The Reckoning by Studio Tobac | Cigar Review

By Cigar Reviews by the Katman on March 9, 2014

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Sun Grown
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero
Size: 5 x 52 “Robusto”
Body: Full
Price: $7.00 MSRP (Actual Cost $4.35)

NOTICE: I review cigars first thing in the morning when my palate is fresh and unencumbered by any previous cigars. What I taste may differ from what you taste if this is your 6th cigar in a row. Since I am retired, I chain smoke all day long and must cleanse my palate prior to lighting up each new cigar. Methods for cleansing a palate is different for everyone. I like to use fresh fruit or yogurt.

From Oliva’s Studio Tobac and the conglomerate of Cigars International and Cigar.com comes “The Reckoning.” If you look at either’s catalog, this cigar is lumped in with photos of the Cain brand, or Nub. Or both. This is supposed to be the fullest bodied of them all.

One of the two had a one day sale and I nabbed a box saving $10. I’ve smoked two and decided the third should be reviewed.
Warning. CI says in their description to, “…Buckle up your safety belt and take a spin through intense notes..”
What are we in for?

Construction is solid. Tight seams with lots of veins. An expertly crafted single cap. The wrapper is oily and the color of Bambi’s step father. And it feels a bit sandy to the touch.

The cap is simple. ..name of the cigar with Studio Tobac underneath it.

I clip the cap and find aromas of barnyard, very strong spice, sweetness, and something bitter (probably the ligero tobacco).
Time to light up.

Spice, and lots of it. A Garcia-type pepper bomb. The draw is excellent. Underneath all that black pepper is some sweetness.
And then creaminess pops its head up, only to be crushed by the spiciness.

The sweetness brings on the strangest fruit flavor I have ever experienced in a cigar: Pineapple. Must be Spring forward that is mucking up my brain.

Was watching the news last night and around half of the newscasters making friendly chatter said how great it was going to be to get an extra hour sleep. LOL! You can always count on the people that convey the news to us to be smart and on the dime. They were chastised, I imagine, during the break and sheepishly corrected themselves afterwards.

The spice is strong but not the cigar. It is at classic medium body. I think the brain trust at Studio Tobac thought of smoke and mirrors when saying how strong this cigar is. What they meant to say was how much ligero is pumped into the shaft of this cigar.

The cigar amazes me by having a razor sharp char line.

Some cocoa ekes itself into the fray. So now we have the trifecta of sweetness, creaminess and cocoa. A good start. The stick is packed so it is a slow burner.

It has taken me almost 15 minutes to get to the ½” mark.

I near the end of the first third. Strength is still at classic medium body. But you know what, who cares? This stick is part of the Cain family but not that close; as the Studio Tobac web site treats this stick like an orphan child. Clearly, only a house brand for CI.

I’m not a big fan of Cain blends. To me, they are mostly one trick ponies. The PR machine focuses on their strength. And they are only so so in the flavor department.

Now The Reckoning is something else. The spice ratchets down considerably at the beginning of the second third….allowing some flavors to shine.

Here they are, in order: Creaminess, cocoa, sweetness, espresso, leather, and cedar.

In actuality, this stick is much better than a Cain. The dumb ass name gives the false illusion that this is some sort of bastard child of 601 La Bomba. It’s not.
It is a spicy flavor bomb. And the cigar’s name is misleading.

The strength has moved up to a light medium/full body.

I near the halfway mark. While I really like the flavors, I don’t see any complexity in its future. Just a solid, good tasting spice stick. In fact, the spiciness reminds me of those hot cinnamon tooth picks we would buy as kids for a nickel presented in those little wax paper bags.

The char line is a bit wavy but no need for repair. And the cap is behaving itself.

I think that Studio Tobac got it right on this one. They just fucked up the marketing scheme.

The flavors become even bolder as I reach the last third. No. This is not an expansive flavor profile but what it has is great.

And as I write this, new flavors arrive to add to the sweetness: caramel and some nuttiness.

The description on CI’s seller page doesn’t get the description right and leaves out a bevy of nice flavors.

This is way better than any Cain out there. I know it is a bold statement. But I stick to it.

The ligero spiciness in Cain blends don’t know when to stop. On The Reckoning, the spiciness moves to the center of the flavor profile giving the flavors some real oomph but not overwhelming them as it did at the beginning of the cigar.

Based on what I’ve smoked lately, I believe under a different name, this cigar could have gone for $7.00. But Oliva is a huge company with a gazillion farms in Central America and they can keep the costs down.

Even before I finish the cigar, I can say that I highly recommend it.

With a couple inches to go, the stick moves to full body. And the nicotine kicks in. The layout of the flavor profile is near perfect in terms of layers.

There are five sizes: 5 x 52, 6 x 50, 6 x 52, 4 x 60, and 4 x 64. Stay away from the nubs and go straight to the Robusto. The price range, for a box of the five sizes, is $70.00-$80.00. A good deal for this cigar.

One of the best things about this cigar is it only needs a week of humidor time and it is good to go.

Finishing up, here are the flavors: Creaminess, sweetness, cocoa, caramel, espresso, nuttiness, cedar, earthiness, and leather.

I am happy that I bought a box of these. Note: They only come 15 to a box. Not 20. And if you buy a 5 pack, you are coming dangerously close to spending half the price of the box price.

There is no harshness, heat or bitterness at the end. And the flavor profile is just exploding.
Good cigar.

Addendum 3-20-2014:
The cigars have had an extra 11 days to marinate and have turned into excellent cigars beyond the description above. I’m sure they are available on Cbid but even if you can’t nab a box there, buy the daily deal or give CI your satchel of shekels they ask for.