Pre-light Experience

The 1502 XO Toro is box pressed with their signature ‘flavor lock’ closed foot. The wrapper is rustic in appearance, with bulging veins. The band is oversized, with a beautiful gold metallic color, and black and red lettering featuring a serial number. The aroma from the wrapper is spicy cedar and leather, with sweet tobacco and hay from the foot.

First Third

The 1502 XO starts with sweet powdered cocoa, finishing with baking spices and a delayed sweetness. The retrohale profile is a direct copy of those flavors, with the same strength intensity. The sweetness continues to intensify, becoming cloying almost fountain drink like. Once the first third settles in, there is a post draw spice that lingers and intensifies as the first third continues.

Second Third

The spices pick up to medium plus in the second third, with post draw pepper rapidly ramping up in intensity. Halfway through the second third, the intense pepper backs down to light plus, and ends up in a similar overall profile to the first third with cocoa, sweetness and baking spices. The strength of the 1502 XO hits home at the bottom half of the second third.

Final Third

In the final third, the cocoa falls off in intensity to light or light plus. The strength of the cigar is still hitting me as the final third settles in. Some earthiness and slight char are on the front of the tongue.

Burn

The burn on the 1502 XO is fairly straight with ash holding on firmly in 1.5″+ increments. The cigar goes out during the transition to the last third, necessitating a re-light.

Draw

The draw is light resistant, which is exactly how I prefer a box pressed cigar to be.

Overall

The 1502 XO Toro is a tasty cigar with a medium-full strength profile that is hidden under the balanced flavors of cocoa and spice.

John McTavish

SCORE

6.87

Cost/Point

$2.58

Scoring System

Personal Cigar Review: 1502 XO Toro