Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a dark leather type brown. There is some lighter color outlining the veins of which there are a couple that run the length of the cigar. The seams are very well blended and nearly invisible. The caps are absolutely perfectly applied. The pre-light construction on this cigar is probably as good as I have ever seen. The bands are very simple but elegant with the white and gold adorning this shade of brown. The aroma from the wrapper is a very faint leather. The foot aroma is much more present with a mix of rum and raisin. The pre-light draw brings that same rum and raisin experience from the foot aroma which is outstanding.

Pre-light Experience

The Bugatti Quattro San Andres Claro is a box pressed, Colorado claro (medium brown) with a smooth wrapper. The cigar is packed full of tobacco with minimal give when performing the pinch test. The veins are well pressed and seams tight. The head is finished off with an untypical quadruple cap. Wrapper aromas of namely barnyard musk and dry cardboard. Foot aromas of white pepper spice and moldy basements. Cold draw notes of namely aged cedar and dried jammy stone fruits.

First Third

Initial light is bringing a slightly sweet cedar along with some nuttiness. After a few draws, the nuttiness goes away, but the slightly sweet cedar remains. The retrohale is generally woody with a hint of cream on the finish. The cigar has a very clean and fresh finish. It’s not like it is minty, I’m just really unsure how to describe it other than fresh and keeping my mouth feeling cool. About halfway through the third, the sweetness goes away. The cedar remains as the core flavor with a little creaminess in the background. The retrohale has a bit of a vegetal note which may coincide with the fresh and clean finish I have been experiencing. As the third continues, the cedar remains the prominent flavor with the very clean finish. The retrohale fluctuates between woodiness and vegetal. The strength in this third was mild/medium.

First Third

First thirds flavor profile consists of an airy bodied, faint and nuanced smoking experience. From first draw, flavors of moldy musk, leather, coffee, dried cherries, dried biscuits and generic wood. Unfortunately, there is no taste of spice smoking through the mouth. On the retrohale, amplified notes of charred wood, sweet dried cherries, biscuits and sweet cream. The finish consists of moldy musk, slightly sweet dried cherries and aged wood. The body within the entire first third is between a mild and medium minus. Strength at a solid medium.

Second Third

This third starts where the previous left off, with cedar and a slight cream. The finish is maybe getting a little minty now, but still very clean and refreshing. About a half inch in, a bit of mustiness makes its way into the retrohale. About an inch in, the retrohale transitions to a subtle mintiness to go along with the mustiness. About an inch and a half in, some of the sweetness returns that I was getting in the first third. Nearing the end of the third, the cedar transitions to a slightly charred oak. Strength in this third was slightly below medium.

Second Third

Second thirds initial half provides a welcoming increase in body (now a consistent medium). Flavors of coffee, leather, jammy dried cherries and bitterness. On the retrohale, black pepper is realized, providing a much needed kick and sharpness to the palate. The finish is primarily bitterness and generic dried wood. Towards the second half of the second third, the moldy musk re-enters, along with leather. The strength continues to be at a consistent medium.

Final Third

As this third begins, the flavors become a bit darker with the charred oak and a bit of bitterness. There is still some mintiness and mustiness on the retrohale, but now also a bit of the charred oak as well. About a half inch in, the retrohale just carries a mintiness which is refreshing. The clean finish is not present in the mouth flavors like the previous thirds. An inch in, the char leaves the profile and is now oak and mintiness. The mintiness really sticks to my tongue and has a long finish. As the cigar finishes, the mintiness fades back quite a bit with oak becoming the dominant flavor. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Final Third

Last third continues to provide a medium body and strength smoking experience. Flavors of musk, leather, interplay of cedar and sweet cream, bitterness, slight dried nuts, dried biscuits, sharp minerality, coffee and non-sweet cream. Through the mouth, the black pepper spice is now detected, although it is dominantly still within the retrohale. The finish continues to linger with bitterness and generic dried wood.

Burn

The burn was fantastic. The ash was white and held very tightly. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

Very good burn. Solid one and a half inch ash marks. Burn was fairly razor sharp throughout the entire cigar.

Draw

The draw was pretty tight for the first half of the cigar. It eased up a bit after that, but was still tighter than I prefer.

Overall

This was a very interesting cigar. The flavors and finish were clean and fresh for the first two thirds and became a little fuller in the final third. The experience was pretty unique as that fresh feeling isn’t something I experience often. The strength level really fit the flavor profile. Other than the tight draw, construction and performance was excellent. This is a cigar I would recommend to new and experienced smokers. Definitely something that will allow you to enjoy multiple cigars in a sitting if that’s what you’re looking for. Easily approachable at any time of day. I would definitely see myself coming back to this cigar.

Draw

The draw was average, providing a tighter draw. No big deal as the cigar provided great smoke production and stayed cool the entire smoking experience. Also, the tightness of the cigar felt during the pre-light experience caused no issues on the burn.

Overall

This was a run of the mill, average cigar for me. The main let down was the lack in depth of flavors. There were some favorable notes such as coffee, leather and jammy dried cherries but there were also some off-putting unfavorable notes such as moldy musk. Further, the lack of good spice being for the most part absent made the smoking experience a bit mundane. I would recommend smoking this cigar with only palate cleansing neutral beverages, such as water or sparkling water. Any sort of flavored beverage will probably kill all the nuances of the cigar.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.73

Cost/Point

$1.08

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

4.93

Cost/Point

$1.47

Scoring System