The Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto is manufactured by General Cigar Company at their HATSA, SA factory in Danli, Honduras. Sancho Panza is a world renowned Cuban value brand, whose trademark was also registered in the USA in 1981. Sancho Panza was recently revamped in 2022 under Scandinavian Tobacco Groups’ new creative director, Matt Booth, of Room 101 Cigars.
The cigar is a sturdy well built maduro robusto. It dons a double cap and is draped in a veiny rustic wrapper leaf.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The body of the cigar smells of chocolate. It has a good cold draw with cedar and hot chocolate on the breath.
It takes a while for the cigar to toast, but combusts quickly.
At first puff the smoke is cedary and salty with a popcorn finish. The cigar has a very toasty retro. Lots of thick smoke production. There is a noticeable graham cracker aroma off the foot of the cigar. As the cigar heats up, my palate fills with pepper. It handles the heat quite well. The ash build-up is flaky.
As it progresses, there are beautiful nuances of cinnamon, clove, and wood. Smoke production is stellar and leaves a creamy mouth feel, with a confectionary aroma. The cigar develops a very leathery retrohale that is both savory and sweet. The ash build-up stiffens and looks flawless.
On the second third, the body completely drops out of the cigar. The smoking experience is still very smooth and creamy with great smoke production. There is cinnamon and clove on the retrohale with a cedary aroma, but as I said, my palate is left wanting.
The last third of the smoke sees the body of flavors return. My tongue is again coated with baking spices. The cinnamon and clove also revisits on the retrohale. The aroma is sweet. As I smoke it to the nub the flavors become a little harsh with hazelnuts and black coffee.
Conclusion
The Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto is a decent value smoke. Those who know me, know that I have become quite the “bundle cigar” smoker in this current economy. However, I wouldn’t put this specific cigar in my current rotation of Curivari Buena Ventura’s or New Cuba Corojos. The Esteli tobacco in the blend really props the Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto up a little, but I would rather spend the extra cash for an Eiroa Classic Prensado if you really like spiced nuances. Even a Joya De Nicargua Antano Consul will give you the same mouth feel. Anyway, when it comes to the Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto I would likely be looking to spend my money somewhere else. Enjoy!
The Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro is manufactured by General Cigar Company at their HATSA, SA factory in Danli, Honduras. Sancho Panza is a world renowned Cuban value brand, whose trademark was also registered in the USA in 1981. Sancho Panza was recently revamped in 2022 under Scandinavian Tobacco Groups’ new creative director, Matt Booth, of Room 101 Cigars.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro
Wrapper: Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 52
Appearance & Construction
The cigar is a very veiny double cap maduro toro. It feels very lightweight in my hand, but is packed very well.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The body and foot of the cigar smell of honey and straw bales. The cold draw has some resistance, with baking spices on the breath. The cigar toasts very easily under a soft flame and combusts with ease.
The cigar offers lots of chocolate and graham cracker at first puff. It has a mild salty and spicy finish. Very tangy. The retrohale is habanero pepper complimented by a cedary chocolate aroma off the foot. The smoking experience, however, is really dampened by the tight draw. I have run into draw issues with lots of toros, and have steered clear of them for this very reason. They burn well and handle heat well, just like the one I’m smoking today, but I find the draw on toros to frequently be a tug-of-war. In this current cigar market, the toro is the “new” robusto, and I have seen many manufacturers cancel their more classical vitola formats to meet this current demand. Many master blenders are also switching from rolling corona sizes, and opting for a 6×52 or 6×54 when they are constructing their samples and protypes. Anyway, the ash buildup is superb so far, but the heat management requires a steady double puff pace. Flavors are fainter, yet dominated by straw bales and pepper.
The second third debuts with stronger flavors. I sense nuances of endive and chicory with pepper on the back end. The smoke maintains its chocolatey cedar aroma. The retrohale is now leathery. More importantly, the draw has developed a little more give, which boosts the smoke production and I can now taste some sweetness on the finish of each puff. I still find myself having to take two draws to maintain heat. A perfume note of subtlety shines through.
