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Moore & Bode American Riot Review

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Moore & Bode American Riot

Moore & Bode is one of my favorite American boutique cigar manufacturers. I love recommending the brand to my cigar enthusiast friends for a few reasons. First, they have a track record of thirty years in the business (more than most companies). Second, they go out of their way to experiment with new techniques, blends, and regional tobaccos, often with spectacular results. They produce some incredible product, like the 91-rated Candela, 92-rated American Fire,  and the 93-rated Adelante.

That said, the company does also make a few blends that for the life of me I just do not get, like the Flamboyan Full Brass, a 7 /14 x 82 piramid size cigar that scored a far below average score of 82.

Given all of that, I’m always excited to smoke Moore & Bode product and review it for your information.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Moore & Bode “American Riot”
  • Wrapper: Asia Sun Grown
  • Binder: USA Dark Fire Cured
  • Filler: Caribbean, South America, India
  • Size: 5 x 46 “Townie”

Appearance & Construction

The American Riot is not what I’d consider an attractive cigar. The main band is… fine. But the coloring on the foot band is an odd mix of warm colors that don’t particularly suit the dominant dark blue. The outer Asian wrapper is rugged but mostly smooth, and has an off brown color. 

Off of the foot are aromas of smoked meat, dry grass, hay, and something I can only describe as “old barn.” It’s a charming combination of aromas, and gets me excited to light the cigar.  The pre light draw features light flavors of some faint spice and maltiness very much akin to smelling a whiff of speyside single malt scotch. 

Moore & Bode American Riot

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics 

The first few puffs of the Moore & Bode American Riot summon a strong, generally bitter character. Specifically, wood pulp, dry cedar, salt, vegetal, and hot spices. There’s a healthy dose of red pepper on the retrohale as well that’s honestly a bit intimidating. The only sweetness to be found in the flavor profile is in the aroma, mirroring the sweet natural tobacco aroma that was present off of the foot. As the ember burns a ways in, smoke production is decent, though the cigar doesn’t seem to want to stay lit for long, causing some waviness to the burn just a few short minutes into the smoke. At this point I’d put body at medium and strength at medium full. Overall, an interesting start, but the cigar feels lopsided toward bitterness which is not my preferred dominant note. 

Thankfully, as the first inch comes to a close, a bit of cream on the palate rounds out an otherwise drying experience. At the same time, smoke production increases markedly, pushing it to above average. On the palate, the initial bitterness gives way to much more balanced cedar, hot spiciness, vegetal, and Graham cracker. It’s quite similar (to me) to the Arturo Fuente Reserva Xtra Viejo, which also features a spicy, vegetal core. 

The American Riot continues in a similar fashion until the final third, though it again struggles to stay fully lit, requiring another relight. Flavor wise, the spice really ramps up, mainly activating the tip of the tongue. Other flavors include charred wood, cured meat, grass, and a light, sweet cream. Individually, they are enjoyable notes, but the balance just isn’t there, with the smoke being too drying on the palate and dominated by bitterness.

Thankfully, the smoke stays relatively cool up until the end, allowing me to smoke down past the last inch. 

Conclusion 

The American Riot is an enjoyable cigar, and certainly smokes like an experimental blend. It puts forth some really interesting smoky flavors, but by and large struggles with both flavor balance and construction issues that worked against the experience. If you’re interested in their use of Fire Cured tobacco, I’d suggest starting with the American Fire. 

Final Rating: 85

Moore and Bode “Surge” Review

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Moore & Bode Surge Review

Moore & Bode Cigars have been around since 1990 based in Miami. Independently owned, the company has been producing cigars from around the world and is currently sourcing tobacco from locations such as Asia, India and South America. While not disclosing specific regions or farms, Moore & Bode seeks to find unique flavors and quality tobacco.

