I must say that, receiving this box of Cuban Crafters Robusto, I had very high expectations for this cigar. Well, I was not disappointed. On the contrary, my expectations were met and surpassed.

This Robusto from the Tabaclera Esteli in Nicaragua is absolutely beautiful to the sight, so the smoking experience began right when I opened my new box. From the texture of the wrapper, to the pigtail cap and the unfinished, carefully tucked foot, you can immediately tell that a lot of attention has gone into ensuring the quality of the tobacco, the blend, and the rolling. Sadly, this is one of those things that is missing from many Cuban brands these days, although the quality control of Cuban cigars is arguably on the rise. At any rate, you don’t have to inspect this baby too much before you realize the kind of smoking experience you are about to embark on.

The wrapper is a wonderful dark natural leaf unlike many others. It is very fine and smooth, and almost marbled with slightly different shades.

The pre-smoke smell of this cigar is bold, full, and reminiscent of dark bitter chocolate with some cedar undertones, but with very little spice; which gives it away as a non-Cuban cigar, from the start.

I sat out in the garden with a book (Unfinished Tales, by JRR Tolkien) and my cigar, the way I normally do; but I must say that this cigar quickly became the center of attention and before the end I only read one paragraph of my book. Lighting up was quick, and the burn was even; but what really got my attention was the absolutely opulent, thick, rich smoke this cigar began to emit. I can only compare it to the smoke of a Cuban Ramon Allones SSR, although the smoke did not have the spice that is typical of Cuban cigars. None the less, the smoke was rich, and so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. The ash was as solid as I have ever seen, going well past half the length of the cigar before falling off. I was impressed.

The first third tasted very strongly of espresso beans, with some chocolate and only a hint of cedar; just delicious. The second third tasted more of cedar with equal notes of chocolate and espresso. The last third was almost exclusively cedar with less chocolate or espresso. The smoke never got harsh, bitter, or dominated by ammonia tastes, unlike other cigars, which I stop smoking at that time. This cigar took me to the very nub with its delightful creamy smoke. The smooth finish was very pleasant indeed.

Overall, the only thing I missed in this cigar was a bit of spice. Otherwise, it was truly a delight to all the senses, a real shock and awe of pleasure for anyone who appreciates a full-body smoke.

You can find this cigar by visiting the Cuban Crafters online boutique HERE

I have been intrigued by this particular brand for a while because it is touted in many websites as the powerhouse of the Fullbodied dominican cigars. I smoke mostly cuban cigars: Partagas, Cohibas, Punch, etc., which are among my favorites; but a dominican cigar that is so often compared to these in body is something I just have to see for myself, especially since it was recently mentioned by Rush Limbaugh as a favorite. So, I just placed an order for these and look forward to posting those reviews soon.

I thought my first post should be to offically welcome everyone to Humiblog.com, and so give birth to this site. I have been getting more and more into the wonderful world of fine cigars for years, and have come to the point where I’d like to contribute to this growing passion on the internet. I hope to contribute by mainly posting cigar reviews (both Cuban cigars and otherwise, an advantage of living in Europe). Of course, cigar reviews are very subjective, so I just hope to put my two cents in. I hope you enjoy my blog!

BTW: I Just ordered a box of CC robustos (left). Of course the hurricane wrecked havoc there so things are going to take a little longer than usual. If these live up to expectations though, they’ll be well worth the wait.