The last third opens up with cinnamon notes as well as some green bell pepper on the finish. Other then that, the draw has completely opened up and the burn picks up its pace. The flavors can be harsh at times and reminiscent of roasted hazelnuts and whole espresso beans. The aroma is leathery as well as the retro. Something is telling me I should have tried smoking this stick backwards…
Conclusion
The Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro was smoked a couple days after I had reviewed the Sancho Panza Double Maduro Robusto which scored four points higher. The difference in rating solely came down to the pesky draw of the toro vitola. That being said, the last third was spot on with its expression of Connecticut Broadleaf, which I reluctantly suspected was in the blend. When it comes to the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro, I wasn’t joking when I said it was better smoked backwards. I would also like to revisit this blend in a smaller format since I am a big fan of Connecticut broadleaf. Matt Booth may have hit the nail on the head idea-wise, but I couldn’t in good faith hand the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Toro to someone else. The cigar industry has been growing since the last boom, and even the “value” AKA “bundle” cigar market is loaded with lots of better options that are far superior in construction and flavor delivery. Enjoy!
The CAO BX3 Gordo is manufactured by General Cigar Company in Nicaragua. CAO dates back to 1968 when Cano Ozgener began a pipe and humidor business in Nashville, TN, before venturing into cigar manufacturing in the 90’s. A very popular brand during the last cigar boom, CAO received much acclaim for their multi-national blends and highly rated maduros. This popularity eventually lead to them being acquired by General Cigar Company, an umbrella that the brand is still under today.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: CAO BX3 Gordo
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Brazilian Arapiraca
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina, Honduran, Mexican, Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 60
Appearance & Construction
The cigar is a very toothy maduro toro with a really thick ring gauge and a double cap. The wide ring gauge makes the wrapper leaf more bespoke fitting and delicate compared to other maduro toros I’ve smoked. Its almost as if there is a 3 dimensional visual experience to the cigar.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The body and foot of the cigar smell of honey, chocolate, and dried urine. Don’t be offended or intimidated, its a compliment and par-for-the-course when dealing with well fermented tobaccos.
The cigar has a nice loose cold draw with spicy cedar on the breath.
It takes a while to toast the thick ring gauge with a soft flame as you can imagine, but combusts well with a few good slow draws.
The first puff is a flavor bomb of chocolate, cedar, raising, and pepper. Its is spicy, hot, and toasty on the finish. There is a leathery aroma to the smoke as well as on the retrohale. It has phenomenal smoke production, and a nice thick ash build-up. It handles the heat well. Two inches into the smoking experience, however, and the flavors get muted.
Second third begins with the flavor profile still dainty for what appeared to be a flavor bomb. It turned into a genuine smooth smoke though, and I’m very impressed with how well it takes the 36 degree Fahrenheit November morning temps. There is a little bit of wood on the finish of each puff. There is cedar on the retrohale and a sweet confectionary aroma in the air. In frustration trying to get back to my first high, I take full liberty to puff away on the stick trying to stoke up a return to flavor-ville. The cigar is burning hotter then it should, but I can make out leather, earth, and wood with a nice sweetness on the finish.
The last third opens up with black coffee and espresso. There is a sweet leathery aroma in the air, but nothing on the finish of my puffs. Before I call this cigar a dudd, this lingering sweetness I’ve been getting throughout, picks up the lead and I can taste sweet straw bales. I have to admit, the last third really saved the cigar review for me. Even as it approached the nub, and the flavors tried to be harsh, the cigar stayed smooth and enjoyable. I also have to admit, that smoking this cigar with very little food in my stomach, could have made a turn for the worse, but the fact that this cigar displays an awkward self control made it a very enjoyable experience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the CAO BX3 Gordo wasn’t that bad of a smoke. I am not a fan of big ring gauges, long vitolas, or cigars that take a 2 hour or more commitment- So, my final score is really just based off my own bias. This should by no means dissuade those of you who like cartoon shaped cigars from trying the CAO BX3 Gordo. I would actually hand this off to anyone looking for something new and interesting, just perhaps in the robusto size CAO also offers in this blend. The CAO BX3 scored the highest for me in the construction, smoke production, flavor nuances, heat control, and smoking experience categories. Give it a shot, and let us know what you think. Enjoy!
The Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X is manufactured by Platinum Nova Cigar Company at their factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Platinum Nova Cigar Company is owned by Amer Rustom and headed by two cigar retail veterans Leonor “Leo” Abzaradel and Aurelio “Ari” Riego. Their website states that their cigars use 10-15 year aged tobaccos and the cigars then stay in an aging room for a minimum of three years before being released.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano 2000
Binder: Dominican HVA
Filler: Dominican
Size: 5.75 x 50
Appearance & Construction
Triple cap rosado wrapper. Very lightweight in my hands. Packed not too loose, and not too tight either. The cigar has a nice chocolate and cedar aroma.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The cold draw is on the looser side. Sweet cedar on the breath.
It takes a while for the cigar to toast and light. At combustion I can make out the presence of a tiny pinhole tunnel. Hope this doesn’t effect anything.
The first third is bold with lots of jalapeno pepper, espresso, and hay bale sweetness. It is a very pleasant smoke on first introduction. I find the cigar to be a little delicate, even with my notorious slow smoking pace. I recommend babysitting the heat factor. However, there is still lots of flavor development throughout the first third, such as chocolate, hazelnut, wood, and earth with a black coffee finish. Leathery retrohale. I like it!
The second third finally reigns in the heat. I don’t have to tip-toe around my puffs. The cigar is more nuanced with pencil shavings and leather and a strawberry hard-candy finish. The smoking experience is definitely on the creamy side. There is still leather on the retrohale as well as in the smoke aroma.
The last third is very leather forward. The cigar is very creamy, but begins to burn hot again. Harsher flavors begin to develop like espresso and hazelnuts. The retrohale and aroma are still leathery. The cigar finishes fairly bitter with notes of raw garlic!
Conclusion
What can I say?! The Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X was a bit of a roller coaster ride. I love heavily nuanced cigars and flavor bombs. The cigar blend also concealed some tobacco varietals I had never tried. To me its worth being curious over, minus the heat problems and nasty finish. It’s a $22 stick with not as much clout as a Davidoff, but if you feel like being a big spender for the weekend- why the hell not?! If your a fan of leathery flavor notes, or just want to to swap out your usual Ecuadorian shade wrapper cigar for a change-of-pace, I wouldn’t hesitate recommending the Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X. I’m a picky smoker, with picky habits and I usually classify cigars into tow categories: “Boring!,” and “Not Boring!” The Platinum Nova Personal Reserve Leo X falls into the “Not Boring!,” category. It’s also more affordable and more flavorful then the Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro I had previously reviewed. Enjoy!
The Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro is manufactured by Platinum Nova Cigar Company at their factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Platinum Nova Cigar Company is owned by Amer Rustom and headed by two cigar retail veterans Leonor “Leo” Abzaradel and Aurelio “Ari” Riego. Their website states that their cigars use 10-15 year aged tobaccos and the cigars then stay in an aging room for a minimum of three years before being released.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro
Wrapper: San Andres
Binder: Dominican San Vicente
Filler: Dominican Piloto
Size: 6×50
Appearance & Construction
Triple cap maduro wrapper. Air-tight, seamless construction. Reeks of chocolate and hay bales. Its packed fairly well. A delicate beautiful foot. If you have a foot fetish, forget how this cigar scores at the end, and just go and buy the stick NOW!
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The cigar has a tight cold draw. Very faint bitter spice on the breath. My lips and tongue actually feel like I just licked hot sauce. I’m intrigued.
It takes a while for the cigar to toast and light, but it eventually combusts beautifully.
The first third is faint in flavor like the cold draw. I can barely make out flowers and mesquite. It has a chili pepper finish. There is almost no smoke production, unless you take deep double puffs. I also find myself having to babysit the smoking heat as a consequence of this. The cigar gives off a very nostalgic hot chocolate aroma. After I auger myself a better smoking port by employing my trusty drill bit, the flavors are still hollow. However, I can now taste a very nostalgic nuance- NYC deli coffee in the blue and white Greco-Roman cups! The retrohale is non-existent.
The second third is more of the same- BORING! There are faint hints of chocolate with some spice on the finish. The aroma is still hot chocolate with some added cedar. Some chili pepper on the retro.
The last third gives off a chocolate habanero aroma. The retrohale is MIA again. The cigar is very wood polish forward on the palate with the same chili pepper finish. The cigar gets a little stronger as it dies down with earth, black coffee, and hazelnuts on the tongue. Nothing to write home about.
