Back in Oct '14 Matt sent me this unbanded robusto so I could try my hand at a blind review. I finally sat down to toast it up this past weekend and now have a few minutes to sit down at the desktop PC and hammer out my experience.
Weather was Sunny with a light breeze and 55*. Start time is 1:00PM.
Initial impressions: Dark brown wrapper with an oily sheen. It has a firm even pack, nice double cap, a few small veins, and tight seams. I'm getting a slightly sweet tobacco pre-light smell. Nice looking stick.
Pre-light draw: Seems a little tight with the same sweet tobacco taste.
Initial thoughts: I toasted her up with my torch. Solid light. The draw is absolutely perfect. Good smoke output. Mainly picking up a black pepper on the draw, retro, and finish. It's not harsh, and I enjoy black pepper in a stick, so I'm good with it.
1:30
A little less than halfway in and the ash fell off in a nice chunk just before I snapped the pic. Construction has been spot on. Great draw and burn, requiring no touchups. Not much has changed flavor wise. Still getting the black pepper, but it has smoothed out a bit more. A tinge of sweetness is creeping in on the retro and finish that compliments the pepper well.
2:00
Down to the nub, with about 1" remaining. Construction still perfect. Flavors remain mostly the same, but becoming a bit muted as the nub heats up a bit. Apologies for no pic here, as I was interrupted with fatherly duties and simply forgot to take one.
Final Thought
I enjoyed this stick. While it wasn't overly complex, it was a good experience. I certainly have a long way to go as far as picking out some of the detailed flavors of a stick, but this is just part of the process I think. The lack of complexity could just as well be my rookie palette as it could be the cigar. The fact that I didn't have any burn issues, the draw was great, and smoke output was totally acceptable are big pluses in my book. I usually grade my sticks on 4 levels. 1) Not for me. 2) I'd smoke that again. 3) Gotta buy a fiver. 4) MUST have a box. For me, this cigar was a solid 2. Hopefully Matt remembers what it is.
Weather was Sunny with a light breeze and 55*. Start time is 1:00PM.
Initial impressions: Dark brown wrapper with an oily sheen. It has a firm even pack, nice double cap, a few small veins, and tight seams. I'm getting a slightly sweet tobacco pre-light smell. Nice looking stick.
Pre-light draw: Seems a little tight with the same sweet tobacco taste.
Initial thoughts: I toasted her up with my torch. Solid light. The draw is absolutely perfect. Good smoke output. Mainly picking up a black pepper on the draw, retro, and finish. It's not harsh, and I enjoy black pepper in a stick, so I'm good with it.
1:30
A little less than halfway in and the ash fell off in a nice chunk just before I snapped the pic. Construction has been spot on. Great draw and burn, requiring no touchups. Not much has changed flavor wise. Still getting the black pepper, but it has smoothed out a bit more. A tinge of sweetness is creeping in on the retro and finish that compliments the pepper well.
2:00
Down to the nub, with about 1" remaining. Construction still perfect. Flavors remain mostly the same, but becoming a bit muted as the nub heats up a bit. Apologies for no pic here, as I was interrupted with fatherly duties and simply forgot to take one.
Final Thought
I enjoyed this stick. While it wasn't overly complex, it was a good experience. I certainly have a long way to go as far as picking out some of the detailed flavors of a stick, but this is just part of the process I think. The lack of complexity could just as well be my rookie palette as it could be the cigar. The fact that I didn't have any burn issues, the draw was great, and smoke output was totally acceptable are big pluses in my book. I usually grade my sticks on 4 levels. 1) Not for me. 2) I'd smoke that again. 3) Gotta buy a fiver. 4) MUST have a box. For me, this cigar was a solid 2. Hopefully Matt remembers what it is.
Last edited:
