KeSARA Blend Toro by MBombay Cigars
Cigar: KeSARA Blend by MBombay Cigars
Origin: Costa Rica
Wrapper: 2002 Ecuadorian Deas Florado
Binder: Ecuadorian Havana
Filler: Dominican Republic & Peru
Size: 6.5"
Ring Gauge: 52
Pricing: $189/Box $14/Stick
MBombay is a cigar brand that I've seen a lot of lately, mostly in advertisement -often alongside my articles in Cigar & Spirits Magazine- but today was the first time that I've had the opportunity to smoke one. MBombay is the brainchild of Mel Bombay, a tobacconist in Southern California who recently joined the ranks of retailers-turn-manufacturer.
The MBombay KeSARA blend has a unique look and really catches your eye. It utilizes a golden 2002 vintage Ecuadorian Connecticut Deas Florado wrapper, finished with a rat tail style cap and features an unfinished shaggy foot, which appears to be bursting with tobacco.
Overall, it has a very rustic "old world" appearance, and I gotta say that I kinda dig it. There are a couple small cracks in the wrapper, but they never caused any issue. An interesting note about the KeSARA blend, is that it is aged in hybrid Sandalwood and Spanish Cedar coffins before shipping, and the aroma absolutely confirms this with notes of leather, cedar, sandalwood and tobacco.
Testing the dry draw, before setting fire to the shaggy foot of the MBombay KeSARA, I experienced an easy draw with notes of cedar and a distinct cayenne pepper that tingled on my tongue. Lighting the shaggy foot was quick and gave my a blast of almonds, and red pepper on the finish. Once the burn reached the wrapper, the blend mellowed out significantly.
Plentiful amounts of pepper, leather, and cedar are at the center of the flavor profile of the KeSARA blend, while there is a faint nutty finish and a hint of lemon blossom on the retrohale that is carried by a dry floral tone. The burn starts out slightly wavy and gets uneven for about a half-inch after the start of the wrapper, but quickly catches up to itself and begins burning relatively straight. The strength is medium and the body is right there with it, solid medium.
The second-third of the KeSARA blend showcases an increase in the same flavors as earlier with a blend of leather, cedar, and floral finish with a solid helping of red-pepper enunciated on the retrohale.
There is a slight bitterness that arises momentarily in the second third, otherwise it's smooth sailing. The finish is extremely long with deep notes of leather, tobacco, and wood. The strength remains medium, maybe a tick higher, and the body is still right with it. The burn has been sharp since it caught up to itself in the first third, and I'm enjoying the solid smoke production, even if the smoke is on the dry/dusty side and leaves me consistently reaching for my soda water.
Moving into the final third, the KeSARA blend pushes out its final bits of complexity, as the lemon blossom has evolved into a full lemon citrus note, matched by a solid helping of cedar and spice. The red pepper has significantly decreased on the palate, but is still heavy on the retrohale. The finish through the last inch of the KeSARA blend is sweeter than the preceding portions as a creamy cedar and creamier smoke take over in the last couple inches.
Overall this was an enjoyable cigar, and I'm a huge fan of the Ecuadorian Deas Florado wrapper. It's very Cubanesque in both it's appearance and flavor properties, and I can see why Mel wanted to use this leaf for the blend.
I think this is a cigar that could really make use of several months to a-years worth of aging, which would hopefully allow the pepper to diminish and bring out more of the hidden flavors that are surely lurking in this blend.
Scoring
Appearance & Construction: 13/15
Flavor Characteristics: 21/25
Smoking Characteristics: 23/25
Overall Impression: 30/35
Total: 87
Cigars in this review were provided by MBombay Cigars to Cigar Jedi.
Cigar: KeSARA Blend by MBombay Cigars
Origin: Costa Rica
Wrapper: 2002 Ecuadorian Deas Florado
Binder: Ecuadorian Havana
Filler: Dominican Republic & Peru
Size: 6.5"
Ring Gauge: 52
Pricing: $189/Box $14/Stick
MBombay is a cigar brand that I've seen a lot of lately, mostly in advertisement -often alongside my articles in Cigar & Spirits Magazine- but today was the first time that I've had the opportunity to smoke one. MBombay is the brainchild of Mel Bombay, a tobacconist in Southern California who recently joined the ranks of retailers-turn-manufacturer.
The MBombay KeSARA blend has a unique look and really catches your eye. It utilizes a golden 2002 vintage Ecuadorian Connecticut Deas Florado wrapper, finished with a rat tail style cap and features an unfinished shaggy foot, which appears to be bursting with tobacco.
Overall, it has a very rustic "old world" appearance, and I gotta say that I kinda dig it. There are a couple small cracks in the wrapper, but they never caused any issue. An interesting note about the KeSARA blend, is that it is aged in hybrid Sandalwood and Spanish Cedar coffins before shipping, and the aroma absolutely confirms this with notes of leather, cedar, sandalwood and tobacco.
Testing the dry draw, before setting fire to the shaggy foot of the MBombay KeSARA, I experienced an easy draw with notes of cedar and a distinct cayenne pepper that tingled on my tongue. Lighting the shaggy foot was quick and gave my a blast of almonds, and red pepper on the finish. Once the burn reached the wrapper, the blend mellowed out significantly.
Plentiful amounts of pepper, leather, and cedar are at the center of the flavor profile of the KeSARA blend, while there is a faint nutty finish and a hint of lemon blossom on the retrohale that is carried by a dry floral tone. The burn starts out slightly wavy and gets uneven for about a half-inch after the start of the wrapper, but quickly catches up to itself and begins burning relatively straight. The strength is medium and the body is right there with it, solid medium.
The second-third of the KeSARA blend showcases an increase in the same flavors as earlier with a blend of leather, cedar, and floral finish with a solid helping of red-pepper enunciated on the retrohale.
There is a slight bitterness that arises momentarily in the second third, otherwise it's smooth sailing. The finish is extremely long with deep notes of leather, tobacco, and wood. The strength remains medium, maybe a tick higher, and the body is still right with it. The burn has been sharp since it caught up to itself in the first third, and I'm enjoying the solid smoke production, even if the smoke is on the dry/dusty side and leaves me consistently reaching for my soda water.
Moving into the final third, the KeSARA blend pushes out its final bits of complexity, as the lemon blossom has evolved into a full lemon citrus note, matched by a solid helping of cedar and spice. The red pepper has significantly decreased on the palate, but is still heavy on the retrohale. The finish through the last inch of the KeSARA blend is sweeter than the preceding portions as a creamy cedar and creamier smoke take over in the last couple inches.
Overall this was an enjoyable cigar, and I'm a huge fan of the Ecuadorian Deas Florado wrapper. It's very Cubanesque in both it's appearance and flavor properties, and I can see why Mel wanted to use this leaf for the blend.
I think this is a cigar that could really make use of several months to a-years worth of aging, which would hopefully allow the pepper to diminish and bring out more of the hidden flavors that are surely lurking in this blend.
Scoring
Appearance & Construction: 13/15
Flavor Characteristics: 21/25
Smoking Characteristics: 23/25
Overall Impression: 30/35
Total: 87
Cigars in this review were provided by MBombay Cigars to Cigar Jedi.
