Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Hiram & Solomon Grand Architect Toro is light brown and has a network of decently raised veins. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. The band is blue, gold, white and green and carries the brand and line names. The aroma from the wrapper is musty cedar while the foot brings musty cedar and breadiness. The pre-light draw brings airy, musty cedar and some dustiness.

First Third

The cigar begins with aged, toasted cedar, dustiness and mild black pepper. At a quarter inch in, the dustiness transitions to dry earth. At a half inch in, the earth and black pepper pick up in fullness and are now just a bit behind the aged, toasted cedar. The retrohale is aged, toasted cedar, lightly zingy black pepper and some earth. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper mellows to just behind the earth. As the third comes to a close, the aged, toasted cedar is up front, with earth right behind and the black pepper right behind the earth. The strength was right at medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the black pepper bumps back up to become even with the earth and has a very long finish. The retrohale is now aged, toasted cedar and black pepper with some earth. At an inch and a half in, some wood bitterness joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the aged toasted cedar is up front, with black pepper and earth right behind and some wood bitterness in the middle of the profile. The strength remains at medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the earth becomes even with the aged, toasted cedar up front. At a half inch in, the wood bitterness mellows a bit. The retrohale remains aged, toasted cedar and black pepper with some earth. As the cigar wraps up, the aged, toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with black pepper right behind and some wood bitterness in the back half of the profile. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.

Burn

The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Draw

The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar began with aged, toasted cedar, dustiness and mild black pepper. The dustiness transitioned to dry earth fairly quickly. The second third saw some wood bitterness join the middle of the profile. The final third saw the earth become even with the toasted cedar up front and the wood bitterness mellowed a bit. Construction was absolutely perfect. The Hiram & Solomon Grand Architect Toro had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around the aged, toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. Not much in the way of transitioning and a fairly mundane profile overall. This was my first experience from the brand, and while I don’t see myself coming back to this cigar, I am open to checking out some of their other offerings.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.34

Scoring System

Personal Cigar Review: Hiram & Solomon Grand Architect Toro