Wrapper: Sumatran

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: 5 x 52  “Robusto”

Body: Mild

Price: $3.20

I don’t know much about this cigar. But what I do know is this:

1.     The cigar is also the name of a metal band in Denver which won Best Metal Band of Denver in 2011.

2.     The boys have branched out into making cigars.

I was sent a couple sticks and they were promptly smashed by the post office prior to getting to me, but Lawdy, Lawdy, Lawdy….I found a stick in my humidor this morning that did not get squished.

It is the Natural version. There is also a Maduro.

Now I’m not a fan of mild bodied cigars. Those are for golfers and people who don’t smoke cigars regularly. So, its redemption lay in its flavor profile. Of the 2300 friends I have on Face Book, I can think of two people who only like mild bodied cigars. The rest, like me, prefer the stronger the better. Which of course, comes with experience. So this might be a great newbie cigar. Let’s see.

Construction is rustic. Seams are tight but sloppy. Quite a bit of veins. The cap is nicely done. No oils and no tooth. The stick is firm.

I sniff around and detect hay and grass. And that’s about it.

So I clip it and light up.

The first puffs have a nicely done sweetness. The char line is close to razor sharp. And then I get hit with some red pepper. Nice. The body is definitely mild. Smoke is just pouring from the foot.

Spiciness is a nice offset to a mild cigar. Creates the illusion of something stronger.

About an inch in, I get a salty taste. It comes close to overwhelming the pepper.

I am such a schmuck. I knock the ashtray over with the cigar in it and blow my chance of a nice photo.

Very often, a mild cigar is merely a bit of sweetness accompanied by some pepper. That’s OK if you don’t like medium or full bodied cigars. It’s a great way for a newbie to learn about cigars.

This is also a great price point for a beginner.

The first third ends and I get a little bit of cocoa in the cigar. And with it comes some creaminess…very lightly and subtle. The cigar is beginning to impress me. The draw is flawless and the char line is impeccable.

I am enjoying the stick because of the newer flavors. Even snobby reviewers with a stick up their ass, like me, can learn something every day. This $3 stick rivals much more expensive mild bodied cigars. My fingers are crossed it turns into a flavor bomb in the last half.

I hit the halfway mark and I’m having a good time. After reading that this is a mild cigar, my face fell. You can read, and purchase, about these cigars at the site: http://www.czcigars.com.

Normally, I would not review boutique cigars because if they aren’t very good, I won’t publish my review. And it upsets the person who sent it to me causing me to earn an enemy. I learned my lesson about that when I was starting out and the only people I could get to send me samples were boutique blends.

The sweetness begins to take on a buttery caramel flavor. The salt is there which is totally subjective. Some smokers love it when a cigar is salty. Others don’t. I don’t mind a little bit. Fortunately, this stick’s saltiness has tamped down and has moved to the background.

A crack in the wrapper is developing near the foot. Probably cause and effect from the 300lb postal worker sitting on the package.

The very pretty band comes off like a dream. No fighting with an over-glued band.

The creaminess is becoming stronger. In turn, so is the sweetness. The cocoa has moved to the background and the spiciness is barely there now. I can taste it but it is no longer driving the bus.

I think the boys of Core Zero have done a good job of creating an inexpensive cigar that is mild, yet very flavorful. Even hard asses like me, who only smoke full bodied sticks, can really enjoy this.

The ash left over from the carpet accident is hanging on for dear life. That shows it is solid construction.

Reviewers go crazy when they think an ash might turn into something spectacular and then disappointed when they wait too long and the damn thing falls of into our laps. So the conundrum is when to remove the ash. With all the problems in the world, this is not so high on the priority list. LOL.

I move into the last third. The flavors consolidate now.

This is not a complex cigar but it is flavorful. The last third is all about spice, sweet caramel, creaminess, and a bit of cocoa.

In summary, a great cigar for newbies or smokers who just prefer a mild bodied stick. The price is right so you have nothing to lose by trying them. I’d like to taste the maduro. It probably has a bit more body and I like maduros.

I want to thank the good folks at Core Zero for sending me some samples.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS