Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Mexican San Andres
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Size: 5 x 50 “Robusto”
Body: Medium
Price: $2.35

I haven’t reviewed a house cigar in quite a while. I was assured by Jason Harding of Best Cigar Prices.com that I would truly enjoy this stick.
I tried two sticks too early. This is not a stick that is ready to smoke two days after receipt. But I’ve waited two weeks and the cigar has blossomed into a fine cigar.

Actually, I’m sort of shocked that a cigar at this price point is this good. I was pretty skeptical when I saw the price, but Jason hasn’t led me astray yet.
General Cigar makes this stick for BCP. And that’s about all I know.
So on to the review.

Construction is excellent. I highly advise that you dry box them for a couple days before putting them in your humidor. They were a bit wet upon receipt but now they are rock solid with just the right amount of give.

The Brazilian wrapper is gorgeous. It’s not as dark as a regular maduro, but instead, is the color of a dark coffee bean. Or a Habano wrapper.
There are a few big veins but mostly devoid of small veins. The stick is very oily and toothy. The single cap is immaculate. All in all, this is a very well made cigar.

I clip the cap and find aromas of spice, hay, baking spices, cedar, and natural tobacco sweetness.
Time to light up.

The first puffs are full of red pepper. The draw is a bit tight. The cigar is jam packed with tobacco. Smoke pours from the foot. The body starts off at medium.

I can taste nuttiness, cedar, and earthiness. Right behind that comes a nice sweet component. The char line is close to dead nuts.

It is a dreary day in Wisconsin and I fear my photos will be punished.

Cocoa shows up mixed with black coffee. It has a very nice flavor profile so early in the cigar. This is why I recommend you try a 5 pack but you MUST let them rest 2-3 weeks before smoking. They arrive blah and uninteresting and 2 weeks later show up as a $7 cigar.

My luck has shifted on the burn line. It is now wavy but no touch ups required.

This is like no other $2 cigar I have smoked. Normally, a $2 stick is devoid of the proper amount of tobacco and burns hot and quick. This stick has a premium cigar quality to it. The char line returns to being perfect.

The cigar is a very slow burner. You couldn’t jam any more tobacco in this stick with a shoe horn. So there was no shortcut taken here by the blender.
I smoked one yesterday to make sure it was ready to review. Frankly, I was shocked at the transformation. This is a perfect knock around cigar that is inexpensive and tastes good. Clearly, you can hand these out to your mooch friends and surprise them with quality and then you tell them they cost $7 a stick. They will believe you by the time they finish the cigar.

I am almost to the end of the first third. Creaminess enters the arena enhancing the other flavors.

I told Jason at BCP that if I didn’t like this cigar, I would not review it. No point in biting the hand that feeds you. He understood. Especially since a 5 pack goes for less than $14. I was very, very skeptical but Jason has not steered me wrong yet so I trust his judgment. And so far, he is batting 1000.

The creaminess, the cocoa, the coffee, the cedar, and the sweetness are really pumping out as I begin the second third. Mind you, these are the typical Nicaraguan flavors in a good cigar, but I am getting them in a $2 cigar, not a $7-$9 one.

During my poor days at the end of 2008 when I was “downsized,” I tried all sorts of cheap $20-$25 bundles from everyone. And so far, it looks like we now have a winner that puts all those cheap bundles to shame.

In a blind taste test, I would never guess the price point on this stick.

The body continues to be classic medium. Very smooth.

The flavors begin to increase giving the cigar a very chewy complexity. Yes. This $2 cigar is reaching a nice level of complexity. Will wonders never cease?

The second third is the sweet spot. I’m glad it did not make me wait til the last third.

All of those wonderful flavors are upfront. None are in the background; except for maybe the red pepper. It was tamed a while back and now lingers with just the right touch to give the cigar some oomph.

Wally Guse-This is a cigar for you. Not too strong. Flavorful. And you can’t beat the price. Wally is a fellow musician friend living in Arizona. And his constitution just can’t handle strong cigars. I think he will like this stick.

I am at the halfway point. And the cocoa, creaminess and coffee begin to leave a long finish. The char line is in constant change mode as it is wavy for a bit and then dead nuts perfect the next. It has not required touch ups, so who cares.

This jam packed robusto has taken me over 40 minutes to reach this point. God knows the time it will take to smoke a Churchill or Torpedo. Another perfect scenario: It is a great outdoors cigar. You can hand it out to your friends and everyone gets a 2 hour experience. There isn’t a wide spread of price points amongst the sizes. And there are four: Robusto, Toro, Churchill and Torpedo.

I breech the last third of the cigar. And I am truly digging it. It is a great morning cigar. So far, little nicotine. Full of flavor on a fresh palate. A bundle of Robustos goes for $47. This means I must have some.

The last third sees a resurgence of the spiciness. Not a lot, but just enough to make it interesting. I like that.
The cigar is now an official flavor bomb.

The sweet spot has intensified in the last couple of inches. But meanwhile, staying cool and smooth. No heat or harshness. And no influx of nicotine. The cigar band comes off like a dream. I hate ripping away at bands that have too much glue on them. Makes for a lousy photo.

The cigar finishes out in style. I highly recommend this as a good knock around cigar. It is flavorful. It is full of character. And it smokes like a dream. All for the price of a little over $2 each. You can’t go wrong. Try them at Best Cigar Prices.com.
Total smoking time is just over 90 minutes.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS