Somm Rioja Robusto – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Following its unveiling at TPE 2024, Vlada Stojanov's Somm Rioja from Somm Cigars has made its transition from a promising pre-release to a fully launched product embraced by enthusiasts and critics alike. Initially soft-launched through Luxury Cigar Club, this line drew notable attention for its sophisticated blend of aged tobaccos—a three-year-old Dominican corojo wrapper coupled with a Sumatra binder of the same age, and fillers from the Dominican Republic, aged three to four years.

Produced in collaboration with Eladio Diaz's Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera in the Dominican Republic, the Somm Rioja is Stojanov's tribute to the storied Spanish region renowned for its Gran Reserva wines. This cigar embodies a commitment to the same values of tradition and quality, striving to offer a remarkable quality-to-price ratio that echoes the virtues of its vinous inspiration.

Now available in both Robusto and Toro sizes, the Somm Rioja has received broad distribution beyond its initial exclusive channels, finding a place in both brick-and-mortar shops and online retailers. This broader availability has allowed a wider audience to appreciate its meticulously crafted blend, which has been developed to pair the complexity and richness of Rioja wines with the nuanced experience of cigar smoking.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Dominican Corojo
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera
Blender: Vlada Stojanov
Number of reviewers: 5 – Kevin J. (maninblack77) Jessica (Stogie Sister) Noah S. (Noah) Diana (ArmyRN) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Price: $13.50
Age: 2 Months
Release Date: December 2023
Contributed by: SOMM Cigars

Initial Impressions – Somm Rioja Robusto

Appearance: 93

“Today's selection from the humidor is a short and stalky little robusto that is thick for its length and feels hefty in the hand. Its wrapper is just a shade or two darker than a typical Connecticut, almost akin to a brown paper sack, very homogenous in color with absolutely no mottling. Chunky veins and thick seams are only distinguishable by the pattern of the latter and I'm not seeing any flaws or blemishes.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Aroma: 93

“The body of the cigar has notes of graham cracker and golden raisins. The foot of the cigar has notes of dried fruit and charred wood. The cold draw is sweet, like I mean really sweet. Once I get over the heavy sugar sweetness I find a somewhat musty note. Something to the extent of mushrooms. This cigar has a lot going on already and can't wait to put fire to it.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

First Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The initial puffs are incredibly smooth but noticeably spicy, dominant with both cedar and white pepper. The finish is long and dry while the tingle of spice really lingers on the tip of the tongue. Immediately a touch-up is needed although I'm willing to write this off to me needing to be a little more thorough on the light. The draw is near perfect although a little more smoke with each puff would be nice. About half an inch in, sweetness of dried fruit joins the spicy duo and provides an enjoyable amount of balance. In addition to a little spice, the retro brings its own subtle sweetness to the table with notes very similar to sweet cream. As the first third comes to a close, the spice on the finish tames dramatically and is replaced with a certain bitterness which admittedly is the only thing I don't like about this smoke so far.” –Noah S. (Noah)

“The first third is well-balanced and nuanced, this is a cigar you want to pay attention to. Flavor notes are cream and nut on the draw with cedar, hay, and a light coffee on the finish.” –Jessica (Stogie Sister)

Second Third

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

“There is a shift taking place as I enter the second third. Gone are the charred notes. They are replaced by vegetal notes on both the palate and sinuses. The grape skin notes are still present but they are now in the background. As the third comes to an end there is a yeasty effervescent that starts to build. The mouthfeel and body take a step up. The finish reminds on the shorter end.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“The pepper begins to settle down in the second third, even though it is still there, leaving a tingle on the tip of my tongue. The retro brings it out more prominently. Cedar and spice mixed with cashew is noted on the finish and reminds me of nuts rolled in flour. It is definitely a little more balanced at this point with the pepper mixing nicely.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

Final Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The strength picked up a bit into the final third but it was far from overwhelming or overpowering. Same flavors as before with no change. This didn't take away from the experience because the flavors presented were very tasty indeed. The wrapper split didn't affect it and it only split for about a quarter of an inch. Great cigar from beginning to end.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“The final third is a combination of everything I have experienced in the previous two thirds. Tannic, charred, and woody notes all come together with a nice balance. The retrohale has a nice white pepper note. The body and finish have taken another step forward as it comes to an end.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Overall Impressions – Somm Rioja Robusto

Draw: 98

“The draw was excellent and allowed the cigar to smoke slow and cool for the entire smoking experience.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Burn: 93

“The ash was nearly white with dark black spots throughout. It had a nice solid burn line that was dark and fairly straight but a little wavy at times. The ash held pretty good, with a tap finally at around 1 1/2 inches.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

Construction: 94

“I can't say a bad thing about the way this cigar was constructed. Its seams feel ultra tight while its bunching is consistently firm from head to foot with no soft spots and it is adorned with a fairly lengthy double cap.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Overall Strength: Mild-Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 92

“This cigar really went beyond my expectations. For a Connecticut shade wrapper, it presented flavors that were far beyond what I was expecting for my palate. Loved the mix of lemon zest, white pepper, florals ,and oak. I'd recommend this to fans of milder cigars that have a bit of a punch here and there. Very enjoyable indeed!” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“If you prefer a lighter cigar to start the day or want to transition toward a medium body cigar, this cigar is for you. The cracked wrapper and construction did not pose too much of a problem and did not deter from my overall experience.” –Jessica (Stogie Sister)

“For as much as I liked about this cigar, unfortunately there was just as much as that I did not. Let's start with the positive. All in all, the smoking experience was trouble free. Not only did this stick burn great, but the draw was near perfect and the smoke was silky smooth from beginning to end. The first third is truly where this smoke shined! Its flavors were immensely enjoyable and most importantly, well balanced… a delicious tango of spicy and sweet! Beyond the first third is where everything took a turn for me. Although the final two thirds of the cigar was not all bad, the obtrusive bitterness that took center stage for much of the second third was simply overpowering and quite literally left a bad taste in my mouth. I like transitions as much as the next guy but what I experienced during the final third was simply absurd. Every single puff brought about something new and the lack of consistency just left my palate confused. While a lot of the flavors were intense and pleasant, they just simply weren't enough to eclipse the ones that were not. Being all over the map, I'm not so sure that even the right pairing would bring out the best in this cigar.” –Noah S. (Noah)

“This was a nice-looking cigar with good construction and draw. However, for me it just didn't hit my pallet in a balanced way. The pepper, which was nice with the mix of red and black, overpowered the other notes too much for half the smoke. When the pepper died down it was a pleasant smoke but not as complex as I would've liked. Certainly, a cigar that I would give another chance to, but it is not likely it would make my regular rotation of cigars.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

“This cigar was a light to medium body cigar that had a tannic flavor profile. This is not in my wheelhouse but I could see it finding a home in many humidors. I would like to say that I would smoke it again but I'm not sure that I would search it out.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 86

To view the complete scores and notes, click here

Somm Rioja Robusto – Blind Cigar Review