I’ve only smoked the Classic line which I enjoyed for its mild complexity. With that experience I was looking forward to a fuller flavored blend in their “Surge” cigar.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Moore & Bode Surge
  • Wrapper: Indonesian Sun Grown Colorado
  • Binder: Asia
  • Filler: Caribbean, South American, India
  • Size: 5”x 46

Moore & Bode Surge Review

Appearance & Construction

The Moore & Bode Surge sports a milk chocolate wrapper with minimal veins. Its semi firm to the touch save for a soft spot at the foot. The band is a standout orange with cream lines a top and bottom with the Moore and Bode logo on it. There’s a secondary band at the foot in the same coloring with the word “Surge” on it. The cigar is well crafted and the roll spot on.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

After using a straight Xikar cut, I toast the Surge and with the first few puffs comes a blast of spice that tingles all over my palate and enlivens the senses. The Surge certainly lives up to its name, greeting you with a “surge” of power upfront. On the retrohale, there’s lots of cedar along with pepper.  As the cigar progresses, sweetness and coconut begin developing on the palate. Then, the Surge turns a bit creamy, with copious amounts of smoke. Thus far the flavors of the Moore & Bode Surge are quite enjoyable.

During the second half of the Surge, I pick up some sour cherry and candy notes. Construction here isn’t flawless: the cigar develops a white, flaky ash and ends up needing a relight. A few puffs later, the sour cherry notes give way to a cinnamon and sugar note that creates a sweet sensation on the tongue. The retrohale, on the other hand, brings up some earthiness with a sweet and savory finish on the palate.

The last third requires another relight and the burn becomes uneven. The cherry flavors continue with added vegetal notes. And, what was once earthiness becomes a distinct grassy note, with a bit of harshness despite a slow burn. Graphite dominates the mouthfeel in the last inch or so, and I’m met with another swath of bitterness. At this point the profile turned and I let the cigar put itself out to conclude the smoke.

Conclusion

The Moore and Bode Surge delivers power, with spice to start, helping it live up to its moniker. The transition from spice to sweet and cinnamon was pleasant and the savory notes when they appeared were wonderful. The Surge lost it a bit on the last third with some vegetal and grassiness that were off-putting.

Overall the quality of tobaccos were there and being able to taste what nontraditional countries are producing is quite an education. I recommend picking up a few to smoke and age and see how this blend progresses. The ability to smoke a cigar and understand the flavors of tobaccos grown all over the world is an experience an aficionado should take advantage of.

Moore & Bode are showing what thinking outside the usual realm of tobacco countries can produce.

Final Rating: 89 points

Moore & Bode Tambaku Review

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Moore and Bode Tambaku review

It’s weird to say it, but this cigar blog has been around for over 10 years (yikes, I feel old). In all of that time, no cigar company has come seemingly out of nowhere and surprised me with incredible craftsmanship the way Moore & Bode Cigars has. I’m sure the consistent readers of this site are getting tired of seeing me say it, but these guys know how to make great cigars. Here’s a brief rundown of the scores of the cigars we’ve rated from Moore & Bode:

Scoring a 90 for any product is hard to do on this website. Having three out of four previous reviews rate above 90 is enough to make a lasting impression.
In any case, let’s get back to Flamboyan. The cigar features an Asian Sun Grown Colorado wrapper, and some interesting filler tobaccos (more below). I asked Rob Bode in an email how he would describe Flamboyan. He described the blend writing, “The ‘Tambaku‘ Blend was formulated to deliver a fuller-bodied smoke, yet smooth and unabrasive as is the general consensus about our work.”

All that out of the way, let’s get on with the review.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Moore & Bode Tambaku
  • Wrapper: Asian Sun Grown Colorado
  • Binder: South America
  • Filler: Caribbean/Asian
  • Size: 5 x 46

Moore and Bode Tambaku

Appearance & Construction

The Moore & Bode Tambaku comes wrapped in a cedar brown Colorado wrapper. The wrapper is a bit splotchy, and there are a couple of significant veins. When squeezed, the cigar has a light springiness but its otherwise clear that the cigar is packed solidly and consistently the length of the cigar.

