3/5King
Shwing!
Rodrigo cigars -Corona Project
Wrapper/Binder/Filler:
Connecticut Broadleaf/Ecuadorian Sumatra/Dominican Criollo '98, Dominican Corojo and Dominican HVAC Ligero
Size: 5 3/4 X 43
MSRP: $9.50
Release Date: November 10, 2014
295 Boxes of 25 cigars released.
THE REVIEW
-Beautiful Band, contrasts nicely against the wrapper leaf.
-What a dark, oily and shimmering broadleaf.
-Cold draw is spicy espresso.
A beautiful closed foot greets me at the light. I like to toast the adorning wrapper slowly, pull the flame away and draw in. Repeating this a few times before I complete the light. It gives me a good taste of the wrapper before I get started and mingles with the first inch of the stick or so before things take off.
This stick is rich right from the start. A nice trail of smoke drifts off the foot as I take note of my first impression. It's spicy, woody, filled with an earthy sweetness. There's a medicinal note buried underneath the finish. Needs s quick touch up. The spice has died back after the first inch, leaving sweet earth (dammit as I type this, the spice comes back full force... Tricky Rodrigo....tricky). The body is starting to pick up, working through the first third. The Blackhawks just lost the Winter Classic....boooo.
The cigar is bold, dark and spicy. It's smoking like a dream and the strength is slowly creeping in. The sweetness has backed off as the spice starts to shine through the middle. You can find the sweetness mingled with a bit of bitterness on the finish. The flavors rub off all over your lips and tongue. The wood and earth are more noticeable on the longer pulls. This stick would go great with a nice cup of dark roast. I can also see this as an excellent post steak dinner accompaniment. The sweetness from the broadleaf reminds me of chocolate licorice but the sweetness is sharper and smooths out on the finish.
The draw has opened up through half way. It's just pouring smoke and is effortless to produce big white clouds (for a corona). Another quick touch up employed just to keep it even and pretty. The blend is staying consistent into the second third. The sweetness stays constant while the spicy retro ebbs and flows. The profile presents a dark chocolate cake on my last draw.. That's a first for me and delicious. Spicy espresso and chocolate cake....mixed in with sweet, woody earth. How about that.
The strength has leveled off at medium/full and the stick is still pouring smoke from the foot. A bit of creaminess is building as I work towards the final third. If you're watching the post Winter Classic coverage, what do you think of Brent Sopal's mustache...it's so ridiculous, I love it. I just noticed, which is pretty crazy that the gold rubs right off the band leaving only maroon behind... I'll add a picture in the final copy. Not that it matters but it's a first and I thought worth mentioning.
Although the flavors bounce around and change leads throughout, the profile has stayed consistent, building in creaminess and spice into the final third. The burn has been an 8/10 with only minor touch ups needed. Smoke production has been exceptional and the strength is enough to satisfy. The spice really coats the throat in the final third. This is a solid stick, it doesn't have a lot of complexity or transitions but the profile is rich and the flavors that are there are well defined. I'm looking forward to see what this blend might have to offer in a corona Gorda version that I believe is on the table for 2015.
Smoke time 1hr 20mins
Score: 91
Wrapper/Binder/Filler:
Connecticut Broadleaf/Ecuadorian Sumatra/Dominican Criollo '98, Dominican Corojo and Dominican HVAC Ligero
Size: 5 3/4 X 43
MSRP: $9.50
Release Date: November 10, 2014
295 Boxes of 25 cigars released.
THE REVIEW
-Beautiful Band, contrasts nicely against the wrapper leaf.
-What a dark, oily and shimmering broadleaf.
-Cold draw is spicy espresso.
A beautiful closed foot greets me at the light. I like to toast the adorning wrapper slowly, pull the flame away and draw in. Repeating this a few times before I complete the light. It gives me a good taste of the wrapper before I get started and mingles with the first inch of the stick or so before things take off.
This stick is rich right from the start. A nice trail of smoke drifts off the foot as I take note of my first impression. It's spicy, woody, filled with an earthy sweetness. There's a medicinal note buried underneath the finish. Needs s quick touch up. The spice has died back after the first inch, leaving sweet earth (dammit as I type this, the spice comes back full force... Tricky Rodrigo....tricky). The body is starting to pick up, working through the first third. The Blackhawks just lost the Winter Classic....boooo.
The cigar is bold, dark and spicy. It's smoking like a dream and the strength is slowly creeping in. The sweetness has backed off as the spice starts to shine through the middle. You can find the sweetness mingled with a bit of bitterness on the finish. The flavors rub off all over your lips and tongue. The wood and earth are more noticeable on the longer pulls. This stick would go great with a nice cup of dark roast. I can also see this as an excellent post steak dinner accompaniment. The sweetness from the broadleaf reminds me of chocolate licorice but the sweetness is sharper and smooths out on the finish.
The draw has opened up through half way. It's just pouring smoke and is effortless to produce big white clouds (for a corona). Another quick touch up employed just to keep it even and pretty. The blend is staying consistent into the second third. The sweetness stays constant while the spicy retro ebbs and flows. The profile presents a dark chocolate cake on my last draw.. That's a first for me and delicious. Spicy espresso and chocolate cake....mixed in with sweet, woody earth. How about that.
The strength has leveled off at medium/full and the stick is still pouring smoke from the foot. A bit of creaminess is building as I work towards the final third. If you're watching the post Winter Classic coverage, what do you think of Brent Sopal's mustache...it's so ridiculous, I love it. I just noticed, which is pretty crazy that the gold rubs right off the band leaving only maroon behind... I'll add a picture in the final copy. Not that it matters but it's a first and I thought worth mentioning.
Although the flavors bounce around and change leads throughout, the profile has stayed consistent, building in creaminess and spice into the final third. The burn has been an 8/10 with only minor touch ups needed. Smoke production has been exceptional and the strength is enough to satisfy. The spice really coats the throat in the final third. This is a solid stick, it doesn't have a lot of complexity or transitions but the profile is rich and the flavors that are there are well defined. I'm looking forward to see what this blend might have to offer in a corona Gorda version that I believe is on the table for 2015.
Smoke time 1hr 20mins
Score: 91