Conclusion
The Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro retails for approximately $350 for a 12 count box. If this sample I received was just a flawed stick, I still couldn’t see myself risking the hard cash in hopes of the other 11 cigars in the box to be outstanding. Spicy-sweet is normally my go to when it comes to cigar shopping. The Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro seemed promising with its solid construction upon initial inspection, and the tight draw didn’t scare me one bit as a veteran smoker. However, when a cigar opens up with that mesquite intro that gets my tastes buds going, but then fails to deliver, I don’t get sad, I get angry. The Limited Edition Platinum Nova Toro was a waste of time. Enjoy!
The Villiger Cuellar Black Forest Robusto is manufactured by Villiger Cigars at the Tabacalera Palma factory in the Dominican Republic. Villiger Cigars has been a family owned Swiss company since 1888 with distribution in both Europe and America. To be more specific, Villiger Cigars North America is the premium cigar division of Switzerland’s Villiger Söhne AG, one of the world’s largest producers of machine-made cigars.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Villiger Cuellar Black Forest Robusto
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 5×48
Appearance & Construction
The cigar is a super flat box-pressed cigar. It is packed on the looser side. The filler tobacco shows some gaps. It has a nice dark chocolate colored maduro wrapper with a double cap. The cigar is toothy and rustic looking to the eye.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The cigar has a cedary aroma to it. The cold draw is very loose with a super-sharp spicy cedar on the breath.
The cigar toasts and lights in a matter of seconds. No hesitation whatsoever.
The first third has very faint flavors at combustion. There is some cedar and spice present, similar to the cold draw. It handles the heat very well for a lightly packed cigar. The cigar gives off a very chocolatey aroma, with a peppery retro hale. So far it is very pleasant.
The second third is still very airy in body. However, it continues to maintain good heat and burns consistent with lots of smoke production. There are some developing forward-notes of coffee with a spicy finish. The aroma is still chocolatey with a retrohale reminiscent of fresh baked bread. As it burns, there are bolder flavors of hazelnuts and leather, with a fruity finish.
The last third stays very singular in flavor. Not much change. More spice, fruit, and cedar. The burn maintains its phenomenal performance and smoke production. There is a BBQ aroma coming off the foot. The retro is more faint now, but it helps enhance an espresso nuance that is present.
The finish is harsh with hazelnuts and wine oak. The cigar burns hot and makes a poor exit.
Conclusion
The Villiger Cuellar Black Forest Robusto is best described as a cigar you would give to a novice smoker who is just getting the hang of spicier and/or more peppery cigars. For a tiny smoke, it has some nuance and body, but not too much. It is not intimidating, and smokes with ideal obedience. The Villiger Cuellar Black Forest Robusto is a fool-proof smoke I would definitely pass along to someone beginning their cigar journey who needs a reference point in the maduro category. Enjoy!
Illusione Oneoff Pyramides are made by Illusione Cigars. They are manufactured in Aganorsas’ world renowned factory in Nicaragua known as TABSA. Originally produced in 2001 by Plasencia for the former airline CEO, Andrea Molinari, OneOff was branded with a very unique “peace sign” logo which also donned his fleet of jets. When the brand was no more, Dion Giolito of Illusione acquired the mark for one very important reason- OneOff was actually the cigar that inspired him to start his own boutique company which would manufacture similarly unique small-batch cigars.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Illusione OneOff Pyramides
Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 6 1/8 x 52
Appearance & Construction
The cigar is a very eye-catching triple-capped pyramides with a traditional tobacco brown hue like my favorite pair of union work boots. The wrapper leaf is very rustic and toothy, scattered with the veins and inner workings of the leaf. A true specimen of botanical glory for any plant lover to geek out over. Because of the lighter shade, you can make out every detail of the tobacco leaf, giving the impression that the wrapper was primed, dried, cured, and rolled for me all just yesterday. It has a very nice weight in the palm of my hand, and is constructed firm from top to bottom. It feels that it was bunched very well.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The whole cigar and especially the foot smells like scattered rye straw that got damp in the rain. It also has the typical notes of cedar but there is also some pine and sweetness present as well.
