Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan
Size: 4.5 x 54 “Robusto”
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $5.00

This cigar, by Altadis USA, was introduced at the 2013 IPCPR trade show. I assume it is their entry into the New Breed Tattooed Ones blending style.
This little spark plug is very solid with a burned toast color. The cap is well done. Seams are invisible and very few veins. The stick feels smooth and a nice oily sheen adorns it.

I clip the cap and find aromas of espresso, earthiness, orange muffin, and a bit of dried fruit and sweetness. A bit of toffee as well.

The double cigar bands are very striking. The main band is the traditional SLR design. The secondary band, which is bigger than the main band, is Vegas baby. Black with silver and red lettering. Very modern looking.
Time to light up.

The first puffs are full of that orange muffin aroma. Right behind that is a nice sweet caramel component. Then the spice rears its head. Hot stuff. Cocoa. The draw is just fine and the burn line looks very good at this point.

The red pepper steps on the gas. Holy cow! Or should I say, Holy Rene!? Mr. Cardona gifted this cigar to me. Slips of Kleenex begin to disappear from the box as my nose runs like a maniac and my eyes water.

And inch in, the pepper is not quite as strong but water is still emanating from my tear ducts.

The cocoa moves to the front. The sweetness right behind. Orange muffin no more. Raisins take its place. Creaminess appears. The caramel becomes very strong.

This is an excellent cigar. At the 1-1/12” mark, it is a flavor bomb. It is a strong medium body. I’m still going through Kleenex like it’s 3am and I’m watching Cinemax.

The burn line has been a bit lazy but no touch ups needed.

I’m not a big fan of SLR only because they take so damn long to marinate. This is, indeed, their foray into the New Breed Tattooed Ones blending style. It is brash. It is an immediate flavor bomb. And it only took a couple weeks to get there. Construction is excellent. The flavor is smashing. And the price point is ridiculously user friendly. I gotta get me some of these. If I didn’t know better, I’d say this was an $8-$9 stick. Really. It has that meaty, manly profile of superb blending and good tobacco.

At the halfway point, I get an intense dried cherry flavor. The raisin element disappears. The cocoa and creaminess make me run for my Diet Coke. This is the perfect cigar for the egg cream experience. My only caveat is that I think these wonderful flavors are exploding in my puss because of the size. I wouldn’t want to smoke a bigger stick. And there are only three sizes: 4.5 x 50, 6 x 54, and 6 x 60. Ooooh. Don’t go near the big log or it will take months before it tastes like the Robusto. The price ranges are $5-$6 a stick by the box. A stunning deal on this cigar.

The halfway mark sees the flavors morphing and becoming complex. The spiciness has ratcheted down quite a bit and the Kleenex episode is over. It is difficult to discern one flavor from another as they have dug deep into that rotating disco ball. One puff gives you a couple flavors and the next puff; different flavors.

The body has tamped down a bit and is more classic medium. This is a great cigar to hand out to your moocher friends. They will be happily surprised at the complexity and flavor profile and you can tell them whatever you want about the pricing and they will believe you…unless you lie to them all the time.

The cap is impeccably constructed as not a single piece of tobacco has come loose. That’s quality, baby. I hate taking photos of cigars where the cap looks like a swamp.

Here are the flavors, in descending order: Creaminess, caramel, sweetness, cocoa, cherries, earthiness, and an excellent blend of tobacco flavor.

I like the design of this cigar. It is unusual. It starts out with all guns blasting away. By the halfway point, things settle and become very sophisticated. No sudden lurches and an even keel approach. The medium/full aspect hits you in the first third and then mellows by the last couple of inches; instead of building to a nicotine bombing. Wally Guse…I have found the perfect cigar for you.

As the cigar finishes, a toasty element enters the picture for the first time. A warm yeasty flavor. And a strong cinnamon appears as well. A black licorice flavor shows itself completing the flavor profile. What a nice surprise.
The last inch and a half, the body moves back to medium/full and there is some nicotine kick. But nothing this old man can’t take.

Look, I fawned and praised the hell out of this cigar. No store or manufacturer gave this stick to me. Good friend, Rene Cardona did. So I have no hidden agenda.

A 5 pack would be nice, but if you have the dough, go for the box.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar review, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, Saint Luis Rey Gen2 review