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This review is of the Tobacos de la Cordillera - Cumbres Gold. This is the first of three reviews.
Linkage: Robusto Bundle 1x5 Cumbres Gold - http://www.tabacordi...products_id=208
First and foremost, I'd like to thank the kind folks from Tobacos de la Cordillera for supplying the cigars for these reviews. Your participation is most appreciated.
I participated in the earlier reviews of these same cigars done by Wilkey in 2006. Here's a link to that thread for reference. I had asked what changes had been made in the blends since that review and was told (in thread) that "....Actually our belnds for Cumbres de Puriscal (Gold, Green and Silver), Purisco Azul and Purisco Rojo has been improved..". I was offered the chance to do a tasting test, which I accepted.
The reviewers for these cigars are faces well known to the forum members. Between us, we have decades of cigar smoking experience and have written many reviews of all kinds of cigars. These reviews were written with no knowledge of what the other reviewers had to say, so what you are getting here is the honest and independant impressions of the reviewers. These reviews as posted are the unedited comments of the folks that reviewed the cigars.
Here we go.....
Reviewer - BlindedByScience
Size / Vitola: Robusto
Box or Single: Single
Purchase Date: Provided by the manufacturer
Smoking Date: 03-09-2014
Packaging: 5-pack, in cello
Price (Per Cigar / Per Box): Provided by the manufacturer
Where Purchased: Shipped directly by the manufacturer
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Meal / Beverage: Empty stomach - water
Consistent Color within the Box: Consistent within the five pack
Oily / Dry: Dry
Veiny / Smooth: Overall nice, one large vein
Cap Construction: Acceptable
Packaging: Cello within a five pack
Ease of Cutting: Good, some crumbling when cut (Xikar)
Construction: Feels good in the hand, not too hard or soft.
Even Burn (Initial): Same
Even Burn (1/3): Same
Even Burn (2/3): Same
Even Burn (Final): Same
Resting Smoke (light, even, smoldering): Light
Burn Rate (slow, perfect, fast): Perfect – construction seems very good
Ash (solid, black, white, crumbly, etc.): Mottled black / grey ash, falls at ~ 1.5”
Relighting Required: No
Draw (1/3): Same
Draw (2/3): Same
Draw (Final): Same
Wrapper Stays Intact: No cracking or unraveling
Bitter, Harsh, Smooth: Creamy, earth, musty
Sweet / Salty: Slightly Salty
Bland, Vegetal, Spicy: Rather bland, some earthy notes
Comments – Pre Light: Super mild, no spice at all, almost no fragrance, some very mild, light tobacco tastes.
Comments (1/3): Thin smoke, earthy bitter taste, seems to coat my tongue / inside of mouth, musty, mossy, not good.
Comments (2/3): Same as first third; no progression or changes. Very one dimensional, no complexity.
Comments (Final): Same as first third, no progression or changes to note. Slight increase in the salty, perhaps metallic taste, mouth is coated, not pleasant.
Aroma: Little to no aroma.
Finish: Coats tongue, unpleasant.
Buy Recommendation: No
Conclusion / Final Comments: I wanted to like this cigar and the initial construction was very promising. Unfortunately the flavors are somewhere between not there and an earthy, mossy taste that was very unappealing. Coated my mouth and tongue, not pleasant. Too bad…..
Reviewer: IronPeddler
Size / Vitola: Robusto (5X50)
Box or Single: Single
Purchase Date: Sample
Smoking Date: 03-01-2014
Packaging: Cello
Price (Per Cigar / Per Box):
Where Purchased: Mfg. Sample
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Meal / Beverage:
Consistent Color within the Box: N/A
Oily / Dry: In between
Veiny / Smooth: Lightly Veiny
Cap Construction: Lumpy
Packaging: N/A
Ease of Cutting: Cracked with punch
Construction: Hard
Even Burn (Initial): Burn rated 10/11 overall
Even Burn (1/3):
Even Burn (2/3):
Even Burn (Final):
Resting Smoke (light, even, smoldering): Light
Burn Rate (slow, perfect, fast): Perfect
Ash (solid, black, white, crumbly, etc.): Grayish black – crumbles ~ 1 ¼
Relighting Required: NO
Draw (1/3): Good, no obstructions.
Draw (2/3): Good, no obstructions.
Draw (Final): Good, no obstructions.
Wrapper Stays Intact: Yes, perfect.
Bitter, Harsh, Smooth: Strange tobacco tastes on tongue
Sweet / Salty: No
Bland, Vegetal, Spicy: Bland
Comments – Started tasteless, then went to mild tobacco. Tasting the cold draw taste is all there was. Turned bitter at the 2/3 mark. Flavorless – bitter when heated, never got pleasurable at any point, made it only to the 2/3 point before bailing out.
Aroma: Not Bad
Finish: A tad stronger
Buy Recommendation: No
Reviewer: Brickhouse
[SIZE=medium]Cigar: Robusto Cumbres Gold[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Notes:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Prelight:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] A great day for reviewing a cigar, high 50’s with little to no wind and nothing to do but sit and enjoy a smoke. I consider these conditions to be top notch for paying attention to a cigar.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] The overall construction of this cigar was as good as can be expected. There was no deep oily sheen to the stick, but it had a rather toothy wrapper, which gave it some appeal. While toothy, it remained very evenly rolled. There were no blemishes, cracks, or damages of any kind. This cigar was put together with care. Cap construction was as good as can be expected. I actually like the band on these, unlike anything I’ve seen before in regards to color.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]I cut the robusto with my Palio as always, and it gave a clean even cut. The dry draw was just how I like it, a little firm, but not clogged. I lit the cigar with my S.T. Dupont Mini and it had no problems starting off.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]1st Third:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]The initial third of this cigar was disappointing. It was such a nice looking cigar, that I had some hopes it would not be similar to the last review I did, unfortunately there it was again. One-dimensional flavor of walnuts that have been sitting out on the bar for a week. It did produce an adequate amount of smoke, which was nice, but it wasn’t thick. It was simply enough for me to retrohale and play with. The burn was good. It stayed even at this point and no signs of tunneling or unevenness.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]2nd Third:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]The flavor hasn’t budged a centimeter. This cigar is what it was when I lit it up and refuses to change....for the better or worse. There is zero complexity to it. It’s a cigar that is just burning to produce smoke. I am beginning to dislike walnuts. Construction remains solid and it is burning rather well.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Final Third:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]I could just copy paste from either the first or second third of this review but I owe it a different write up I guess. Burn, smoke, heat, and construction are all fine. But the taste is just absent. I have searched for 40 minutes to find a hint of something I may be missing, but I can’t find anything. Honestly, it’s not that it is a BAD cigar, it’s just that there isn’t much of anything to it. I’m happy to be done with it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Overall:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Presentation was nice on this cigar. Like the previous one I smoked, there was care put into the construction. I don’t feel like there is a lack of effort going into its production. It just comes down to the fact that the tobacco isn’t very flavorful and it certainly isn’t complex. Extremely bland, aside from the overwhelming nutty profile.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]The easiest way I rate my cigars is by answering 2 questions.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] 1. Would I buy any of these myself? No.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] 2. Would I smoke one again? No.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] In addition, here are the scores:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Overall Appearance and Presentation of Cigar: 17 (of 20)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Lighting and Burning Properties: 11 (of 15)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Construction: 20 (of 30)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Taste: 21 (of 35)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Total points: 69 (of 100)[/SIZE]
Reviewer: Whylieineedacigar
This cigar was kept at 65% humidity. It was then transferred to my dry box for 2 hours before
smoking.
Cigar: Cumbres de Puriscal Gold - Robusto
Smoking date: 3-8-14 Smoking time: 1 hour 21 minutes
Country Where Made: Costa Rica
Pairing: Water
Cut: Xikar Xi1 - Guillotine
Construction:
This cigar has a decent construction. It has a smooth wrapper with minimal veins, is well packed and
hard to the touch.
Taste: (I smoked this cigar in the morning with a clean palate)
Cold draw: Unpleasant cardboard like taste, a bit bitter on the lips. The draw was perfect, not too tight
not too loose.
First draw: I get a mix of bitter cocoa and barnyard notes, lots of smoke and the aroma is just like the
taste.
First Third: The flavors remain the same as the first draw with no noticeable changes. I picked up a very
mild peppery note which faded away rapidly towards the end of this third. The strength of this cigar
is on the mild side. The ash is holding up pretty well and it is solid and greyish looking, I knocked it off
around the 1.5” mark. It is a slow burner with an even burn.
Second Third: More of the same cocoa and barnyard notes but now I’m getting some sweetness with it.
The strength has not change and the burn continues to be even.
Last Third: The sweetness is now gone and now I’m getting a mineral salty note. I had to retouch the
cigar because it was burning unevenly with no signs of correcting itself.
Final Notes:
The unpleasant cardboard like taste remained throughout most of the cigar. It came and went like an
uninvited guess that shows up at your house when it’s time to eat. The flavor profile was very bland,
mild, boring and didn’t have any wow factor that would make me want to buy this cigar again, in fact, I
wouldn’t buy it.
Reviewer: Tall Paul, video review:
http://youtu.be/DVyIR2U356E
Review of a different vitola of the same blend from Light This!
Gentlemen this is my first review here on CP and I’m reviewing a cigar that piqued my interest by its claim of being a Costa Rican Puro. I’ll try anything once, twice and even a third time as I did with this particular cigar. I smoked one with my neighbor, (chucked it 1st third) one on my morning drive (chucked it 1st third) and this LAST one (made it to the final third) this evening for this review and for the sake of this great community of ours. Below are some facts on this cigar:
Cigar: Cumbres de Puriscal Gold
Size: Torpedo 52 x 6
Blend: Costa Rican Wrapper, Binder & Filler
Body: Mild to Medium
Price: $3.78 (I bought the bundle, which was $94.50)
Beverage: Black coffee to keep the palate clean.
Let me begin by saying that this is a great looking cigar in appearance. Construction is very good with a nice dark wrapper. Almost reminds me of a bigger BBF but that’s where the similarity ends. A nice firmness to it when squeezed and by looking at the foot it doesn’t appear to be rolled tightly. A quick sniff of the foot and I get an earthy note. The cold draw reminds me of a mass produced machine made cigar almost like a Philly Blunt with nothing predominantly noticed.
Ok let’s begin……
I snip this torpedo on a slight angle as I usually do with these vitolas and start to toast the foot. The cigar lit up nicely with the help of my single flame lighter with no issues.
First Third – The first few deep draws and I get this taste of pure tobacco. – in your face type of tobacco. I mean not a pleasant taste but almost a charred tobacco taste that just lingers in your mouth. I can almost relate it to those small dark burnt pieces that are on the edge of your grilled steak when you over cook it that just has a nasty aftertaste. I take a couple big gulps of my black coffee to try to clean my palate and proceed.
There is a sign of a hint of something that is trying to come to the forefront but just gets overpowered by the tobacco taste. During the retrohale is the only time that I get decent slight notes of cocoa as faint as they may be.
Second Third – During the first third I had some slight burn issues but finally corrected and the ash finally comes off at about the one-inch mark. So far good smoke production and good ash. Those are the only good things to report on this cigar so far. Again every now and then you get a slight hint of something that tries to come out but the damn tobacco taste is so strong that it overpowers it. The only other thing that I’m able to pick up is an earthy soil taste. Yes I have inadvertently tasted soil working in my backyard and yes it tastes like shit! For the most part I’m getting the same charred tobacco taste that just lingers in your mouth. More sips of coffee to relieve my palate of this torture. Will it ever end?
Final Third – (Thank God!) During this final third I now start to pick up the spice. I’m now getting a charred spicy tobacco taste mixed with some bitterness. I clip a little off the head to loosen the draw as it has tightened up a bit and to see If I can get rid of some of this tobacco bitterness that I’m tasting. Unfortunately this cigar is one-dimensional and I just can’t smoke it any longer. I have to put down at this point and drink the rest of my black coffee as if I was drinking water and a nice hot summer day!
Bottom Line - This cigar was awful and I’m not just saying that to be facetious. I mean I tried it three different times with the same experience. The first one that I tried was with my neighbor and he said the same thing about some flavor that is trying to come out but never does because of the nasty tobacco taste.
In the end this cigar is consistent – consistently bad! This cigar might be good for cigarette smokers that are looking for that nicotine taste that’s in cigarettes. I would never buy this cigar again and they are actually being evicted from my humidor. I would not recommend it.
Linkage: Robusto Bundle 1x5 Cumbres Gold - http://www.tabacordi...products_id=208
First and foremost, I'd like to thank the kind folks from Tobacos de la Cordillera for supplying the cigars for these reviews. Your participation is most appreciated.
I participated in the earlier reviews of these same cigars done by Wilkey in 2006. Here's a link to that thread for reference. I had asked what changes had been made in the blends since that review and was told (in thread) that "....Actually our belnds for Cumbres de Puriscal (Gold, Green and Silver), Purisco Azul and Purisco Rojo has been improved..". I was offered the chance to do a tasting test, which I accepted.
The reviewers for these cigars are faces well known to the forum members. Between us, we have decades of cigar smoking experience and have written many reviews of all kinds of cigars. These reviews were written with no knowledge of what the other reviewers had to say, so what you are getting here is the honest and independant impressions of the reviewers. These reviews as posted are the unedited comments of the folks that reviewed the cigars.
Here we go.....
Reviewer - BlindedByScience
[SIZE=14pt]Cigar Rating Sheet[/SIZE]
Cigar Brand: Tabacos de la Cordillera – Cumbres GoldSize / Vitola: Robusto
Box or Single: Single
Purchase Date: Provided by the manufacturer
Smoking Date: 03-09-2014
Packaging: 5-pack, in cello
Price (Per Cigar / Per Box): Provided by the manufacturer
Where Purchased: Shipped directly by the manufacturer
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Meal / Beverage: Empty stomach - water
[SIZE=14pt]Overall Appearance and Presentation Of The Cigar[/SIZE]
Wrapper Color: Light brownConsistent Color within the Box: Consistent within the five pack
Oily / Dry: Dry
Veiny / Smooth: Overall nice, one large vein
Cap Construction: Acceptable
Packaging: Cello within a five pack
Ease of Cutting: Good, some crumbling when cut (Xikar)
Construction: Feels good in the hand, not too hard or soft.
[SIZE=14pt]Lighting and burning properties[/SIZE]
Even Initial Light: Good burn – seems well constructedEven Burn (Initial): Same
Even Burn (1/3): Same
Even Burn (2/3): Same
Even Burn (Final): Same
Resting Smoke (light, even, smoldering): Light
Burn Rate (slow, perfect, fast): Perfect – construction seems very good
Ash (solid, black, white, crumbly, etc.): Mottled black / grey ash, falls at ~ 1.5”
Relighting Required: No
[SIZE=14pt]Construction[/SIZE]
Draw (Initial): Some restriction, overall draw is good.Draw (1/3): Same
Draw (2/3): Same
Draw (Final): Same
Wrapper Stays Intact: No cracking or unraveling
[SIZE=14pt]Taste[/SIZE]
Light, Medium, Full: Very lightBitter, Harsh, Smooth: Creamy, earth, musty
Sweet / Salty: Slightly Salty
Bland, Vegetal, Spicy: Rather bland, some earthy notes
Comments – Pre Light: Super mild, no spice at all, almost no fragrance, some very mild, light tobacco tastes.
Comments (1/3): Thin smoke, earthy bitter taste, seems to coat my tongue / inside of mouth, musty, mossy, not good.
Comments (2/3): Same as first third; no progression or changes. Very one dimensional, no complexity.
Comments (Final): Same as first third, no progression or changes to note. Slight increase in the salty, perhaps metallic taste, mouth is coated, not pleasant.
Aroma: Little to no aroma.
Finish: Coats tongue, unpleasant.
Buy Recommendation: No
Conclusion / Final Comments: I wanted to like this cigar and the initial construction was very promising. Unfortunately the flavors are somewhere between not there and an earthy, mossy taste that was very unappealing. Coated my mouth and tongue, not pleasant. Too bad…..
Reviewer: IronPeddler
[SIZE=14pt]Cigar Rating Sheet[/SIZE]
Cigar Brand: Tabacos de la Cordillera – Cumbres GoldSize / Vitola: Robusto (5X50)
Box or Single: Single
Purchase Date: Sample
Smoking Date: 03-01-2014
Packaging: Cello
Price (Per Cigar / Per Box):
Where Purchased: Mfg. Sample
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Meal / Beverage:
[SIZE=14pt]Overall Appearance and Presentation Of The Cigar[/SIZE]
Wrapper Color: Medium Brown, veiny, multi-coloredConsistent Color within the Box: N/A
Oily / Dry: In between
Veiny / Smooth: Lightly Veiny
Cap Construction: Lumpy
Packaging: N/A
Ease of Cutting: Cracked with punch
Construction: Hard
[SIZE=14pt]Lighting and burning properties[/SIZE]
Even Initial Light: Toasted right up, very evenEven Burn (Initial): Burn rated 10/11 overall
Even Burn (1/3):
Even Burn (2/3):
Even Burn (Final):
Resting Smoke (light, even, smoldering): Light
Burn Rate (slow, perfect, fast): Perfect
Ash (solid, black, white, crumbly, etc.): Grayish black – crumbles ~ 1 ¼
Relighting Required: NO
[SIZE=14pt]Construction[/SIZE]
Draw (Initial): Good, no obstructions.Draw (1/3): Good, no obstructions.
Draw (2/3): Good, no obstructions.
Draw (Final): Good, no obstructions.
Wrapper Stays Intact: Yes, perfect.
[SIZE=14pt]Taste[/SIZE]
Light, Medium, Full: Light – Very little tasteBitter, Harsh, Smooth: Strange tobacco tastes on tongue
Sweet / Salty: No
Bland, Vegetal, Spicy: Bland
Comments – Started tasteless, then went to mild tobacco. Tasting the cold draw taste is all there was. Turned bitter at the 2/3 mark. Flavorless – bitter when heated, never got pleasurable at any point, made it only to the 2/3 point before bailing out.
Aroma: Not Bad
Finish: A tad stronger
Buy Recommendation: No
Reviewer: Brickhouse
[SIZE=medium]Cigar: Robusto Cumbres Gold[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Notes:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Prelight:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] A great day for reviewing a cigar, high 50’s with little to no wind and nothing to do but sit and enjoy a smoke. I consider these conditions to be top notch for paying attention to a cigar.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] The overall construction of this cigar was as good as can be expected. There was no deep oily sheen to the stick, but it had a rather toothy wrapper, which gave it some appeal. While toothy, it remained very evenly rolled. There were no blemishes, cracks, or damages of any kind. This cigar was put together with care. Cap construction was as good as can be expected. I actually like the band on these, unlike anything I’ve seen before in regards to color.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]I cut the robusto with my Palio as always, and it gave a clean even cut. The dry draw was just how I like it, a little firm, but not clogged. I lit the cigar with my S.T. Dupont Mini and it had no problems starting off.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]1st Third:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]The initial third of this cigar was disappointing. It was such a nice looking cigar, that I had some hopes it would not be similar to the last review I did, unfortunately there it was again. One-dimensional flavor of walnuts that have been sitting out on the bar for a week. It did produce an adequate amount of smoke, which was nice, but it wasn’t thick. It was simply enough for me to retrohale and play with. The burn was good. It stayed even at this point and no signs of tunneling or unevenness.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]2nd Third:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]The flavor hasn’t budged a centimeter. This cigar is what it was when I lit it up and refuses to change....for the better or worse. There is zero complexity to it. It’s a cigar that is just burning to produce smoke. I am beginning to dislike walnuts. Construction remains solid and it is burning rather well.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Final Third:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]I could just copy paste from either the first or second third of this review but I owe it a different write up I guess. Burn, smoke, heat, and construction are all fine. But the taste is just absent. I have searched for 40 minutes to find a hint of something I may be missing, but I can’t find anything. Honestly, it’s not that it is a BAD cigar, it’s just that there isn’t much of anything to it. I’m happy to be done with it. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Overall:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]Presentation was nice on this cigar. Like the previous one I smoked, there was care put into the construction. I don’t feel like there is a lack of effort going into its production. It just comes down to the fact that the tobacco isn’t very flavorful and it certainly isn’t complex. Extremely bland, aside from the overwhelming nutty profile.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]The easiest way I rate my cigars is by answering 2 questions.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] 1. Would I buy any of these myself? No.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] 2. Would I smoke one again? No.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] In addition, here are the scores:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Overall Appearance and Presentation of Cigar: 17 (of 20)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Lighting and Burning Properties: 11 (of 15)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Construction: 20 (of 30)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Taste: 21 (of 35)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium] Total points: 69 (of 100)[/SIZE]
Reviewer: Whylieineedacigar
This cigar was kept at 65% humidity. It was then transferred to my dry box for 2 hours before
smoking.
Cigar: Cumbres de Puriscal Gold - Robusto
Smoking date: 3-8-14 Smoking time: 1 hour 21 minutes
Country Where Made: Costa Rica
Pairing: Water
Cut: Xikar Xi1 - Guillotine
Construction:
This cigar has a decent construction. It has a smooth wrapper with minimal veins, is well packed and
hard to the touch.
Taste: (I smoked this cigar in the morning with a clean palate)
Cold draw: Unpleasant cardboard like taste, a bit bitter on the lips. The draw was perfect, not too tight
not too loose.
First draw: I get a mix of bitter cocoa and barnyard notes, lots of smoke and the aroma is just like the
taste.