The cold draw absolutely floors me. I was not expecting this. It was like walking into a well kept humidor at your local B&M. It is that very floral and perfumey dampness that arises when aging tobacco and cedar siding gets married under humidity. If you’re a fan of the movie, “Midnight in Paris,” and are a sucker for nostalgia- this cigar will instantly inspire thoughts of your first journeys into the cigar world. All this reminiscing makes me very excited to light this cigar up. A simple V-cut and single torch flame, and we’re off to the races!
As I toast the cigar the initial aroma reminds me of building a fire. Not that campfire smell you normally come across, but that specific smell you get when you’re working with an actual fireplace. It lights and combusts perfectly. First puff is super smooth. Just what the doctor ordered after a hard day’s work.
As I travel through the first third, again, the aroma coming off the foot of the cigar is really unique. It is like cotton candy being made in the distance at a state fair. On the palate, there is milk chocolate and the unmistakable flavor of popcorn on the finish. As it progresses and the oils begin to heat up, I retrohale, and notice some white pepper building in the body of the smoke. The smoke coming off the foot is losing the cotton candy, and becoming a more refined and typical scent of wood and hazelnuts. The saliva in my mouth is becoming sweet, and as I rest the cigar in between draws, I can still taste popcorn. The taste of the walk-in humidor reemerges as the first third burns away and I enter the second third. I am enjoying this experience. It is romanticism in the form of smoke. I am also reveling in its solid construction. It has a tight draw, not because of stems, but because of how well packed with filler this cigar is. All that tobacco being siphoned through a mountain-peak-top may also have to do with the tight draw. Needless to say, when a cigar is built like Fort Knox, I find you can just be yourself while smoking it, and don’t have to babysit the burn line and temperature too much. As the kids say nowadays, “I’M CHILLIN’!”
Second third still has great smoke production with a nice ash build up. There is more spice like nutmeg and black pepper with the popcorn still in the background. I have to note once more, that what makes this cigar amazing, is the smoke leaving the foot. It has now morphed into a very confectionery aroma, like the frosting on a chocolate cupcake. The retrohale is spicy.
The last third, the draw loosens up a little. As the cigar moistened, I kept massaging the cap between my fingers and this technique has been fairing me well throughout. I notice some harshness and resin buildup, however, and have to purge the last third a few times to keep the love in the air. The purging refreshes a new palate intake of coffee made with heavy cream. I also recognize my abuelita’s perfume (for you gringos: it smells like grandma’s house!). The popcorn has faded and I’m now getting soil and coffee grounds. The retrohale is all leather jackets and hazelnuts from here on out. The aroma of the cigar fading away in my ashtray smells like a bag of marshmallows. What a trip!
Conclusion
The Illusione OneOff Pyramides was phenomenal. I haven’t smoked a cigar like this in a while. The price tag is worth every penny in my opinion. The experience alone is also well worth you’re time. I only deducted points for the harshness I had to battle through on the last third. I personally would like to smoke through other vitolas in search of the blend that can go the distance. If you’re a hopeless romantic or just flat-out-bored with what you’ve been smoking in your usual cigar rotation, the Illusione OneOff Pyramides is for you. Lastly, I have to repeat myself: THE SMOKE COMING OFF THE FOOT OF THE CIGAR, MAN! If you’re into lighting incense, throw out your whole DIY ashram set-up and just replace it with a couple of Illusione Oneoff Pyramides. Your gods will actually be happy you gave them a more worthy smoke-offering for once. It’s one thing when a cigar tickles your palate, but a whole other thing, when you can get absolutely seduced and carried off in a fantastical cloud of smoke. Enjoy!
Cain F 550 cigars are handcrafted by the Oliva Cigar Company in Nicaragua. Oliva Cigar Company, founded in 1995, is Nicaragua’s second largest grower of tobacco and one of the largest cigar makers in the world. The Cain line of cigars, first appeared in 2009, and are meant to bring ligero tobacco into the focal point of your smoking experience. The F series uses more (32%) of the stronger ligero from Esteli in the filler, as opposed to the other Cain cigars.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Cain F 550
Wrapper: Colorado Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 5 3/4 x 50
Appearance & Construction
This toro cigar is a nice milk chocolate brown in complexion with a seamless wrapper. Its almost as if the wrapper leaf was just slipped onto the binder and filler like a stocking. It has a single cap, and is rolled tight. It feels sturdy, and packed fairly even from top to bottom. It has a faint hint of cedar and chocolate aroma on the body and foot of the cigar.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The cigar has a very tight cold draw, with cedar and cold steel on the breath.