After using a straight cut, I test the draw and, like every Moore & Bode cigar I’ve had up to this point, the draw is pretty much perfect, with a restrictiveness level of 7/10. There isn’t much on the cold draw other than some cereal, a bit of fruit, and some wood. Off of the foot of the cigar it’s a similar profile, just a bit brighter and with some added spiciness.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Moore & Bode Tambaku lights easily and produces ample smoke. The flavor profile is interesting and a bit hard to pin down exactly. Broadly speaking, it tilts toward the tangy/bitter end of the spectrum, with notes of cedar, vegetal, fermented orange juice, and something akin to paper. I wouldn’t call the texture creamy, but it is extremely smooth. Strength and body both clock in at a notch or two above mild. An interesting start to this cigar.

The ash holds for a impressive inch and a half while also keeping a straight burn. By this point, the smoke has become a bit more full bodied, now sitting just below medium. It has also developed a nice creamy texture which plays nicely with the tangy notes. The flavors on the palate have shifted as well. The bitterness from the beginning of the smoke is gone, replaced by a profile nicely balanced between sweetness, tanginess, and spice on the tongue. The tanginess is characterized by vegetal notes akin to what I’ve experienced in some of Arturo Fuentes classic blends (Xtra Viejo comes to mind), while the sweetness comes in the form of something like cereal or maybe graham crackers. The retrohale has also developed nicely, showcasing some light black pepper, wood, and cereal flavors. Very, very good.

The experience remains mostly the same until the halfway mark, where the tanginess, sweetness, and cream subside, while the wood takes center stage alongside spiciness as a supporting character. I’m not totally enthused by this change of pace only because the complexity of the cigar seems reduced and the creamy tones rounded out the whole experience well. Construction reminds consistently good, with a straight burn and the ash falling in increments of an inch or more.

The final third ramps up past medium in both body and strength, with toasty bread, graham cracker, wood, and a long, lingering spice on the tongue. It isn’t so different flavor wise than the earlier parts of the cigar, but the flavor profile is right at home with this level of strength. It remains this way until last last inch and a half when the smoke heats up a bit too much, providing a good moment to set the cigar down.

Conclusion

The Tambaku definitely is a step up in terms of strength from the other Moore & Bode cigars that I’ve smoked. Though I prefer other blends like the Candela, American Fire, and Adelante, the Tambaku still creates a flavorful and complex experience that is commendable. My only complaint about my experience smoking Tambaku is that the increased strength throws of the balance at times. If I had to pair this cigar with anything, it would have to be an espresso with cream. It would round out the more wood/vegetal forward sections nicely.

Final Score: 89

Moore & Bode American Fire Review

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Moore-Bode-American-Fire-2

Today, we continue our investigation of cigars from Moore & Bode, a small boutique company out of Florida that has produced some stellar smokes. Adelante, for example, scored a rare 93 rating. Candela scored a 91.

The American Fire is the next in our lineup. It’s a cigar which uses fire cured tobacco, a tobacco process popularized (though not created) by Drew Estate with the Kentucky Fire Cured. In an email with Robert Bode about American Fire, he expanded on its place in the Moore & Bode portfolio saying,

“The rational for the ‘American Fire’ branding is deliberate and twofold.  As part of our ‘FireWorks’ segment it showcases Dark Fired tobaccos, namely the U S. product.  Secondly, for us, it encompasses countless emotions and thoughts.”

The Moore & Bode website expands:

American Fire ® showcases U.S. Shade Grown and Dark Fired leaf tobacco as the focal point of this cigar blend’s unique sensory experience. Moore & Bode American Fire ® reintroduces to the Premium Handmade Cigars category a venture into this specialized segment of leaf production and tradition in Kentucky and Tennessee tobacco farming.

Now that the backstory is out of the way, let’s light up.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Moore & Bode American Fire
  • Wrapper: USA Connecticut Shade
  • Binder: USA Dark Fired
  • Filler: European / Caribbean
  • Size: 5 x 46

Moore-Bode-American-Fire

Appearance & Construction

The cigar features an outer wrapper that has quite a bit of sandy texture and a few very noticeable markings and imperfections. The band on the foot is a nice touch, but the quality of the paper and the print could be improved. The logo for instance is blurry to the naked eye and there’s really no reason for that.

