Pre-light Experience

Seth: The Broncano Classic Rubi Toro is average in appearance. The cigar is finished with a wrapper that is Colorado in coloring, and it has an aged tobacco and leather coloring. There are small to medium sized veins present throughout. The wrapper is somewhat fragile. The cigar has an aroma of dried tobacco, rich earth and warm spices.
John: The Broncano Classic Rubi Toro features a Colorado-colored wrapper with no artisanal complications. I weighed the cigar at 17.6 grams and measured the humidity with the HumidiMeter Pro at 59.3%. Aromas from the wrapper consisted of mildly musty wood and tobacco. From the foot, I was picking up very similar aromas, with additional dry wood components present.
Jiunn: The Broncano Classic Rubi Toro has an even Colorado Red wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas give cedar and baking spices.

First Third

Seth: The first third begins with dirty earth, mineral, wood, toast and soft leather notes. There are some black pepper qualities present, and the cigar smokes around a medium level for strength and body.
John: The first third opens with citrus sweetness and a creamy texture leading the profile. Earth and wood combine to form the finish, while the retrohale delivers a mix of baking spices and earth. As the first third settles in, tannic wood moves into the post draw. Bread elements begin to join with tannic wood through the retrohale, and a noticeable saltiness settles on the palate between each puff. Through the bottom half of the first third, the profile becomes more cohesive, led by creamy and musty tobacco. Tannic and dry wood define the finish, with saltiness continuing to linger on the palate.
Jiunn: The first third gives sweet and creamy cedar wood, minerals, anise and baking spices. Retrohaling has spicy cedar and sweet cherries. The finish is medium in length with mild cedar wood and cardboard. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

Seth: The second third delivers more minerals than the first. Toast, black pepper and earth remain with the cigar. The cigar is going downhill, losing so many flavors and going to this mineral and earth flavor. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with creamy sweet tobacco leading, accented by citrus sweetness. Dry wood forms the finish, while tannic wood becomes more apparent through the post draw. As the second third continues, the tannic and dry wood intensifies to medium strength, gradually taking over the profile. Through the bottom half of the second third, earth increases to medium to medium-full strength on the finish and begins to dominate the overall experience.
Jiunn: The second thirds sweetness and creaminess has drastically decreased, replaced by tinny and slightly bitter minerals. Other flavors from the first third are still intact (cedar, anise, baking spices). Strength and body remains medium.

Final Third

Seth: The final third continues to deliver more mineral, leather and earth notes. Lacking in complexity and depth. Unpleasant profile.
John: The final third starts with mildly bitter wood leading off, while medium to medium-full strength earth defines the finish. As the last third progresses, the bitterness increases to medium strength, tightening the profile and further narrowing the range of flavors.
Jiunn: The final third still has the sweetness and creaminess as a distant past. The profile now becomes more bitter than tinny minerals. The bitterness is a bit off-putting as it does not mix well with the notes of cedar, anise and baking spices. Strength and body finishes the same medium.

Burn

Seth: The burn on the cigar was very good from start to finish.
John: The burn began wavy, with a strip of wrapper failing to ignite properly. It became uneven and eventually formed a canoe that required a touch-up to correct. Some waviness persisted into the second third. In the last third, another canoe formed and again required a touch-up.
Jiunn: Flawless burn, providing an even burn, tight ashes, cool burning temperatures and ample smoke production.

Draw

Seth: The draw was very good from beginning to end.
John: I measured the draw at 40 inches of water with the Cigar Medics draw machine. Subjectively, I found the draw to be squarely in the ideal range for an amazing draw.
Jiunn: The draw was also flawless, giving the ideal air flow and resistance.

Overall

Seth: The Broncano Classic Rubi Toro was a subpar smoke. The cigar was mineral forward with lots of pepper on the finish. There was a lack of balance and complexity. One-dimensional cigar with a lacking core flavor profile. The cigar went downhill quickly and continued to nose dive as it progressed. Flavor profile lingered on the palate.
John: The Broncano Classic Rubi Toro starts with promise, offering a bright and engaging first third highlighted by citrus sweetness, creaminess and a balanced interplay of earth and wood. The early profile feels layered and expressive, with the retrohale contributing meaningful complexity through baking spices and bread notes. The added saltiness on the palate provides an interesting texture that enhances the first third rather than distracts from it. As the cigar transitions into the second third, the profile begins to narrow. While the creamy sweet tobacco remains appealing initially, tannic and dry wood steadily builds in strength, gradually overshadowing the brighter citrus and creamy elements that defined the opening. By the bottom half of the second third, earth becomes increasingly dominant, pushing the cigar into a heavier, more grounded direction. The final third continues this trajectory, with bitterness and medium-plus earth taking center stage. While the cigar never becomes harsh, the flavor range tightens considerably, losing the nuance and balance that made the first third enjoyable. Construction issues with the burn, though manageable, add some distraction, especially when paired with the more aggressive earth and bitterness late in the session. In the end, the Broncano Classic Rubi Toro delivers a strong opening act followed by a steady decline in balance and complexity. The excellent draw helps keep the experience enjoyable, but the dominant earth and bitterness in the latter portions prevent the cigar from finishing as strongly as it began. As a result, it lands solidly in the Average category. It’s competent, occasionally engaging, but ultimately inconsistent from start to finish. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 26 minutes.
Jiunn: The Broncano Classic Rubi Toro had a nice start within the first third but quickly became either too tinny or too bitter by the final two thirds. It’s not a terrible flavor profile by any means but nothing that engaged me for wanting more and more draws. Overall a pass for me.

Seth Geise

SCORE

4.43

Cost/Point

$3.50

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.55

Cost/Point

$2.79

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.54

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Broncano Classic Rubi Toro