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An online reader queried us the other day, asking why our cigar tastings aren’t done blind. For starters, we test cigars two different ways. The first is from the consumer perspective, and a customer walking into their favorite tobacconist knows the brands they’re buying — we don’t taste the sticks blind, because you don’t taste them blind.
The second way we test cigars is far more clinical — we the Report editors smoke multiple samples of each cigar individually, judge its merits, and, along with input from the first test, deem each stick
OUTSTANDING, SUPERIOR, WORTHY, MEDIOCRE, or UNPALATABLE. All our reviews, however, come down to personal taste — each rating is merely our collected opinions. With that in mind, we present our thoughts on some of the finest hand-rolled Robustos and some that aren’t. - the editors
Slide Shows:
Robustos ($10 and Under) and Robustos ($10 and Above).
Click here to see how The Cigar Report rating panel sampled 25 Robusto cigars at Club Macanudo on January 9.
Ashton Cabinet #6
A handsome and tightly constructed cigar with a “beautiful cap” ended up being a relatively soft smoke with a slightly hard draw. Some reviewers did say it was “like sucking on a slightly kinked straw” that had a “peppery,” “grassy” taste. One taster found both the dry draw and smoke had a heavy hit of ammonia, something none of the others experienced. The taste was judged to be “mild going on medium” — the kind of smoke that would be ideal with full-bodied madeira, but overwhelm a vintage wine.
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
$9.50/Stick
$237.50/Box of 25
Conclusion: MEDIOCRE
Avo XO Intermezzo
A “classy” stick with light veins and a smooth surface, the XO had a “grassy,” “greener-tasting” dry draw, followed by a flavor alternatively termed “nutty” and “saddle soap” (the latter in a good way). The ash was firm and gray, and the aftertaste was considered “light, pleasant, not sharp” by one taster, who went on to re-emphasize that the overall experience with this light-bodied cigar as “very pleasant.”
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
$9.40/Stick
$235.00/Box of 25
Conclusion: WORTHY
Camacho Triple Maduro
The combination of triple bands and stubby length wasn’t a good one for this cigar, aesthetically speaking (“Too many bands”). But the tasters put aside any issues with looks aside once they lit up this well-constructed stick and experienced its “pleasant” aroma and “cedar and redwood” flavors. A woody dry-draw and aftertaste served as bookends to the actual smoking, while the cigar left a “solid” and handsome dark-gray ash.
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
$12.50/Stick
$189.00/Box of 18
Conclusion: WORTHY/SUPERIOR
CAO Brazilia
For one taster, this cigar was heavily reminiscent of another favorite. “Tastes like the original blend of the Zino Mouton Cadet with a little more white pepper,” he said, before remarking that the stick’s aftertaste was “nutty” with notes of “almonds and hazelnuts.” Other tasters detected no aftertaste from this sturdy, “oily and dark” stick (“Pleasing to look at,” one commented). “An excellent smooth smoke.”
Wrapper: Brazil
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
$5.65/Stick
$113.00/Box of 20
Conclusion: SUPERIOR
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