Aaron Loomis

 John McTavish

Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Black Works Studio Boondock Robusto is between medium and dark brown and has some lighter marbling. There are some lightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth, the head is well finished and the foot has a slight taper from about a quarter inch up or so. The band is black, white, silver and lime-gold and carries the brand and line names. The aroma from the wrapper is a damp mix of wood and paper, while the foot brings some wood and earth. The pre-light draw brings a light mix of cedar and earth.
John: The Black Works Studio Boondock Robusto comes in cellophane with a UPC sticker containing the cigar information. The sticker is attached to the main body of the cellophane, allowing it to remain intact when opened. The cigar is a Robusto with a tapered, partially closed foot and features a single Boondock “black works studio” band. I weighed the cigar at 14.0 grams and measured the humidity at 63.2% using the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included barnyard, coffee, chocolate, tobacco, earth and wood. Because of the partially closed foot, I was unable to detect any additional aromas from the foot.

Black Works Studio Boondock Robusto

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted oak, dark earth and bold black pepper. At a half inch in, a light creaminess joins the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit. The retrohale is Toasted oak, earth and some black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the creaminess increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is just ahead of the dark earth, with black pepper in the middle of the profile and the creaminess just behind it. The strength was slightly above medium.
John: The first third opens with creamy dry wood leading the profile. Through the retrohale, a delayed combination of black pepper and earth develops on the post draw. As the first third settles in, creamy tobacco moves to the forefront, followed by chocolate and earth, while wood shifts to the finish. Through the bottom half of the first third, the profile finds an excellent balance, with each flavor complementing the others without any single component becoming dominant.

Black Works Studio Boondock Robusto

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper mellows a bit more. At a half inch in, the dark earth increases to become even with the toasted oak up front. The retrohale is now a lightly creamy mix of toasted oak and dark earth. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak and dark earth are even upfront, with the creaminess and black pepper just behind the middle of the profile. The strength mellowed to medium.
John: The second third begins with creamy coffee leading the profile, followed by earth through the center, which lingers into the finish alongside mildly dry wood. As the second third settles in, the dry wood moves into the center of the profile. Shortly afterward, the earth increases to just above medium strength before the profile settles into an even combination of creamy earth and wood through the bottom half of the second third.

Black Works Studio Boondock Robusto

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the black pepper has mellowed to the background. At a half inch in, the creaminess gains a light chalkiness. The retrohale is now a lightly creamy mix of toasted oak and dark earth with some light black pepper. As the cigar comes to a close, the toasted oak and dark earth are even up front, with creamy chalkiness just behind the middle of the profile and the black pepper in the background. The strength remained at medium.
John: The final third opens with wood leading the profile, while wood and light-plus strength earth combine through the finish. As the cigar progresses toward the halfway point of the final third, both the wood and earth increase to medium strength. By this stage, earth has become the defining characteristic of the post draw, giving the cigar a more grounded, earthy finish than it displayed earlier in the smoke.

Black Works Studio Boondock Robusto

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times but never needed any intervention. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
John: The burn remained straight through the first third before developing an unburned strip of wrapper during the second third that required a touch-up to correct. The burn was mildly wavy through both the second and final thirds but required no further intervention.

Black Works Studio Boondock Robusto

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
John: The draw measured 42 inches of water on the Cigar Medics draw tester. Subjectively, it sat squarely within the ideal range, providing an effortless smoking experience throughout the review.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted oak, dark earth and bold black pepper. Some light creaminess joined in fairly quickly. Later, the black pepper mellowed a bit and then the creaminess increased. The second third saw the pepper mellow some more. Then, the dark earth increased to become even with the toasted oak up front. The final third saw the pepper mellow to the background and the creaminess gained some chalkiness. The Black Works Studio Boondock Robusto had a nice start, with a bold mix of toasted oak, dark earth and black pepper. The pepper began to fade as the cigar went along and with the earth moving to the front of the profile with the oak, it took a step down in the second third and maintained that level the rest of the way. The overall profile was pretty linear from the second third on. Not a very exciting cigar, and not something I’d really see myself coming back to.
John: This Black Works Studio Boondock Robusto makes an excellent first impression with one of the more aromatic wrappers I’ve encountered in recent reviews. The combination of barnyard, coffee, chocolate, tobacco, earth and wood creates an inviting pre-light experience that hints at a complex smoking profile to come. That promise largely carries through the opening third, where creamy tobacco, chocolate, earth and restrained wood achieve a particularly satisfying balance. The delayed black pepper on the post draw adds enough spice to keep the profile lively without upsetting its overall harmony. The second third shifts the focus toward coffee, earth and wood. While the creamy texture remains a welcome constant, the profile gradually becomes more earth-forward as the cigar progresses. The transition is smooth rather than abrupt, and although some of the sweetness from the opening begins to recede, the cigar retains enough complexity to remain engaging. By the final third, the profile has simplified considerably. Wood and earth become the dominant flavor drivers, with earth steadily taking over the post draw. The flavors remain clean and well-defined, but much of the nuance and balance that characterized the opening half of the cigar has faded. Rather than evolving into something more complex, the cigar settles into a straightforward earthy profile that, while enjoyable, lacks the refinement of the first third. Construction is very solid overall. The draw is essentially ideal throughout the entire smoking experience, delivering just the right amount of resistance. The burn is equally dependable aside from a single touch-up required to correct an isolated wrapper issue. Once corrected, the cigar continued without any further meaningful problems. In the end, this is a cigar that starts with impressive complexity and balance before gradually transitioning into a simpler, earth-driven profile. Its excellent construction and enjoyable opening third leave a positive impression, even if the final third doesn’t quite maintain that same level of refinement. The result is a consistently enjoyable smoke that earns a well-deserved Average overall rating. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 8 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$2.08

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$2.08

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Black Works Studio Boondock Robusto