It combusts beautifully with a very even light. The type of light-up where you know the construction was absolutely flawless.
The first third tastes of mahogany and spice. The tight draw is not as distracting as I would have assumed. I am just basking in the construction as I sit back and relax. This cigar is built like a battleship. Its great when cigar can put a veteran smoker at ease. I don’t foresee any burn issues in my future. More chocolate aroma off the foot. Zesty cedar and spice on the backed. Faint Strawberry on the retrohale.
Second third turns into a very woody smoke, however, its creamier with lingering spice. The ash build up is spectacular and almost picture perfect. It still has a tight draw, bust as I mentioned, you don’t have to suck the life out of it. The cigar is managing the heat very well. Still a chocolatey aroma off the foot. Lots of wood on the retro.
Last third, is still woody. There is less spice, but still creamy. Great smoke production with volume. Strawberry and hazelnuts on the back end. The flavors get grippier like wine tannins as the cigar burns towards the finish line. Popcorn on the retrohale. Chocolate frosting aroma off the foot. Spice returns as the cigars ends.
Conclusion
The Cin F 550 was a great smoking experience. This was my first Cain ever, though not my first Oliva. Oliva always has a way of pleasing the critics. The Cain F 550 wasn’t a complex smoke, but very enjoyable with a steady change in flavor. If you like chocolate, wood, and spice, then you’re definitely in for a treat. The MSRP is also very appealing for a well built toro such as this. I would absolutely recommend the Cain F 550 to anyone looking for Nicaraguan puro with body, texture, and reliability. Enjoy!
The AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto is manufactured by AJ Fernandez. AJ Fernandez, is the grandson heir to the famed Cuban cigar brand San Latano, thus, making AJ a third generation cigarmaker. Before establishing himself as an individual force-to-be-reckoned-with in the cigar industry, AJ shined as a partnering manufacturer for Cigars International and Rocky Patel. Today, AJ owns and operates one of Nicaragua’s biggest premium cigar factories, producing some 9 million cigars a year, and currently selling its products in more than 32 countries.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 5.5 x 54
Appearance & Construction
A soft box-press rustic robusto with a wrapper leaf that looks like crust-punk patch-work. Its striated and delicate. I notice it doesn’t fully cover the binder/filler. There is the slightest centimeter of binder/filler protruding out from this wrapper at the foot. I wonder if that was done on purpose? It is packed very loose with a double cap, and feels very light weight in my hands. Strong cedar and chocolate aroma coming off the body and the foot of the cigar. So much so, you don’t even have to hold it close to your nose.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The cold draw is super loose and airy with faint dark chocolate on the breath. It toasts and combusts well.
At first puff I am blown over by a BBQ pit smoker. Nice and strong mesquite. However, that flavor bomb dies down and the cigar become more subdued fairly fast. Whatever the blend is, it makes me salivate a lot. A good sign of premium tobacco. There is spice and the unique farming taste of freshly picked sweet field greens. If you’ve ever harvested broccoli leaves or cabbage stem leaves before the actual brassica grows to full maturity, then you have a clue of what I’m talking about. There is wood, spice, and fruit on the finish of each puff as well as on the retrohale. So far, it handles the heat well, and I don’t necessarily have to pace my smoking speed. There is lots of leather also on my palate as the tobacco oils heat up, and a nice nutmeg aroma coming from the foot.
The second third opens with a sweeter and even lighter profile. Leather forward with spice on the finish. Lots of pencil shaving taste developing. Not my go to “woody note” as a cigar smoker. There is still nutmeg aromas coming from the foot, with some nice hot mesquite on the retro.
The last third begins to get harsh. This happens to be a reoccurring theme the more I smoke loosely packed cigars, as well as a reoccurring issue with box pressed cigars. Where’s the cigar forum “bro-science” to help explain this away for once?! I’m experiencing some savory notes like cumin. There are also earthy tones with lingering leather. Still a nice spice on the finish with the hospitable nutmeg aroma on the foot. Spicy retro with hints of vegetable. Not my cup of tea.
