Warped Chinchalle – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

The Warped Chinchalle was first talked about at PCA 2021, but due to supply chain issues, wasn’t there in person. They delay continued until September of 2021 when it shipped to retailers. This is the first Warped cigar rolled in the Dominican Republic. It also happens to be made at a relatively new factory that has some buzz around it, Tabacalera La Isla in Santiago, Dominican Republic run by Hostos Fernandez, nephew of Manuel Quesada. This is also the factory that makes the Matilde Limited Exposure No. 1 that scored very highly in our blind review.

The blend uses an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Dominican HVA binder, and Dominican fillers. It comes in just one size, a 5 x 50 robusto. The price tag runs $12.50 and the cigar comes packed in boxes of 25. This is a regular production blend.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
Binder: Dominican Republic HVA
Filler: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera La Isla
Blender: Kyle Gellis
Number of reviewers: 4 – Kevin A. (Kevin A.) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Kevin J. (maninblack77) Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Price: $12.50
Age: 5 Months
Release Date: September 2021
Contributed by: Blind Man’s Puff

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 89

“The wrapper is a medium brown, almost caramel color, with a very oily sheen, invisible seams, and quite a bit of tooth. There is quite a bit of mottling that is creating some variation in the color from foot to cap. The overall wrapper surface of the cigar is covered with bumps and raised veins, and there is quite a bit of unevenness in the cap seam, creating a rugged look.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

Aroma: 89

“This cigar brought a TON of barnyard, almost overwhelming amounts of barnyard. There was a bit of leather and even a slight floral quality.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

First Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Upon lighting this cigar I get a very direct fig sweetness on the center of the tongue. It is joined by an undefined dark note along the sides of the tongue. After I exhale the smoke, I get a lasting tingling on the tip of my tongue. On the retrohale, the is a sharp fresh cracked black pepper. As I dig deeper there is fresh-baked rye bread, right out of the oven, note. As the third comes to a close I citrus zest note starts to form. The smoke is soft and the finish is long.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“Cut the cap and the cold draw was a nice mixture of dry cocoa and some nutmeg. Here we go. Again I used a soft flame due to it being very cold here in Missouri and I don’t want to split the wrapper. First, several puffs were exactly what I was expecting. Graham cracker, nutmeg, allspice, and some dry cocoa. Definitely not bold flavors but this was a cigar I knew I’d have to sit and study closely to discern the different flavors. The retro is smooth. One thing to note is that the finish is extremely short. Very few flavors are left on the palate after exhaling the smoke. Mild in strength to begin.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Second Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“Getting into the middle part of the cigar, notes of peanut shells emerge, along with a little bit of black pepper and earth. There is also an underlying creaminess entering the profile, making for a very smooth finish allowing the flavors to blend together nicely. The retrohale has more of a peanut shell, and the floral notes that were present in the pre-light have emerged here. Strength has also crept into the medium-full range, joining the body and complexity at that level.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

“The array of kitchen spice flavors continued into the second third but they were pushed to support roles. The primary flavor that came forward was what I would call manufactured wood, akin to particle board or plywood.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Final Third

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

“The final third opens with a shift to more of a floral-centric profile. Pine needle essence covers the palate with each puff. This joins the grape skin note to create a very fragrant note on the palate. The smoke through the nose is still rye bread notes but now it is dusted with nutmeg. As I reach the last inch of the cigar I get a great call back to the first few puffs. Fig sweetness is now bookending the smoke experience. The body is now full while the finish lasts forever.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“The last third is where the strength picked up a notch. But it’s still fairly mild to medium-bodied. Here are the different flavors I was able to pick out, nutmeg, leather, cedar, dry dry cocoa, grass, and some saltiness. The finish has me baffled still. Never tried a cigar with such a short finish. Overall the flavors were present but slightly muted.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 90

“You could ask for a better draw but probably would not get it. This cigar is close to perfect!” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

Burn: 93

“The burn was one of the best things about this cigar. It performed flawlessly.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Construction: 91

“Rolled and bunched wonderfully. The ash, though it showed some flowering, held on till about the halfway point of the cigar. Slow-burning from the get go it smoked cool till the last half inch. A joy to smoke for sure.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 91

“I was very happy with this cigar. From the floral notes in the pre-light to the creamy peanut butter and baking spice notes at the finish. Being a robusto, the experience was over before I was ready for it to be, but that also means you can sit and enjoy an excellent cigar and not need upwards of 2 hours to smoke it. I am thinking based on the flavor profile and the fact I have smoked a couple already, that this is the new Warped Chinchalle. I will have to see the release of this review and see if I’m right.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

“The cigar performed wonderfully. I love how all of the flavors worked well together. At times it was sweet and at others, it was dark and deep. Never once was it out of balance with itself and with a super long finish its flavors never really went away. If you are a fan of deep complex flavors this is the cigar for you. As for me, I will for sure be picking up some more to enjoy with a nice cup of black coffee or espresso.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“This cigar at best was one I’d try if a friend gave me one to smoke but I wouldn’t myself go out and track down a box. Flavors were decent with the cocoa and nutmeg and leather but overall muted. Nothing really popped for me. The short finish left a lot to be desired. Good not great. But each of our palates is different so maybe the others had a different experience.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“In the end, this was an enjoyable cigar, from start to finish. The flavors were nice and the performance good. But it really didn’t get me excited either.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 78

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Warped Chinchalle – Blind Cigar Review