Off of the foot, there’s some sweet grass, hickory, barn yard, an herbal note and touches of finely ground black pepper. The draw carries touches of lingering spice, plain bread and dry wood. The draw is perfect.

Moore-Bode-American-Fire-closeup

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The American Fire opens with plumes of lush, cool, flavorful smoke. In the mouth, the smoke is creamy, light, but very flavorful. There’s a nice balance between sweet cream, bitter hickory, and pepper. The retrohale is dominated by dry cedar and barbecue smoke.

An inch in, the white, layered ash is holding and the burn is remarkably straight. Body of the smoke is mild, and flavor strength clocks in at medium. At times, the bitterness of the hickory gets a bit too aggressive, with a quick purge bringing it back in balance.

Burning into the second third, the flavors shift, favoring fresh cut grass, cream, and a spice on the tip of the tongue which slowly fades after each puff. On the nose is hickory, toasted oak, white pepper and a variety of herbal notes. The burn stays straight and smoke production is ideal.

Damn. It’s really good.

The final third ramps the flavor up a bit past medium, with a nice smoked meat flavor coming to the fore along with some heavy black pepper. Otherwise it’s essentially unchanged until the end, which I’m happy with because the smoking experience is phenomenal.

Conclusion

Moore & Bode proves again that the company is capable of producing cigars at the highest level of quality. It’s actually difficult to emphasize enough just how different this cigar is from anything else I’ve smoked before.

What I like most about this cigar is its balance and harmony of flavors. It brings together a number of different flavors and textures masterfully to create a profile that smokes like a barbecue dinner. Construction and smoke production are effortless.

Easily box worthy.

Pair with Middleton to balance the pepper and hickory with sweet honey notes of Irish whiskey.

Final Score: 92

Moore & Bode Flamboyân Full Brass Review

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Moore and Bode Flamboyan 2

Up for review today is the Flamboyân Full Brass from Moore & Bode Cigars. Moore & Bode is a small cigar company based out of Florida that has been in operation since 1990. I’ve had an opportunity to smoke a number of cigars from this company and it’s clear to me that they know their stuff. The Moore & Bode Adelante blend scored a huge 93 point rating, and the Candela scored a 91. Both are cigars I wholeheartedly recommend.

For the Flamboyân Full Brass, I’m tempering my expectations a bit. It is a monster of a cigar and way outside my typical size, measuring in at 7 1/4″ x 82 ring gauge. My ideal cigar doesn’t have a ring gauge much beyond 54, so I’m curious to see how this cigar performs in terms of flavor and construction.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar reviewed: Moore & Bode Flamboyân Full Brass
  • Wrapper: U.S. Connecticut Shade
  • Binder: Asia
  • Filler: Europe / India / China
  • Size: Pyramid (7 1/4 x 82)

Moore and Bode Flamboyan closeup

Appearance & Construction

The Moore & Bode Flamboyân is, well… really big. Its shape gives it an almost feminine quality (strikingly similar to an A-line dress silhouette). There’s no band on the cigar save a tiny circular sticker glued to the outter wrapper which states “Moore” on the top, “Bode” on the bottom, and Flamboyân in the middle. The Connecticut Shade wrapper is light brown, with minimal veins and barely noticeable seams.

The smell off the foot is very aromatic, with strong notes of fresh cut grass, wood, and some baking spices. After using a straight cut, I test the draw which is a bit more restrictive than I’d typically like. We’ll see if and how that affects smoke production. The cold draw is understated with some earth and wood.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristic

Friendly tip: light this cigar with a torch. I used probably 10 – 12 regular sized matches to get the foot toasted and fully lit. Once it’s fully lit, it produces a moderate amount of mild-bodied smoke. Flavors include sweet grass, salted peanuts, and understated floral notes. Pleasant, but not exactly enchanting.

