Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker is a marbled medium brown with a network of thick, lightly raised veins. The seams are a bit raised and the caps have some raised edges as well. The band is meant to look like two bands, with the upper portion denoting the company and the lower portion denoting the line. A gold leaf diamond is also placed on the wrapper above the band. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of cedar, earth and clay, while the foot brings musty cedar, bread and light spice. The pre-light draw brings musty cedar and floral notes along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker is a great looking cigar. The gold diamond and the bands pop against the maduro wrapper. The wrapper is oily and coarse in texture. There are medium sized veins present throughout, and it is a true maduro in coloring. Espresso bean coloring. Aromas of rich earth, coffee beans, leather, tobacco and dark cocoa on the foot and wrapper.
John: The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker comes in cellophane and does not have a UPC sticker. A signature gold diamond is integrated into the wrapper. The cigar features a primary Cavalier Genève band, along with a Project Broadleaf lower half that gives the appearance of a secondary band. I weighed the cigar at 12.9 grams and measured the humidity at 63.7% with the Cigar Medics Humidimeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included tannic, aged wood with barnyard underneath, while the foot offered earth and barnyard.
Jiunn: The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker has a Colorado red wrapper shade in natural sunlight. Veins are decently pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is wrapped and capped well. Pre-light aromas present rotten Fuji apples (for reals) and dirty gym socks.

Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with rich earth, toasted oak, black pepper and some light cocoa. At a quarter inch in, a light creaminess joins the profile. At a half inch in, the back half of the profile is now a creamy but gritty cocoa powder. The retrohale is rich earth, toasted oak, lightly zingy black pepper and some creamy cocoa. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper mellows a bit. As the third comes to a close, the rich earth and toasted oak are even up front, with the black pepper a bit behind and some creamy, gritty cocoa powder just behind the middle of the profile. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third begins with rich earth and cocoa notes. I am picking up some mocha qualities along with this hazelnut quality. Sweet and pepper spices are present with leather, oak and tobacco as well. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with musty tobacco and wood, as mild spices and wood combine into the post draw. I find the retrohale consists of mossy earth and wood, with musty wood on the finish. The spices in the post draw move up to medium-minus strength as the first third progresses. Some saltiness quietly moves into the post draw as the third continues.
Jiunn: The first third has a surprising amount of red pepper spice. Along with the spice is hay, dehydrated vegetables, minerals and a subtle sweet creaminess. Retrohaling gives a “I just smoked weed for the first time choke” level of red pepper spice. The finish shows lingering cedar and much more tapered back red pepper spice on the rear palate. Strength is medium-full and body is medium.

Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper mellows a fair amount. At a half inch in, the toasted oak mellows a bit and the black pepper is now very light. The retrohale is now rich earth with light amounts of toasted oak and black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper picks back up a bit. As the third comes to a close, the rich earth is up front, with the toasted oak a bit behind, black pepper just behind the middle of the profile and some creamy, gritty cocoa in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third continues with those rich earth and cocoa qualities. Mocha, hazelnuts and sweet spices with red pepper remain. Nice finish of leather, oak and tobacco. Similar to the first third, but rich and filling. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: Spices and sweet tobacco lead off the second third, with the spices intensifying to medium strength on the finish, combining with musty tobacco in the post draw. The retrohale settles into creamy spices, with musty tobacco and chocolate in the center. A general dryness sets into the profile moving toward the halfway point.
Jiunn: The second third is very similar to the first third but the profile blends better together. It’s not as much of a red pepper assault. The red pepper is still prominent but it melds much better with the other flavors of hay, dehydrated vegetables, minerals and subtle sweet creaminess. Strength and body remains medium-full and medium, respectively.

Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, some wood bitterness and mustiness join the profile. The retrohale remains rich earth with light amounts of toasted oak and black pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, the toast level of the oak becomes pretty heavy. At an inch in, the heavily toasted oak is now back to even with the rich earth up front. As the cigar wraps up, the rich earth and heavily toasted oak are even up front, with the black pepper in the middle of the profile and the creamy, gritty cocoa, mustiness and wood bitterness in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the first and second. Rich earth with cocoa qualities. Mocha, hazelnuts, baking spices and red pepper are present as well. Touches of leather, oak and tobacco on the finish with a sweet earth quality. Like before, medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The final third begins with creamy spices and tobacco, as spices and wood combine on the finish and linger into the post draw. The profile remains consistent into the halfway point. Earth joins the post draw through the bottom half at medium strength, intensifying as the cigar comes to a close.
Jiunn: The final third becomes a bit too red pepper forward with also a bitter cedar wood and mineral combination. The sweet creaminess is lost at this point. Strength and body finishes the same medium-full and medium, respectively.

Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy throughout, and required a touch-up in the first third to keep things in line. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: The burn was good from start to finish.
John: The burn was straight in the first third, though it felt like it might stall at points. It continued straight through the second third. In the final third, the cigar spontaneously went out, requiring a re-light.
Jiunn: No issues with the burn, giving tight ashes, even burn and cool burning temperatures.

Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Draw was perfect throughout.
John: Measured at 71 inches of water with the Cigar Medics Draw Machine, the draw was 2½ to 3 notches toward the resistant spectrum, making it fairly snug.
Jiunn: No issues with the draw either, providing the ideal balance of air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with rich earth, toasted oak, black pepper and some light cocoa. Some light creaminess joined in pretty quickly and later the creaminess paired up with gritty cocoa powder. The second third saw the black pepper mellow a fair amount. The toasted oak also mellowed a bit. Later the black pepper picked back up a bit. The final third saw some wood bitterness and mustiness join in while the toast level of the oak became pretty heavy and became even with the rich earth up front again. The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker had a nice start, with a good combination of flavors. The second third took a step down as the pepper mellowed significantly and remained at that level the rest of the way. Overall, a fairly average cigar, and not one I’d see myself returning to. I am interested in seeing how the future iterations of this series performs though.
Seth: The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker was a nice cigar. I loved the vitola, and the flavor profile delivered was good throughout. The final third was not as strong as the first and second, but it was still solid overall. The cigar did not come to a crash in the end. The cigar was rich and filling, but also balanced. I had a nice burn and draw throughout as well, so that helped with the smoking experience. Looking forward to the other release, and would love to come back to this cigar.
John: The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker delivered a consistent profile throughout, with musty tobacco, wood and spices forming the foundation. Some moments of sweetness and chocolate emerged in the second third, but the overall profile leaned heavily on earth and wood components. The snug draw and a re-light in the final third impacted the experience slightly. Construction was otherwise good. Overall, an average smoking experience that I wouldn’t be likely to return to. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 56 minutes.
Jiunn: This Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker is a great introduction to the broadleaf project. Although not the conventional style of broadleaf, the flavor profile presented works well, having a heavier hand towards spice and hay/grass with a good backbone of sweet creaminess. I look forward to the broadleaf aging more and especially hope to see more body, increased sweet creaminess, as well as maintaining the spice and hay/grassiness. But the blend and age as is, is definitely a keeper.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.90

Cost/Point

$2.64

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.62

Cost/Point

$2.36

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$2.97

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$2.29

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Skywalker