered this very difficult to smoke. ” –John I. (John I.)
“Overall I’d have to give this a “Mediocre”. Possibly even lower. Flavors never took off because the bitterness was overwhelming. Had to rinse my mouth out to get rid of the aftertaste. Not sure I’d try this again. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“Though a milder cigar, the flavors were interesting enough to keep me satisfied throughout the experience; I wouldn’t hesitate to smoke another one of these, given the opportunity. Would pair well with medium-roast coffee or a nice porter or lager. ” –Nate H. (SineQuaNon)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Rauchvergnügen | RVGN #42
Overall Score – 91 – Very Good
Blind Cigar Review: Rauchvergnügen | RVGN #42
Summary
"Though a milder cigar, the flavors were interesting enough to keep me satisfied throughout the experience; I wouldn't hesitate to smoke another one of these, given the opportunity. Would pair well with medium-roast coffee or a nice porter or lager. " -Nate H. (SineQuaNon)
