Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5 x 54 “Robusto Extra” – Box Pressed
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $8.00

Here we go, fellow Midwesterners! A cigar made especially for us. Why? No idea.

Maybe we are a test area. Maybe it is a government experiment and if we all die or turn into lizards..or blocks of cheese, the rest of the country won’t notice.

Information that came with the cigar was brief and to the point and I was not able to find anything more on the internet.

This cigar comes in two sizes: 5.5 x 54 which is the Robusto Extra, and the Toro Grande at 6 x 60. I am glad that Barry Stein (L’Shana Tov), from Miami Cigar and Co., sent the smaller of the two. Both are box pressed. The price point is $8 for the Robusto Extra and $9 for the Toro Grande.
The cigars will be limited to 500 boxes of 10. The difference between this stick and the regular Special Selection is the wrapper. The others used Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro, Ecuadorian, or Rosado wrappers. I should add that the cigar has double bands.

Construction is impeccable. Seams are near invisible as well as the small veins. It appears to have a triple cap but I cannot be sure. The wrapper is a dark chocolate brown with darker mottling on it. Like a dog who is brindle colored. I like the mottling. The box press is done with rounded corners. The wrapper has a deep oily sheen and a bit of tooth.

I clip the cap and find aromas of red pepper, cocoa, natural tobacco sweetness, cinnamon, & cream.
The char line starts out very nice.

The cigar is fighting for favor bomb status at the starting gate. Within the first half inch, there is a flavor explosion. The spiciness gets much stronger. Right behind that is the creaminess, cocoa, the newly added latte’, sweetness and cinnamon. A nice cedar component joins the group. And a draw that pours smoke from the foot like my chair is on fire.

I have bought my share of the Special Selections but this is something special. I’ve had this cigar for less than a week and then I smoked one last night. It was impressive so it was time to review it. It did not need weeks or months for the smoker to taste the blender’s intent.

This stick is so creamy and spicy and full of cocoa, it could be a new flavor into itself.

The strength is classic medium at this point but methinks a surprise lies lurking for me in the last third.

The cigar is packed solid with tobacco and hence, a slow burner. Speaking of lurking, there is another flavor that eludes me. Since it is very powerful, I feel like an idiot for not identifying it immediately. What the hell is it? There is a bit of wood and leather in there, but not at the front.

The flavor is a combination of components. It is very toasty. But it has, in addition to the tobacco sweetness, something else. A fruity element. The chewiness of the cigar helps a lot. It is dates. The Medjool date. Those are the richest and most delectable of the date family in my book. I grew up in So Cal and not far away, towards Palm Springs, was date country. You couldn’t go on Route 10 and not stop by Hadley Fruit Orchards in Cabazon and get yourself a creamy date milk shake.

How odd. But good….I’ve had only two or three cigars that had such a prominent flavor as this.

I begin the second third and the cigar goes complex on me. While creaminess and the dates and some cocoa are slightly upfront, the rest of the profile becomes fluid. There is a consistency of richness that makes this cigar really soar in the flavor department.

As this cigar started out very flavorful, the only change to the second third is the finesse of the flavors. While at the beginning, they were very bold; now they are more subtle and refined.

This is the kind of cigar one hopes for in a Nicaraguan based blend. The San Andres wrapper adds a bit of zing and color to the flavor profile.
Except for the date flavor, most of what I taste is in most Nicaraguan cigars. $5 Nic puros, for example, have these flavors but are more blunt instruments in the way they are presented. This cigar, at $8, is all silk and butter. I know I preach about price but in this particular cigar, you can taste the price point. This is one of the more enjoyable cigars I’ve had in a while.

At the halfway marker, the flavors become stronger; yet still staying in check. The complex nature of the flavor profile is the same, as a bit earlier, but they are reaching for that big ring on the merry go round. They are pushing hard to be noticed even more. Showing off, if you will.

The stick is still at medium bodied. The char line gets wavy now and then but for the most part, is on point.

I would love to have a box of these. Unfortunately, living in Milwaukee is a huge handicap. We have the worst cigar stores in the country. Not a single store carries any cutting edge sticks. It is like shopping at Thompson Cigars. Whenever I run low and need a quick fix, it is so disheartening to roam through these B & M’s. Once in a while they have some Viajes, but that is as daring as they get. So I have my doubts I will be able to find these cigars here.

Chicago is only 90 miles away. It might be a good reason for a road trip. Get me some of these cigars and get a Chicago dog or an Italian beef sandwich at Portillos.

The last third begins and I wait for the shoe to drop in the strength category.

And here it comes. My first reaction to nicotine is my hands get shaky forcing me to correct lots of typos. My eyes begin to blur. And it is hard to concentrate. I know. What a wuss.

The power of the stick ramps up quickly. But never overshadows the wonderful flavor profile. I like it when you get a cigar that starts off at the sweet spot. It gives the components time to morph and re-invigorate themselves along the way.

Each time I sip water, my palate gets a birthday surprise of intense flavor.

While I avoid giant cigars like the plague, I am intrigued about the 6 x 60. Is it just as flavorful? When I got to Chicago, I will seek them out; although this 5 x 54 is my favorite size.

As the cigar disappears, the flavors don’t. This is one of the chewiest cigars I’ve smoked. I can feel the flavors coating my teeth.

It is truly a great cigar. I don’t rate cigars like other reviewers do because this is basically a subjective stance. We all have different palates. But if I had to score this cigar, I would most comfortably give it a 95.

If you live in the Midwest; consider yourself lucky. If you have a friend, or family, in the Midwest; ditto. I would go online and find a store in this part of the world and beg them to sell you this cigar. I don’t know if the $8 price point is the box price or the individual price so I really don’t know what the box price is.

I finish out the cigar sated and happy. And dizzy.

I want to thank Barry Stein of Miami Cigar and Co. for the samples.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS