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: Robusto
Length: 5.5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Dominican Hybrid
Binder: Mexican Sumatra
Filler: Multiple country blend
Factory: E. León Jimenes Tabacalera
Blender: Henke Kelner
Number of reviewers: 6 —– Gregg (McGreggor57) Sandeep (Djangos) Ron (shuckins) Brian (B-daddy) Cindy (Ms_CindyLynn) Robert (NavyPiper)
Price: $7.00
Age: 2 Months Rest
Release Date: July 2013
Contributed by: Ventura Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 91
“Medium, caramel-brown in color, the wrapper looks oily, veiny and bumpy. Some areas look pulled tight.” –Cindy (Ms_CindyLynn)
Aroma: 93
“Nothing noteworthy at the foot. A bit of vegetal flavors on the cold draw with a hint of cedar.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
First Third
Flavor: 92
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium
“The third starts off with a lot of nuttiness as well as some unsweetened chocolate. There is definitely hay and grass as well as other barnyardy aromas that are difficult to place but nevertheless very pleasant. The pepper is almost absent in the beginning but begins to show after a few puffs and then builds in strength slowly. For the lack of a better word, there is slight ‘twang’ that can be appreciated. The smoke is creamy and smooth and voluminous. No issues with the draw or the burn. Very pleasant so far.” –Sandeep (Djangos)
“First third was very, very mild at the start. Flavors are mild tobacco with a nuttiness mixed in. Ash is tight, salt and pepper in color. Not much in the way of smoke output, so let’s see what develops as we go along….” –Robert (NavyPiper)
Second Third
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Dry cedar with a touch of sweet grass flavors are up front. Nutmeg with a nice light pepper kick to it is following close behind as I smoke past the halfway mark. Everything is blending well together and I like where the cigar is headed.” –Ron (shuckins)
“The cedar has become the dominant flavor in the second third. The spice has gone away nearly entirely and I’ve gotten a bump-up in strength, a little buzz. The finish is now very short. Every third or fourth draw I get a vegetal (celery?) note. And that’s about all I’m getting out of it.” –Brian (B-daddy)
Final Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Leather and roasted nuts kick off the final third. The charred flavors along with an earthiness provide a welcome relief. This is like a different cigar than the one I’ve been smoking.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
“The last third is befitting to this great cigar. The nuttiness reaches a crescendo and after that takes a back seat, after that the pepper gains more predominance. The pepper ramps up quite rapidly in the last half inch. The leather also becomes more prominent in this third. The draw and burn have no issue and the ash is medium gray and holds for over an inch before falling off. This is a very eventful cigar and I have to say I enjoyed it quite a bit.” –Sandeep (Djangos)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 90
“A really nice draw, firm with plenty of smoke.” –Ron (shuckins)
Burn: 93
“The burn on this guy was rock solid straight the whole way through.” –Robert (NavyPiper)
Construction: 93
“Nice firm pack and a pretty slow burn. Cool to the nub. Very good.” –Brian (B-daddy)
Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Overall Experience: 91
“Definitely box-split worthy, if not full box. After doing the last several reviews, I found this a pleasant change to the run of the mill good cigars that were missing something. I will definitely smoke this again. The complexity and the changes in the flavors are very welcome.” –Sandeep (Djangos)
“The first two thirds were not good. Too tight of a draw and a plastic taste left me wanting to chuck it early. I’m glad to have smoked the final third however, it was by far the best part. If offered another one, I would smoke it…but I also would not hesitate to put it out early if it started out like this one.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
“Good flavors, along with a great burning cigar added up to a great smoking experience that I would be happy to share with friends.” –Ron (shuckins)
“Although this stick performed pretty well, I was never really interested in the flavor palate. I’d say the first third was the best but it sorta devolved from there. I don’t think I’d buy these or recommend them based on this one try.” –Brian (B-daddy)
“Overall, the cigar was good. It was pretty one dimensional, but enjoyable at the same time. The spice and cedar was a nice combo.” –Cindy (Ms_CindyLynn)
“Overall I’d say it was a good mild cigar, one that would be a good one to have to start off your day. I’ve had some mild sticks in the past that just tasted burnt if you know what I mean. This sample didn’t have that at all, which really made me happy. Its probably not one I’d stock up a lot of just due to my personal preferences, I’ve been smoking mostly full strength/body stogies for the past few months.” –Robert (NavyPiper)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 76
Total Score: 91 (Very Good)
| Reviewer | Appea-rance | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gregg | 90 | 90 | 88 | 83 | 92 | 83 | 97 | 90 | 85 |
| Sandeep | 90 | 93 | 93 | 92 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 93 | 92 |
| Ron | 85 | 90 | 93 | 92 | 92 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 92 |
| Brian | 85 | 95 | 93 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 90 | 93 | 85 |
| Cindy | 95 | 93 | 95 | 90 | 90 | 100 | 83 | 93 | 90 |
| Robert | 92 | 93 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 85 | 93 | 93 | 90 |
| Overall | 91 | 93 | 92 | 90 | 91 | 90 | 93 | 93 | 91 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.