I came across this Dominican Robusto at a tobacconist shop right off Avenue des Champs Elises the other day. I just couldn’t resist it, since they were marked at just over 3 euros each; the least expensive cigar at the entire store. Of course, cigars in France are quite expensive and one expects to pay no less than 4 euros for even the least known brand. At any rate, after smoking it, I wonder if the price on this stick was a mistake by the vendor. I mean, it was a great cigar, and the cheapest I’ve ever seen in Europe. I’ve since looked up the cigar on the internet and, sure enough, they can go for as much as 6 euros.

So, needless to say, I am very happy to write this review: The cigar is hand made in the Dominican Republic. It has a slightly muted but yummy aroma of dark chocolate and caramel. The dark wrapper is a bit on the rustic side, but well rolled and oily. It certainly has the feel of a great cigar in hand.

I would say that the lighting took a bit longer than I’m used to. That said, once lit, the cigar had a superb burn right to the sweet end; I didn’t have to coax it even once. The aroma of the toasting foot was dark and earthy with the first few puffs delivering dark aromas of leather and cacao and wet earth. There was also an underlying sweeter note, as if of burnt sugar.

The smoke on this one had a good volume and was rich in taste. As it burned on, the cigar progressively picked up in strength a few notches but never got out of hand. The smoke didn’t depart from the initial notes through to the end, but simply gained a darker character from the halfway mark on. The equal notes of leather and earth were joined by some sweet wood right before the end. The finish was leathery and long.

All in all, the Vega Fina Robusto was right up my alley; at about 3 euros a piece, I just need to go back to the shop and gobble up their stock.

When it comes to younger wine (less than 10 years old), my preference is clear: I’d rather have a smaller, lower profile wine, that is actually drinkable, than a corpulent “Grand Vin”, however good it maybe, before it reaches peak maturity. In general, the better the wine, the longer it has to be laid down before opening, and it’s just a shame to drink a wine that is not ready. If you’ve ever had a 25 year old “1er Cru Classe”, you’ll never want to go back to drinking them young again. Now, on that note, let’s go on to this 1996 French wine.

This wine comes from the Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux region, and is a good example of a wine that reaches its peak at about 10 years. Its composition is 80% old merlot and 20% cabernet franc. It’s definitely not a “Grand Vin” of the Bordeaux region, but one that is perfect for drinking right about now.

The bouquet on this one was of ripe dark berries (currants or black raspberries), with a good dose of wood and some tar. On the palate the wine was perfect: it had a good body and very, very smooth tannins, the mark of a mature wine. The notes of dark berries and wood surface quickly and finish with a dose of herbs; a great little wine for a predominantly woody cigar.

I think it is safe to say that in the world of cigars consistency is the single most important attribute for a cigar manufacturer. Sure, we all seek quality in a cigar, yet if a brand lacks consistency of construction, strength, aroma, and taste profile, I honestly don’t think it would make it to the top, and the reason is simple: cigar aficionados aren’t going to buy a box of 25 cigars in the hopes of finding 12 really good smokes. In general, if the brand is inconsistent, it is normally black listed in my book of “cigars not worth my hard earned money”.

While pondering this personal pet peeve of mine, it increasingly dawned on me how daunting the task of producing a consistent cigar time and time again really is. I mean, forget about the rolling process for a minute and just consider the mastery of picking and blending cigar leaves alone. It is a daunting task, yet one that has been turned into a true art. In what I’m calling Cigar Leaves and Blends (Part I), I would like to introduce a series of articles focusing on the work that goes into not only creating but also maintaining a consistent vitola from one delicious cigar to another.

First we must consider that like all organic products, no two tobacco leaves could possibly be the same. Yes, they may come from the same estate, or even the same plant, but the individual conditions that produce each leaf is unique. They resemble each other as much as perhaps identical twins do to the casual observer, but to the master blender, it is their differences, however subtle, that make possible the ever growing variety of cigars in the industry; each with its own distinct personality and profile.

Therefore, before even thinking about blending tobacco leaves, a more rigorous task of careful classification by size, texture and color, all aided by a well seasoned gut feeling about the fine properties of the leaves, must be achieved. To this end, following the drying and initial fermentation process, which take place at the tobacco farm itself, tons of tobacco leaves are dropped off at special centers where those who have inherited the trade for several generations will begin the detailed classification work.

Following this brief introduction, in part II of Tobacco Leaves and Blends, I hope to provide a detailed look at the mechanics of this classification process.

Linked to: Cigar Intelligence Agency

Here’s another solid non-Cuban cigar. This one is another recent discovery of mine from the European section of my humidor. It’s certainly a well made cigar, if perhaps a little rough; a good cap, a clean wrapper, and a rather sweet nose of chocolate and cinnamon—the experience starts right away.

It lit up quickly and let loose an aroma of sweet cedar that was tantalizing. It has refinement, if that’s the word; it’s definitely not a powerhouse. Thick smoke fills the air with every puff. The ash builds on nicely and almost without you noticing. Before I knew it, I had more than half the length of the cigar on my lap. It’s what happens when you enjoy a cigar so much you forget to put it down.

The smoke starts out with nuts and sweet wood. It has real body, though; it’s not a light slacker. The smoke then moves on to more toasty and leathery notes, but nothing harsh all the way to the end. I didn’t get any pepper or anything spicy, just smooth and creamy leather and more earthy notes in the last third. I honestly couldn’t put this down.

Overall, it’s a solid cigar with plenty of smoke and flavor… a fine smoke. I barely even let this stick stabilize, so a little age on them should prove very rewarding.

Linked to: Cigar Intelligence Agency