At an inch and a half in, the burn is mostly straight. Flavor wise, it’s lost a bit of its edge, with some generic breadiness, semi-sweet cream, and wood. This turns around a bit in the second third after I decide to cut a touch more off of the cap to free up the draw and improve smoke production. It does the trick, increasing the smoke output and producing mild-medium bodied smoke that’s got flavors of almonds, salt, dry grass, and light white pepper.

At this point, I’m enjoying the cigar more as the ring gauge declines, but I’d prefer to be in the moment each step of the way and not waiting for the ring gauge to narrow even more.

As the cigar burns past the halfway mark, the flavor and balance of the cigar shifts considerably. Body and strength are now just below medium, and the profile is dominated by dry wood, peanuts, salt, and finely ground black pepper.

In the final third, the cigar hits its stride. The ring gauge is at this point probably in the territory of something like 60 (compared to 82!), and as a result the flavor has concentrated and clarified. Smoke production has also climbed considerably as well, which makes the cigar require less work to smoke. As far as flavors go, it’s a nice balance between grass, dry wood, floral/herbal notes, and a slightly sweet peanut.

Conclusion

The Moore & Bode Flamboyân Full Brass is an ambitious project. Judging by the aromas off of the foot, I was expecting a lot more flavor than the first two thirds of the cigar provided. While a step in the right direction, the final third doesn’t justify the smoking experience as a whole.

I’d be curious to try a similar blend in a drastically reduced format. Besides that, this isn’t a cigar I’ll be returning to.

Final Score: 82

Moore & Bode Adelante Review

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Moore and Bode Adelante Review 2

Up for review today is another blend from Moore and Bode, a little known brand based in Florida. This brand, though, is not to be underestimated. The last Moore & Bode cigar I reviewed, the Moore & Bode Candela, earned an overall score of 91 (excellent).

In this review, we’ll look at the Moore & Bode Adelante 5 x 46, which features tobaccos from five countries.

Product Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Moore & Bode Adelante
  • Wrapper: US Grown Connecticut Shade
  • Binder: Asian
  • Filler: South America, India, Caribbean Islands
  • Size: ‘Winged’ Townie (5″ x 46)

Appearance & Construction

The Moore & Bode Adelante features a light brown Connecticut Shade Grown wrapper. The wrapper is has a slightly rough texture, with some noticeable veins. When squeezed, the cigar is fairly solid with a bit of give. Off the foot I pick up aromas of dusty wood and tea leaves.

The band leaves a bit to be desired here. I had a hard time getting a clear photo of the band. First because the band is absolutely tiny, and secondly because the printed lettering on many of the bands I’ve seen is actually blurry. Hopefully they figure that out sometime in the near future.

The draw has a bit of resistance (probably a 7 out of 10 in restrictiveness), and reveals an interesting note, similar to salami. Definitely a first for me as far as pre light aromas go.

Moore and Bode Adelante Review

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

After toasting the foot, I light up and am greeted by copious amounts of thick, toasty, mild bodied smoke. The flavors are nuanced and complex: light cedar, toasted bread, herbs, black tea (Earl Gray, I think). The retrohale is very mild, with twinges of cinnamon spice and sweetness. It may be the most delicious and distinct retrohale I’ve ever experienced.

At an inch in, the burn is a bit wavy and the light gray ash is holding strong. The flavor has inched up but is still extremely mild. The herbal / tea notes are less prominent, and lightly toasted bread, vanilla, and touches of spice here and there. This profile continues until the second third.

In the second third, the body and strength inches up just a touch. At this point, I’m comfortable classifying the smoke as what most smokers would understand to be mild in body.  The flavors though, are still clear and distinct: cinnamon (a bit stronger now), subtle white pepper, cashews, and light wood. The cigar continues to smoke well: lots of smoke, extremely smooth, and only a bit of waviness on the burn.

In the final third I run into an issue when I try to peel off the small dot of a band. Even though I tried to remove it gently, it still broke the wrapper and peeled off a piece. Not a huge issue, but one I could see being a consistent problem with this band design.

