Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a medium marbled brown with a couple of slightly raised veins. The seams are smooth and hard to detect and the head is finished off with a well applied double cap. There are two bands with the primary being the standard design for the line with this Oscuro version carrying colors of black, gray and gold with some nice copper border accents. The foot band carries the same color combination and denotes the line along with a nice touch, the vitola. The aroma from the wrapper is an equal mix of barnyard funk and stone fruit sweetness while the foot brings wood, tobacco sweetness and a hint of anise. The pre-light draw is wood with an underlying sweetness.

Pre-light Experience

The Balmoral Anejo XO Oscuro Rothschild Masivo has a nice marbled maduro wrapper and is not what I would classify as oscuro. The coloring is right between Colorado Maduro and Maduro and it is a pretty color. It is firm in texture and sports some noticeable veins throughout while remaining smooth and slightly oily. The aroma on the foot is that of raisins, cinnamon, sweet spices and chocolate, while the wrapper is giving off aromas of damp wood, soft spices, rich earth and licorice.

Pre-light Experience

The Balmoral Anejo XO Oscuro Rothschild Masivo has a primary band along with a foot band. The band has gold lettering on black, with gold, grey and white accents. The foot band says “Anejo XO Rothschild Masivo” while the primary band identifies the Balmoral B and Oscuro. The wrapper is dark but I’m not sure I would classify the color as uniformly Oscuro. The aroma from the wrapper is barnyard, aged cedar and light leather. In the foot, light, sweet hay and tobacco.

First Third

The cigar begins with some musty wood and cinnamon. At a half inch in, the profile becomes a bit fuller and the components become a bit more integrated. The retrohale shows the wood more defined as oak and also carries some mustiness and a faint cinnamon. As the third comes to a close, the wood is more defined as oak and is paired up with the mustiness while the cinnamon has become fairly faint. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

The first third starts off wonderfully and I am getting some soft spice and toast notes. There are some cinnamon notes that are prominent and it is pairing with some rich earth and leather. The finish has some cocoa qualities and there is some creaminess as well which makes for a smooth finish.

First Third

The first third starts with creamy cocoa, hints of spices, cedar and leather that carries into the post draw. Moments later I get cherry, which is coming through at the end of the retrohale with a short finish. There is some dirty post draw earth that lingers heavily on the tongue tip. There is a grain flavor, similar to barley, mid palate that mixes in with the spices and cedar. That intense earth on the tongue lets up to medium minus as the cigar settles. Sweetness joins in at the 15 minute mark and comes at the end of the draw. Light chocolate joins the post draw and lingers significantly between draws. The cherry flavor manages to hang on through the first third at a light plus.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the cinnamon has dropped out and the musty oak is what remains. At a half inch in, a slight char joins in with the oak. The retrohale is also showing charred oak and mustiness. The profile maintains itself through the end of the third. The strength in this third has dropped down to mild-medium.

Second Third

When I enter into the second third of the cigar, I find some licorice notes and with that are some earthy, toasty, nutty and creamy qualities. The cocoa flavors are still present, as are the sweet spices and it is a complex smoke with a lot of flavors.

Second Third

Earth moves up from the post draw to the mid palate as the cigar transitions into the second third. Creaminess also moves up to the mid palate mixing in with the earth, as the earth intensifies to medium plus. That creaminess is up front on the retrohale, with light cedar and chocolate following, finishing with sharp earth.

Final Third

As the final third begins, a light cinnamon rejoins the profile. The cinnamon fades back out after a quarter inch. At three quarters of an inch in, the cigar begins to heat up, bringing a toasted note the to charred oak. The retrohale shows a mirror image of the same profile. As the cigar wraps up, some mintiness joins the profile. The strength in this third bumped up to medium.

Final Third

As I enter the final third of the cigar, I find some leather and tobacco notes and with that are some damp wood, earth and spices. The cinnamon notes are more prominent in this third and there is a return of the cocoa and creamy profile from the first third.

Final Third

Earth loses the sharp edges and mixes with the chocolate to lead the profile going into the final third. Baking spices mix with the earth at a medium minus strength. As the final third settles in, earth dominates the profile to dominate the flavors.

Burn

The burn was slightly wavy throughout but never needed any attention. The ash retention was impressive as it held on to the halfway point and then again until I put the cigar down.

Burn

The burn was solid on this cigar and it produced a nice charcoal color ash that had some dark gray and brown coloring with it. The ash was flaky but held on well and it smoked well from start to finish.

Burn

The burn on the Anejo XO Oscuro is relatively straight with calcium nodes on the ash. The burn is lopsided halfway through the first, but self corrects. The ash holds on up to 2 inches going into the middle third. The burn becomes uneven in the middle third, eventually requiring a touch-up. No issues through the final third.

Draw

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

Overall

The cigar started with a nice combination of musty wood and cinnamon and the wood became more defined as oak. As the cinnamon dropped out in the second third, the profile became a bit less enjoyable. This is another good offering in the Anejo XO line and I would put it up with the original Brazilian wrapped offering. The cigar gives a very long smoking time for the size and provides a good value given the price point. I’d have no problem smoking this again.

Draw

The draw on the cigar was perfect in my opinion from start to finish. Could not ask for more from the cigar.

Overall

I am a fan of the Balmoral Anejo XO Oscuro Rothschild Masivo and the flavor profile it delivers. It is a great example of a Mexican wrapper and produces a complex flavor profile that has depth and transitioning from start to finish. I found the cigar to smoke at a medium-full level from start to finish, which was great and I think this is a cigar a lot of smokers could get behind. Royal Agio has some extensive line offerings right now and what is great about them is that there is a lot of diversity amongst those lines. There really isn’t any repetition which is lovely and something you see quite a bit of with some companies. A great smoke that uses a lot of tobacco from throughout the Caribbean, Central America and South America. This is what a multi-nation blend should look and smoke like.

Draw

The draw is flawless, right in the ideal zone of resistance.

Overall

The Balmoral Anejo XO Oscuro Rothschild Masivo is a good release in a string of good releases. The flavor profile consists of creamy cocoa, baking spices, cedar, leather, cherry and an earth flavor that varies throughout. The first and second thirds had the most consistent flavor profile, delivering a complex and harmonized experience. Burn performance was amazing, and the draw was flawless. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 31 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$1.62

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

7.88

Cost/Point

$1.24

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.43

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Balmoral Anejo XO Oscuro Rothschild Masivo