Cigar Info
Earlier this year, just before the PCA Trade Show, El Artista announced the third blend in the Buffalo TEN series, Buffalo TEN Connecticut. The original Buffalo TEN came out in 2019 and gained a lot of popularity because of high scores by cigar media and the low price point ($5.00). We gave it a 93 in our blind testing. Last year, El Artista added a natural that also scored very well on our site (91).
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.
Like the other blends in the line, Buffalo TEN Connecticut comes in just one size, a soft box pressed 6×50 Toro. The cigars are packed in 5-count soft packs that sell for $22.50. The blend uses five different tobacco leaves from Central & South America and The Caribbean. It beings with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper from El Artista's own farms, a Cameroon binder, and fillers from Nicaragua, and the company's own farms in the Dominican Republic.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera El Artista
Blender: Ram Rodriguez
Number of reviewers: 4 – Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard) Lauren S. (Lauren S.) Matt Cade (CadeTNCC) Sean F. (fullermaine)
Price: $4.50
Age: 3 Months
Release Date: August 2021
Contributed by: El Artista
Initial Impressions – El Artista Buffalo TEN Connecticut
Appearance: 90
“Nice light brown wrapper, a thinner type of box-press.” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
Aroma: 91
“Honey notes on the cold draw with oak notes once lit.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
First Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The cold draw is a tad chalky but airflow seems ideal. Upon ignition, there's a nose-tingling white pepper spice through the nose and a straight-forward profile of cedar on the draw. At around the one-inch mark, the spice downshifts in strength quite a bit and it is joined by a mineral note and just a touch of cream. While that retrohale is undergoing steady changes, the draw's primary cedar note remains constant and alone until the very end of the first third when that mineral joins in on the draw as well. ” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)
“Notes of earth, green tea, slight pepper, and underlying sweetness” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
Second Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Leather, cedar, earthy, woodiness, red pepper, and baking spice. There is so much going on in this blend yet it doesn't seem overwhelming and all melds together. The leather and wood are the primary flavors but the background baking spice and red pepper retrohale bring the interest.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
“A nice hint of sweetness coming through. Nice notes of sweet maple coming through.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
Final Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The white pepper kicks back up a notch through the nose in the early stages of the final third which is most welcome, especially because the mineral and cream are still thankfully detectable. Meanwhile, the draw remains cedar heavy
with just a touch of that cream while the mineral has all but faded away. Again: Coffee + This Cigar would = Pleasuredome. Construction remains very good until the very end…” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)
“Earth, mild pepper and the slight sweetness returned” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
Overall Impressions – El Artista Buffalo TEN Connecticut
Draw: 91
“Depending on which portion of the stick I was at, I had a fair draw in some spots. Further along in the cigar, the draw improved.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
Burn: 90
“Overall this had a great, relatively even burn. ” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Construction: 90
“Besides flaky ash starting at the halfway point along with a few relights needed in the final third there wasn't too much to complain about construction-wise.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 89
“A nice mild to medium smoke, paired well with my iced coffee and relaxing evening with a movie.” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
“Shockingly to me, I loved this cigar. I'm not a huge box-pressed cigar fan and this one is so thin worried me but it smoked wonderfully and the mouthfeel was not as harsh as expected. The flavors were complex and kept me interested the entire time. Starting with a red pepper blast that then settles into a smoky cedar and leather flavor. Complex baking spice and some surprise floral notes make this cigar stand out. I will absolutely seek out more of this stick in the future.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
“This was a highly enjoyable, slow-smoking cigar. I appreciated the transitions in the pepper spice's strength throughout the smoking experience and the highlights were, by far, the manner in which the cream and mineral interacted with both that spice and the draw's cedar prominent flavor. This cigar would absolutely kill it as a pairing partner with your favorite cup of coffee and I can't wait to try that experience out as soon as I know what the hell this stogie is…” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)
“Good combo of notes come through. Notes of sweetness, wood, and spice make it a decent cigar. Even though the cap split, it didn't interfere with the enjoyment. A nice quick smoke that paired well with a cup of coffee.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 98
| Reviewer | Appear. | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall Experience |
| Joseph S. | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Lauren S. | 90 | 92 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 97 | 95 | 95 | 95 |
| Matt Cade | 90 | 88 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 92 | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Sean F. | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 88 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.