From a flavor standpoint, the final third is also where a bit of unpleasant bitterness enters in, which is a common risk with producing an extremely mild cigar. The bitterness throws the balance of considerably, muddying the flavors the palate and on the retrohale. As much as I hoped the last 10 minutes of the cigar would turn this flavor around, they don’t.

Conclusion

Despite the issue with the band and the bitterness at the end, the Moore & Bode Adelante is one of the finest mild blends I’ve ever smoked. The flavors are clear, discernible, dynamic, and for most of the cigar, perfectly in balance. This cigar is easily worth a box purchase if you can find it. My only gripe with the brand as a whole is that Moore & Bode blends are difficult to identify.

Final Score: 93

Moore & Bode Candela Review

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Moore and Bode Candela Cigar Review

Up for review today is a cigar by a relatively unknown brand called Moore & Bode. Though you may not have heard of it, the company is not new to the cigar world. The Florida based company has been in operation since 1990. The website claims that Moore & Bode “remains a privately held cigar manufacturing company with some of the most sought after products in the market. Among these is the Moore & Bode Mark of premium handmade cigars acclaimed for absolute excellence in manufacturing and uniquely beautiful flavor and aromatic qualities.”

Since receiving a package of cigars for review from the company, I’ve been looking forward to reviewing the Candela. Not only is it a beautiful cigar, but one whiff off of the foot told me that it would provide a unique smoking experience. The question of course is, “in a good way, or bad?”

Let’s find out.

Product Details

  • Cigar Reviewed: Moore & Bode Candela
  • Size: Toro (6 x 50)
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Candela
  • Binder: U.S. Dark Fire Cured
  • Filler: Europe and Caribbean Islands

The company holds most other details secret. According to the website:

The origin and details of Moore & Bode’s leaf tobacco sources are kept secret. Together with excellence in manufacturing, it is this unwavering commitment to privacy that secures its cigar products’ distinct identity and position in a very competitive industry…

For its current production the company sources tobacco varieties from regions across the globe delivering an attractive and complex range of character to the consumer.

Moore and Bode Candela Cigar Closeup

Appearance & Construction

The Moore & Bode Candela is striking first and foremost because of its bright green candela wrapper. The wrapper itself is quite beautiful, with a few significant veins, light oil, and a velvety feel on the fingers. The black and white band, though a bit blurry, complements the green candela wrapper well.  The cigar is very soft when squeezed, and its consistent down the length of the cigar.

The foot gives off extremely unique aromas, dominated by a strong herb note. On top of that are bright touches of white pepper and garlic. The pre light draw is about a 6/10 in terms of the amount of restrictiveness. It’s very clean, with the slightest touches of grass and sweetness.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Moore & Bode Candela kicks off with mild bodied, smooth smoke (and great smoke production). The finish is extremely clean, and the smoke is highly aromatic. Initial flavors include oak, sweet spices, herbs, and cream. The retrohale is pleasant, with touches of white pepper and sweetness.

By an inch in, the burn is almost completely straight and the mostly white ash is still holding on. My only complaint at this point is that it seems that the cigar has trouble staying lit past about a minute or so.

Heading into the second third, the flavor and body builds from mild to about halfway to medium, though the texture remains very fine. No change in flavors, save a bit of cinnamon entering the aroma. The cigar continues to have a tough time staying lit, but never goes out completely.

In the final third, herbs and grass notes become prominent in the overall profile, along with leather and a stronger spice on the retrohale. The oak which had rounded off the flavors in the first half of the cigar is much less significant than before.

Conclusion

The Candela from Moore & Bode delivers a pretty awesome smoking experience. Mild but robust, clean but flavorful. Most importantly, the cigar introduces flavors that consistently complement each other well.

This cigar is not easy to find. If you are interested in purchasing Roy & Bode Cigars, contact their team via their website.

Disclaimer: this cigar was gifted for review by Rob Moore of Moore & Bode cigars. Fine Tobacco NYC retained all editorial rights in writing this review.

Final Score: 91