Size: 5″ x 49.25 was measured (supposed to be 5″ x 50, Clasico (Robusto))
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan long-fillers

Appearance:
This is a fairly good looking stick. A nice solid brown wrapper, good in color for a Corojo, but it has a few medium veins and shows a crack or two. This stick was shipped to me from a fellow BOTL, so I don’t exactly know how much it’s been around, so I won’t hold that against it too much. The ring is large, but I like it. It’s tropical looking and makes me want to smoke this stick. Everytime I see it in the humi, it’s enticing.

Construction:
Construction is pretty solid. As mentioned above, it has a few small cracks in the wrapper, but I don’t know whether that is attributable to its journey to me from another BOTL or due to the stick itself. Density is consistent and the ring removes with ease. It comes in almost spot on for ring gauge too.

Aroma:
The aroma is pretty strong and it’s hard to describe. It doesn’t have much sweetness to it and it doesn’t smell spicy either. Honestly, if one weren’t a cigar smoker, this one wouldn’t smell very good. Unfortunately this stick loses points here.

Burn/Ash:
Burn is close to razor sharp and it keeps burning even when unattended a few minutes at a time. The first ash comes at a little over 1″ and leaves a nice cone cherry behind. Burn is not perfect, but close to it, with no real issues.

Draw/Smoke:
Draw is a light to medium. A little lighter than I’d like, say an 8.5 out of 10, but the smoke is amazing. The smoke is full, rich and plentiful and quite creamy. A 9.5 out of 10. The draw stayed consistent throughout the stick and the smoke remained full and plentiful.

Flavor:
This cigar starts out as a total pepper bomb. It’s in your mouth and at the back of your throat. That’s all I can taste the first few draws. But then after a few more draws, after the initial pepper, I’m picking up other flavors. For now it’s a hint of earthiness followed by a toasty aftertaste (with some pepper still in the back of the throat). Almost an inch in and the stick has mellowed out some. It’s toastier, has a hint of nuttiness, some more earth, and maybe some bitter coffee to it. There is still some pepper, but it’s not as pronounced. A little further in and there is more coffee flavors up front, followed by earth. Just past 1/3 of the way through I’m picking up coffee and a hint of bitter cocoa with some spice followed by a hint of earth, pepper and toastiness in the aftertaste. This is this stick’s sweet spot. And this stick managed to stay in the sweet spot until the last 1/3 of the stick. Into the last third there is more spice and some more pepper is creeping back in. The coffee and cocoa are gone as is mostly the toastiness.

Overall/Value:
Retail price is a bit steep, but that’s the case for many sticks, however this one is harder to find for a good price, unless it’s part of a sampler. I just don’t see many sales on a 5′er or 10 pack of these. But that’s probably a good thing, since this stick is pretty strong in its flavors and it wouldn’t be a regular smoke for me, but it does make for a nice alternative for when one is in the mood for something like this. It’s complex in flavors (and has good flavors) and keeps a cigar aficionado quite entertained. But, this isn’t something you’d want to pass on to a buddy who’s just getting started with cigars b/c they wouldn’t think much of it (most likely would be overwhelmed by the pepper). If picked up in the $3 – 4 range, it can truly be a good deal.

Retail Price: $7.60

Appearance: (4.25/5)
Construction: (4.25/5)
Aroma: (5/10)
Burn/Ash: (9/10)
Draw/Smoke: (18/20)
Flavor: (34/35)
Overall/Value: (12.25/15)
Final Score: (86.25/100)