Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Bentley White Edition Robusto is medium tan with some hints of green and there is a network of lightly raised, knotty veins. The seams are fairly smooth and the caps are well applied. The band is white, green and silver and has the brand and line names present. The aroma from the wrapper is stewed fruit and some hay, while the foot brings stewed fruit and some cedar. The pre-light draw brings stewed fruit, cedar and some dusty earth along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Bentley White Edition Robusto is a solid looking Connecticut. It has that classic Ecuadorian Connecticut coloring, so there is a little bit of red and brown in it that makes it somewhere between Claro and Colorado Claro. It is silky in texture with small veins scattered throughout. It is firm in hand and the aroma on the foot is that of raisins, chocolate, earth, cedar and tobacco. The wrapper is giving off tobacco and hay notes.
John: The Bentley White Edition Robusto came in cellophane and had a QR code attached to the main cellophane body that appeared to be from the retailer. There is a single band with a see through slit between the upper and lower sections. I weighed the cigar at 13.7 grams and measured the humidity to 62.7% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included a barrel aged sweetness, light barnyard and almost a honey and oak barrel combination. Out of the foot, I was getting more subdued barrel sweetness, hay and wood.
Jiunn: The Bentley White Edition Robusto has a spot on Colorado Claro wrapper shade. The wrapper looks pristine, providing a smooth and even texture with a good amount of oils. Veins are neatly pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light experience details sweet and jammy figs, hay and aged cedar.

Bentley White Edition Robusto

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, bold black pepper and some earth. At a quarter inch in, the pepper mellows a bit and the earth increases a bit. The retrohale is toasted cedar, zingy black pepper and light earth. At three quarters of an inch in, a light creaminess joins the profile. At an inch and a quarter, the creaminess picks up a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is up front, with black pepper and earth in the middle of the profile and some creaminess a bit further behind. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: The first third begins with some cedar and hay notes. There are some tobacco and earth qualities, faint coffee bean as well, and it has a soft spice finish. More cedar on the finish. Some currant qualities. Just under medium in strength and body.
John: My initial flavor impressions are sweet tobacco, spices at medium-minus strength combining with dry wood, and dry wood to finish. The spices are up to medium strength on the retrohale with earth to finish. There is an oak-barrel sweetness developing on the finish roughly 10 minutes in, as the spices recede to light-plus strength. Minor chocolate works itself into the retrohale as the first third continues.
Jiunn: The first third starts with a mixture of slight charred wood and citrus. As the profile continues, there’s also a spicier cedar coming through. The retrohale amps up the spicy cedar. The finish layers in the charred wood and cedar. Strength and body is medium.

Bentley White Edition Robusto

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, a light hay joins the profile. At a half inch in, the creaminess increases to become even with the earth and black pepper. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with light black pepper. At an inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit and the hay increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is up front, with earth and creaminess in the middle and the black pepper and hay a bit further behind. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
Seth: The second third is fairly in line with the first. Cedar, hay and tobacco notes present. Some earth, coffee beans and cocoa were present as well. Soft spices are present with cedar. Some faint raisin qualities. Still under medium in strength and body.
John: In the second third I’m greeted with creamy wood, spices at medium-minus strength in the center and sweet wood to finish. The retrohale is comprised of salty chocolate, wood and baking spices as dry wood continues to finish. Moving towards the halfway point, some cinnamon breaks into the retrohale as the dryness on the finish recedes
Jiunn: The second third’s char levels are almost gone. Within what’s remaining, it actually enhances the complexities of the profile. At this point it’s a nice blend of spicy cedar, citrus twang and increased red pepper spice. Strength and body remains medium.

Bentley White Edition Robusto

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth increases a bit. At a half inch in, the black pepper becomes very mellow and the creaminess increases to become even with the earth once again. The retrohale is now a creamy mix of toasted cedar and earth with light black pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, the black pepper picks back up a bit and the hay increases as well. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper is now even with the earth and creaminess. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar is ahead of the earth, creaminess and black pepper with the hay a bit further behind. The strength bumped up to medium.
Seth: The final third delivers a little bit more spice and earth notes. The coffee bean flavor profile is still present, and it has some cedar, hay and soft spices on the finish. Still cedar forward, but more earth and spices. Just under medium, maybe even medium in strength and body.
John: The final third gets started with creamy cinnamon, baking spices and sweet wood to finish. Dry wood at light-plus strength defines the post draw here. As the last third progresses, creamy wood is driving the profile as the baking spices fall to a background note. The cinnamon becomes barely detectable.
Jiunn: The final third is very similar to the second third. The only thing different is some added creaminess to the profile. Strength and body finishes the same medium.

Bentley White Edition Robusto

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and three quarter increments.
Seth: The burn on the Bentley White Edition was perfect from start to finish.
John: The burn had minor waviness in the first third, straight through the second third with minor unevenness at halfway, and continued straight in the last third. While not a burn issue, there was a significant wrapper tear when removing the band. It was clear that glue on the bottom of the band had attached it to the wrapper. It’s unfortunate, but it does underscore the handmade nature of cigars.
Jiunn: Picture perfect razor sharp burn, cool burning temperatures and solid ashes.

Bentley White Edition Robusto

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The Bentley White Edition had a great draw from beginning to end.
John: The draw was at most one notch towards the resistant spectrum which puts it in the ideal range between open and resistant.
Jiunn: The draw was the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, bold black pepper and some earth. A light creaminess joined a bit later. The second third saw some hay join in. The final third saw earth and creaminess increase and the black pepper mellowed and then ramped back up. Construction was absolutely perfect. The Bentley White Edition Robusto had a nice flavor profile through the first two thirds with some nice transitioning. The final third took a step back as the increase of earth dampened my enjoyment a bit. This is a far better showing than the Green Edition and is a Connecticut shade offering that is pretty nice. I feel as though the price is a bit high, but it is a cigar I’d come back to and would be interested to see how some of the longer vitolas would perform.
Seth: I enjoyed the Bentley White Edition Robusto. Much more so than the Green Edition. This was a nice Connecticut with good flavors throughout. There was a nice level of depth and complexity. Not an abundance of transitioning, but a solid cigar. It is hard to say if I would come back to this Connecticut again. It’s not a cigar I would seek out, but I would pick it up in a shop if I was looking for a Connecticut and the shop didn’t carry some of my typical Connecticut smokes. The problem is that most shops that would carry this cigar would also be carrying some of my typical Connecticut smokes. I have always enjoyed Connecticut offerings out of Joya.
John: The Bentley White Edition Robusto provides a consistently good experience through the majority of the cigar. It’s hard to say whether the incidental wrapper damage in the last third impacted the flavor profile, but the cigar had done enough by that point to warrant coming back to. The draw and the burn were both rated as amazing. I think there’s more than enough here in the flavor department to satisfy a significant range of cigar smokers, and the price point comes in under the average for 2024. I’ll be seeking more of these out in the future. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 51 minutes.
Jiunn: This Bentley White Edition Robusto is not the typical Connecticut shade experience that I have come to expect (and enjoy). The profile here is way less sweet and creamy. Instead, it’s a package of citrus, wood and spice. Well done.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$2.05

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$2.41

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$2.05

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$2.05

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Bentley White Edition Robusto