Continental Premium Golden Edition – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Continental Cigars was founded by Kender Roman and Carlos Fernandez, ​​two young Dominican entrepreneurs that both love cigars. The initials R&F are found frequently on their website and in their branding. The full name of the company is “R&F Continental Dominican Cigars.”

Román & Fernández set out to serve the modern cigar enthusiast while maintaining the spirit of the Dominican cigar industry. In their journey, they partnered with master blender Joel Jimenez. Jimenez was grew up in a tobacco growing and cigar producing family. In addition to their own brand of cigars, the company has made releases for Privada Cigar Club, House Blend Direct, Distinguished Ruffians, and others.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Undisclosed
Binder: Undisclosed
Filler: Undisclosed
Factory: Continental Cigars Factory
Blender: Joel Jimenez
Number of reviewers: 5 – Kevin J. (maninblack77) Isaac M. (The Nothing) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Lauren S. (Lauren S.) Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
Price: $12.00
Age: 5 Months
Release Date: 2020
Contributed by: R&F Continental Cigars

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 91

“An oily, brindle in color, wrapper covers this cigar. It is lumpy to the touch. The seams are invisible on this tightly rolled and it is finished with a triple cap. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Aroma: 88

“Aromas were faint on the cigar, but I did manage to pick up just a bit of barnyard scents. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

First Third

Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The opening of this cigar is a tale of two halves. A marriage of citrus notes and fatty pork belly is the opener then it slowly transitions to a savory salted caramel. The retrohale counters the palate with a creamy note that is hard to define. The smoke is thick and oily on the tongue and the finish is medium in length. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“After clipping the cap and using my soft flame to toast the foot, I was hit right away with some bold flavors including espresso, leather, some slight black pepper, and a nice oakiness. The black pepper dissipates and I was left with some very enjoyable flavors. The strength was medium but the body was definitely medium-full. The ash and burn were very impressive thus far. The draw is also perfect. A very good beginning to this smoke. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Second Third

Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The usual suspects continue along with some charred oak, almost campfire-like. Fortunately, the smoke is subtle enough to not be a distraction. That and the pepper is still dominating the field here.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

“The second portion of the cigar maintained its main flavors of roasted bell pepper and leafy compost but added in a cedar taste. There was just a faint hint of cedar at the beginning of the third, but it grew intensity throughout the section. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Final Third

Flavor: 94
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The strength and body ramp up in this third. The sourdough notes are gone and are replaced with a return of the salted caramel note. As I enter the final inch of the cigar it becomes dark and nutty. This has me dreaming of Cracker Jakes with dark chocolate syrup poured over the top of it. I’m the retro the creamy note is back and it has a soft and delicate finish. The body and finish are thick and flavorful with notes of cacao nibs. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“The final third has introduced an interesting floral note on top of the sweet hickory, almost as though classic honey has turned into a strong orange blossom or lavender honey. The spice he also remained though seems a bit smoother in this final third. I have also begun to produce a good amount of saliva which doesn’t bother me but I find interesting.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 93

“Draw was spot on with my standard v-cut.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

Burn: 84

“The burn was my biggest complaint with this stick. I had to touch up several times as parts of the wrapper just did not keep up.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)

Construction: 90

” Firmly packed with no soft spots I can find anywhere. Unfortunately, this did not translate well with the burn. ” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 89

“As I stated, this was enjoyable from beginning to end. The number of flavors I drew from this and how well they worked together just made it a great experience. The oakiness, leather, espresso, and baking spices all worked very well together. This is definitely a cigar I’d want to try again. Thanks for the experience! ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“This cigar was definitely something different. While I feel the construction can use some work to clear up the hard spots and the soft spots, it was a rather enjoyable cigar; much more so than I thought it was going to be at the beginning. It evolved into something I’d rather enjoy. The array of flavors was good, and brought back some memories, especially with the bell pepper note. I’d smoke this one again, but I’d be picky about the feel of the cigar in hopes to find a good burn.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

“The middle third of this cigar may have skewed my opinion. I liked how the first and third thirds worked well with one another but the sourdough bread note was slightly off pudding for me. Overall this was a very good smoke and might need a little bit of time to “round” out. It will give it another shot some time down the road. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“This corona was a perfect fit for my palate. Though it did not change much through the cigar, I don’t find I search that out as much in a cigar this size. The sweet, smoky, spicy flavors are some of my favorites, and these melded together perfectly. The burn and the draw were both a bit lacking but the flavor is worth it to me. I’m hoping that this isn’t a limited edition stick because I would love to stock up for some short smokes.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)

“Fairly straight-forward cigar, with initial notes of leather and earth which are typical. The serrano is the highlight though, albeit leaving the entire session as not very complex. As I’ve said in the past, this can be a good thing, especially when the profile keeps your attention just enough. This is one such cigar that I could see pairing with a barrel-aged stout or something similar with a heavy body to compliment it. ” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 81

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Continental Premium Golden Edition – Blind Cigar Review