Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan Jalapa Viso
Filler: Honduran Broadleaf, Mexican San Andrés, Nicaraguan Jalapa Viso
Size: 5 x 50 Robusto
Strength: Medium
Price: $13.00
I am diving headfirst into this cigar review totally blind. Haven’t smoked one yet but I know Vlad from his long association with Jeremy Casdagli. I’m confident that this cigar will shine.
I’ve had this cigar sitting naked in my humidor for a little less than 2 months. As this is a very limited release, I thought it would be smarter to review now rather than after the cigars are gone. If nothing else, I can snag the blender’s intent.
BACKGROUND:
From SBC:
“After distributing cigars for multiple brands that we ship daily, Vlada Stojanov decided to branch out into his own venture with Somm. He created an initial run of 5,000 BDX Robustos from Cavalier Geneve’s factory.
“Somm Premier Cru is on the way, and only 3,000 cigars were made in 5-ct boxes from the Kelner Boutique Factory.” (These cigars are available now).
BDX refers to the winemaking area of Bordeaux, France.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
If you Google this cigar, the name is a bit confusing and inconsistent as reported by cigar industry websites. I went to the source last night, Vlada Stojanov, and the above way I’ve titled the cigar is correct.
Vlada’s description of flavors includes cacao, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. Yikes. I looked up the difference between cacao and cocoa. Honestly, I don’t think I have a palate that is sufficiently sophisticated to tell the difference. If you want a lesson in those differences, you can read this article I found on Healthline: “Cacao vs Cocoa: What’s the Difference?”
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cacao-vs-cocoa
I sniff the wrapper and it emits aromas of complex chocolate notes. Maybe it is just the power of suggestion, but I swear I smell red wine. I also smell vanilla, a touch of malt, cinnamon, almonds, red pepper, and creaminess.
The draw is stupendous. Rarely do I get a cigar whose airflow I crave. Just the right resistance. Won’t need my PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool for this cigar.
https://theperfecsmoke.com/
The cold draw just screams different elevations of chocolate…and a scoche of black pepper for that nice kick in the arse.
Wham. (Without George Michael). The cigar explodes with flavors coating me in debris that can be cleaned later using a lint roller.
A spicy meat-a-ball. Immediately intense. The aromas I described all show up as bona fide flavors. Chocolate covers my face like a 2-year-old eating ice cream. Cinnamon and black pepper are at just the right level to entice the naughtiness. Man, this cigar’s intent of complexity just smacks me in the face like I’m Soupy Sales. I can’t imagine what several more months of humi time will do to rev up the cigar experience.
Grains are mentioned in Vlad’s description and I taste them. I eat Food For Life bread which is made without flour and jam packed with grains so this flavor point rings familiar. It gives the blend a nice savory bakery element.
The chocolate also reminds me of Mexican mole sauce which contains chocolate, green chiles, cumin, and cilantro.
Construction is excellent. Nice slow burn. The char line is on the money.
The first sweet spot shows up at 1-1/2” burned and slathers my palate with an array of complexity that morphs the flavors into spinning ball shooting lightning strikes to my brain. (I should know better than to drop acid before a cigar review).
The savory v. sweet quotient is spot on. A perfect balance.
Strength is a solid medium.
If you should opt to buy some while they are still here to be had, do the cigar some respect and let them humidor age naked for 4 months. I’m receiving the blender’s intent at only 2 months aged and it is spinning my merkin. A few more months of humi time will reward your impatience.
I can’t help but think of Jeremy Casdagli. I’ve known Vlad for more than 7 years and this man is solid as they come. I had high anxiety taking a chance reviewing this cigar blind without the opportunity to try one before the review.
Thankfully, this is a masterful blend worthy of Vlad’s skills and passion.
I also have the companion cigar to this new line: Sommelier Premier Cru. An expensive cigar for many of us budget minded cigar enthusiasts at $30. But check out the leaf stats:
Wrapper: Dominican (1997 Harvest)
Binder: Dominican (2007 Harvest)
Filler: Dominican San Vicente viso 2018/Peruvian Pelo de Pro Visas from 2017/ BVS African hybrid 2017
It is a 6 x 49 beautifully tapered figurado. I will review it tomorrow. It is an extremely limited production of only 3,000 cigars in 5 count boxes.
Back to the BDX. The depth is drilling a hole miles deep that my palate follows like a lemming…or a ferret.
This is a supremely sophisticated blend. Nearing the halfway point, this cigar just digs its heels in. The separation of powers emitting succinct flavors begins to fade as the blend heads to the Fortress of Solitude. You don’t want to herf with this cigar. It is just too good to miss out on all the subtleties and nuances from any sort of distraction.
This is a manly cigar. I can’t believe the price point is only $13. Really. This level of excellence is usually found in good, but expensive, blends. There are a million other cigars at this price point that can’t touch the hem of the BDX.
The halfway point takes the cigar to the next dimension. So intense. So complex. So gratifying that my palate has multiple orgasms…even though my palate sometimes has ED.
This is how you start the day. A happy dance comes next.
Once again, I applaud the construction. It never interrupts the flow.
The strength is now inching towards medium/full.
I cannot distinguish the three chocolate elements as they have melded and linger in the back of my throat and in my sinuses. Truly one of the most complex blends I have smoked in some time.
First sip of water and I taste the mole sauce again. The green chiles just pop.
Vlad describes one flavor as sweet cereal. I voluntarily chose to stop eating sugar in 1980. I haven’t eaten cereal in a very long time. My muscle memory brings up a snapping synapse of oatmeal with cinnamon, brown sugar, and cream. That’s as close as I can get. So, if you taste Cap’n Crunch, so be it.
I nub this baby. No heat. No harshness. No nicotine. The crowd roars.
The BDX will disappear quicker than you can pull your fly up. I highly recommend trying it. A phenomenal blend. I curtsy to Vlada Stojanov.
You can purchase these cigars from my sponsor Small Batch Cigar. Remember that the promo code ‘katman’ gets you 10% off.
https://www.smallbatchcigar.com/sommelier-bdx-robusto
RATING: 96
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
Cigar Reviews by the Katman 
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