First Third: The flavors remain the same as the first draw with no noticeable changes. I picked up a very
mild peppery note which faded away rapidly towards the end of this third. The strength of this cigar
is on the mild side. The ash is holding up pretty well and it is solid and greyish looking, I knocked it off
around the 1.5” mark. It is a slow burner with an even burn.
Second Third: More of the same cocoa and barnyard notes but now I’m getting some sweetness with it.
The strength has not change and the burn continues to be even.
Last Third: The sweetness is now gone and now I’m getting a mineral salty note. I had to retouch the
cigar because it was burning unevenly with no signs of correcting itself.
Final Notes:
The unpleasant cardboard like taste remained throughout most of the cigar. It came and went like an
uninvited guess that shows up at your house when it’s time to eat. The flavor profile was very bland,
mild, boring and didn’t have any wow factor that would make me want to buy this cigar again, in fact, I
wouldn’t buy it.
Reviewer: Tall Paul, video review:
http://youtu.be/DVyIR2U356E
Review of a different vitola of the same blend from Light This!
Gentlemen this is my first review here on CP and I’m reviewing a cigar that piqued my interest by its claim of being a Costa Rican Puro. I’ll try anything once, twice and even a third time as I did with this particular cigar. I smoked one with my neighbor, (chucked it 1st third) one on my morning drive (chucked it 1st third) and this LAST one (made it to the final third) this evening for this review and for the sake of this great community of ours. Below are some facts on this cigar:
Cigar: Cumbres de Puriscal Gold
Size: Torpedo 52 x 6
Blend: Costa Rican Wrapper, Binder & Filler
Body: Mild to Medium
Price: $3.78 (I bought the bundle, which was $94.50)
Beverage: Black coffee to keep the palate clean.
Let me begin by saying that this is a great looking cigar in appearance. Construction is very good with a nice dark wrapper. Almost reminds me of a bigger BBF but that’s where the similarity ends. A nice firmness to it when squeezed and by looking at the foot it doesn’t appear to be rolled tightly. A quick sniff of the foot and I get an earthy note. The cold draw reminds me of a mass produced machine made cigar almost like a Philly Blunt with nothing predominantly noticed.
Ok let’s begin……
I snip this torpedo on a slight angle as I usually do with these vitolas and start to toast the foot. The cigar lit up nicely with the help of my single flame lighter with no issues.
First Third – The first few deep draws and I get this taste of pure tobacco. – in your face type of tobacco. I mean not a pleasant taste but almost a charred tobacco taste that just lingers in your mouth. I can almost relate it to those small dark burnt pieces that are on the edge of your grilled steak when you over cook it that just has a nasty aftertaste. I take a couple big gulps of my black coffee to try to clean my palate and proceed.
There is a sign of a hint of something that is trying to come to the forefront but just gets overpowered by the tobacco taste. During the retrohale is the only time that I get decent slight notes of cocoa as faint as they may be.
Second Third – During the first third I had some slight burn issues but finally corrected and the ash finally comes off at about the one-inch mark. So far good smoke production and good ash. Those are the only good things to report on this cigar so far. Again every now and then you get a slight hint of something that tries to come out but the damn tobacco taste is so strong that it overpowers it. The only other thing that I’m able to pick up is an earthy soil taste. Yes I have inadvertently tasted soil working in my backyard and yes it tastes like shit! For the most part I’m getting the same charred tobacco taste that just lingers in your mouth. More sips of coffee to relieve my palate of this torture. Will it ever end?
Final Third – (Thank God!) During this final third I now start to pick up the spice. I’m now getting a charred spicy tobacco taste mixed with some bitterness. I clip a little off the head to loosen the draw as it has tightened up a bit and to see If I can get rid of some of this tobacco bitterness that I’m tasting. Unfortunately this cigar is one-dimensional and I just can’t smoke it any longer. I have to put down at this point and drink the rest of my black coffee as if I was drinking water and a nice hot summer day!
Bottom Line - This cigar was awful and I’m not just saying that to be facetious. I mean I tried it three different times with the same experience. The first one that I tried was with my neighbor and he said the same thing about some flavor that is trying to come out but never does because of the nasty tobacco taste.
In the end this cigar is consistent – consistently bad! This cigar might be good for cigarette smokers that are looking for that nicotine taste that’s in cigarettes. I would never buy this cigar again and they are actually being evicted from my humidor. I would not recommend it.