Conclusion
The AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto was alright. Not my go-to smoke even at the attractively low MSRP. The last third ruined it for me. However, if you’re a big fan of leather, spice, and pencil shavings, then the AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto is for you. I wont say its the best expression of Cameroon wrapper on the market, even at this price point, but the sweetness was there. With so many people in the market experimenting with this specific wrapper leaf nowadays its hard to tell who is actually sourcing real Cameroon from African terroir and who isn’t. I’m not saying the AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto will steer you in the wrong direction, I just think Fuente is still the king of Cameroon at the end of the day. It’s a totally different smoking experience to be sure, but a much better one at that, and with a comparable price tag depending on which Fuente mark you choose from. ENJOY!
The Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro is manufactured in the Dominican Republic By Room 101 Cigars. Room 101 is a luxury lifestyle brand founded by Matt Booth in Los Angeles California in 2003, initially crafting custom jewelry. The cigar brand was founded in 2009, and has had help with the manufacturing and distribution phases through a long list of recognizable cigar industry faces such as Camacho, Davidoff, Caldwell, La Pallina, AJ Fernandez, Adventura, and most recently General Cigars.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania
Size: 6 x 55
Appearance & Construction
Grape and apple harvest in Upstate New York is soon upon us! I will be busier then ever. This is a good and a bad thing. Good, because I make the most income around this time of year. Bad, because I don’t have that much time to smoke. I’ve tried to be a tough guy on an apple ladder with a stogie hanging out of my mouth while delicately reaching into the tree of knowledge of good and evil and almost died in the garden of Eden before even having a chance to be cursed and banished for all of eternity. I’m older and wiser now, plus, haven’t you heard silly rabbit? Tricks are for kids! That being said, I binge smoke up until the workload becomes an all-consuming fire. Review cigars will just have to get included in this offensive troop surge, also known as my “pre-harvest rotation.”
Tonight, I curl up next to a gorgeous toro that feels like a baby’s breath in my hands. The construction off-the-bat looks superb, almost like it came out of Perdomo’s factory. For fans of Perdomo cigars, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The cigar itself has a very sweet cedery aroma, with hints of mint tea with honey. NOTE: fans of mint tea with honey, know exactly what I’m talking about! The wrapper leaf is a light brown with a rustic countenance. It has a single cap.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The cold draw is as loose as can be but with tons of weight on the palate. TONS OF PEPPER! The leaf and construction, as mentioned, are perfect but also delicate. It doesn’t take long to toast and combust the cigar. At first puff, the cigar is very pepper forward. Chili pepper! There are nice hints of baking spice and nougat at times depending on your smoking speed. Nougat on the retro as the cigar heats up. The tobacco keeps my palate wet, and is very reminiscent of drinking chocolate milk. The aroma coming from the foot smells like someone just baked brownies.
The second third opens up like the first day back to school. The smoke production has been nothing but outstanding so far, but the mouthfeel is chalky with hints of pencil shavings. There is still this lingering cocoa note. As it progresses, I’m getting stronger notes of copper pennies, and black coffee. The pepper which was very dominating throughout, begins to fade. There is a tongue gripping floral and perfume note. Same on the retrohale. The cigar beigns to burn a little hot, and I take longer pauses in between sips. The foot aroma is similar to birthday cake.
The last third becomes harsh. I also have some burn issues from the tobacco oils pooling on certain wrapper leaf spots. The ash was solid on the first third, but for the last two sections, its becoming quite flakey. Im getting burnt hazelnuts as the only tasting note. Same on the retrohale. Some hints of cedar off the foot aroma. The smoke singes my tongue and dries out my palate even after purging the cigar a couople times. Theres no hope!
Conclusion
The Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro reminded me a lot of a spicy corojo cigar with some unusal cupcake shop flavors. I found the diverse tobacco blending to be quite the experience, until the last third. It’s not that I’m bias towards larger vitolas, but I just hate smoking big cigars that cant go their advertised distance. I find this to be the case alot of the time. The MSRP on the Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro is quite attractive for a larger well-packed cigar, but there are simply other bargain big sticks more worth your time. They may not be as nuanced, but will defintely burn better on the last half. Enjoy!
