Criollo 98´ Robusto review

First tasting and notes.

A friend of ours shared this video of his friend, who reviews cigars, giving our Criollo 98' Robusto a taste. Above is his first impression and below he tries to nail down the taste that's somewhat harder to define. Reviewing a cigar is more art than science and different people will find different notes in each cigar. Each person's palate is different and sensitivities to different flavors will influence the person's smoking experience. Even before the cigar is lit you can get an idea of what to expect by smelling the cigar and during a cold draw. A cold draw is when you cut the end of the cigar and pull air through the cigar before lighting it. This can also help identify if there will be an issue with the flow of the smoke.

Additionally, as the cigar is smoked the accumulating smoke will also influence and change the flavor profile. Normally a cigar's flavor profile can be divided into three sections: Initial, middle, and end. The beginning of the cigar is the mildest part in most cases, this is because as the smoke travels through the cigar it has a chance to cool before reaching your palate. More complex cigars will change in taste as you smoke and stimulate different receptors of your palate. Less complex cigars will retain the same tasting notes and change in intensity as the cherry gets closer to your palate. The middle portion of the cigar is considered by many as the sweet spot and the end portion of the cigar is called the nub. The nub usually starts around where most cigar bands are wrapped. At this point the oils and heat of the cigar culminate and increase the strength.

Taste is subjective and while some reviewers may dissect flavors to a meticulous degree it does not mean everyone will pick up the same flavors. Don't let a review alter your enjoyment of the cigar if you don't sense the same flavors the reviewer describes. In general, cigar flavors can be divided into six flavor profiles: herb and spice notes, coffee notes, nutty notes, sweet notes, wood and vegetable notes, and natural notes. Each flavor can be expanded into further specific notes. Cigars that have a greater range of tasting notes are considered complex cigars. Smoke slowly, longer slower pulls, to access more tasting notes.

Finding the right fruity flavor in the cigar.

Reviewers also look at how the cigar burns, its body, how it finishes, and overall observations. What drinks and food pair well with cigars is another area that reviewers explore in depth.

We're always happy to receive feedback about your experiences with our cigars. If you have tried our cigars, please let us know your thoughts. Do you agree with the reviews in the videos? If you haven't tried our cigars yet, give them a try soon! If you're in Antigua drop by our cigar lounge and tell us what you think in person!