Cigar Info
El Artista came out with the Big Papi cigar in 2016 as a collaboration with David Ortiz. A new version was added in 2019 called “The Slugger” which was a brand new, fuller-bodied cigar and was only offered in one size, a 6 x 60 Gordo. Last year, El Artista came out with that new blend in a smaller, 5 x 50 robusto: El Artista Big Papi The Slugger Robusto.
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 newer The Slugger blend uses a San Andres maduro wrapper, Dominican Negrito binder, and fillers from Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and US. This blend includes more ligero tobaccos than the original Big Papi making it stronger.
Big Papi The Slugger uses the same main band as the original, but also has a secondary navy blue foot ribbon. The cigar is presented in 20-count boxes that are glossy blue and white. The new cigar has a retail price of $10.50.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Dominican Republic (Negrito)
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, USA
Factory: Tabacalera El Artista
Blender: Radhames ‘Ram’ Rodriguez
Number of reviewers: 5 – Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) Mickey T. (irratebass) Quinn (quinnpins269) Kevin A. (Kevin A.) John A. (Bostoneo)
Price: $10.50
Age: 9 Months
Release Date: August 2021
Contributed by: El Artista
Initial Impressions – El Artista Big Papi The Slugger Robusto
Appearance: 90
“The wrapper had a very nice toothy oily appearance to it. There was one noticeable vein that ran from the foot to the cap. The cap was what I would consider truly seamless.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
Aroma: 88
“On a cold draw, oodles of earthy black pepper spew forth while almost no aroma can be gathered for the nosing except a faint metallic note.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
First Third
Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The sweet chocolate aroma that I had noticed before lighting this cigar came through a good amount during the first third. It was similar to milk chocolate with a creaminess to it without any bitter notes. On every couple of puffs, I got hints of white pepper and fresh cedar. During the first third I did have a slightly uneven burn, but after tapping the ash off it started to correct itself without a touch-up.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
“The cold draw gives me mildew and raisins. Starting out with a nice balance of coffee and chocolate. There is also some cream and walnuts on the finish that doesn’t really linger that long. The first ash held on for an inch before falling off. As I “chew” the smoke the I pick up a crackerjack type of flavor, which is something I’ve never picked up before… very unique.”-Mickey T. (irratebass)”
Second Third
Flavor: 87
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“Moving into the second third, the full-bodied profile retains char, leather, and wood flavors while developing a syrupy note that clouds the other flavors out almost completely. Unfortunately, the remainder of this third kept course and did not improve.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“Strength creeps up to full in the middle part of the cigar, as does the body. Espresso, leather, earth, and charred wood are the prominent notes, with the cayenne pepper going full bore on the retrohale. The draw has opened up slightly to almost perfect and burn is outstanding.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
Final Third
Flavor: 86
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Full
“The final portion of this cigar lost the citrus notes but remained very grassy and just tastes young to me. Unfortunately, the lingering notes are bitter and leave the back of my palate feeling dirty. Through the nose the smoke has become hot and not enjoyable, effectively ending my retrohaling for this cigar.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“It started to slip downhill a bit for me in the final third. I began having a fair amount of bitterness and harsh smoke with each puff. I did give the cigar some time to cool down. Unfortunately, the bitterness was there to stay. Up until this point, I did enjoy the cigar, just did not want it to end this way.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
Overall Impressions – El Artista Big Papi The Slugger Robusto
Draw: 91
“Draw started off a little tight and opened up nicely as the cigar smoked along.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
Burn: 93
“Not one touch-up or relight was required.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Construction: 92
“The construction on this sample was really quite good. A nice draw and even burn speak volumes. My only complaint would be the ash fell off unpredictably and typically ended up on my lap.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 87
“The performance is this cigar was its real highlight for me. Flavor-wise, I would not choose to smoke this again as the flavors were not pleasant for me in any portion. I sure hope this was better for the other panelists.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“This cigar surprised me since there weren’t any real aromas coming off of it before setting it ablaze. The cigar gave me plenty of cream, nuts, coffee, and chocolate. The big surprise/winner here was the crackerjack flavors I got on the finish…..it’s subtle but it’s there. The second half of this cigar opened up with a bit more earth and dirt flavors, but it never got harsh or hindered the cigar in any way. I am very curious to see what this is. I would definitely pick up a fiver and retry it again before committing to a full box purchase. Give it a go, and see if you get the crackerjack too.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“I would be happy to smoke this cigar again. I really enjoyed the vitola and profile on this cigar.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
“This cigar was a powerhouse for me, bordering on too strong to enjoy. New smokers should definitely steer clear! Experienced smokers and those that like powerful, smoky earthy flavors should love this cigar. The small size makes the power manageable, but definitely on a full stomach with a beverage nearby to ease the power.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
“While this cigar had a gorgeous looking appearance, I cannot say the same for the flavor complexity, construction, and draw. I found it very hard to enjoy particularly because of the very tight construction, which impacted the draw to such an amount that it required extreme babysitting to ensure it stayed lit. Coupled on top of a less than desirable flavor profile, at least for me, this proved to be a disappointment. I’ll have to pass on this cigar for now.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 59
| Reviewer | Appear. | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall Experience |
| Jason H. | 90 | 90 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 95 | 95 | 92 | 85 |
| Mickey T. | 85 | 83 | 90 | 87 | 90 | 85 | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Quinn | 90 | 90 | 90 | 87 | 85 | 90 | 88 | 90 | 87 |
| Kevin A. | 88 | 88 | 90 | 87 | 85 | 92 | 97 | 95 | 85 |
| John A. | 92 | 85 | 85 | 80 | 75 | 78 | 75 | 78 | 78 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.