Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro is medium brown with some darker splotches and has some lightly raised veins. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. The band is black, white and gold and denotes the company and line names. There is also the signature gold diamond applied to the wrapper, above the band. The aroma from the wrapper is dark earth and wood, while the foot brings a mix of cedar and cardboard. The pre-light draw brings cedar and some dusty earth and mild spice.
Seth: The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro is a good-looking cigar. It’s fairly in line with other Project Broadleaf releases. The wrapper is coarse with a light maduro wrapper. Medium sized veins are present throughout the oily wrapper. Aromas of coffee, tobacco, earth and cocoa are present.
John: The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro does not come in cellophane and does not have a UPC sticker. There is a gold leaf diamond positioned above the primary band, which is a signature design element of Cavalier Genève. The cigar features a single primary band that is designed to give the appearance of a double band, with Cavalier Genève on top and Project Broadleaf on the bottom. I weighed the cigar at 18.5 grams and measured the humidity at 66.4% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included cedar and faint earth. From the foot, I was getting a combination of hay and cedar.
Jiunn: The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro in fluorescent light looks more Colorado red with a rusted pipe type red. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas give cedar and hay.

Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with a mix of toasted oak, earth, black pepper and baking spice. At a quarter inch in, the baking spice departs and a mild cocoa powder joins in. The retrohale is toasted oak and earth with some lightly zingy black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper mellows a bit. At an inch and a half in, a light creaminess joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is up front, with the earth a bit behind. Black pepper is in the middle of the profile with some cocoa powder and cream in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with some soft tobacco notes that are paired with this cocoa, earth, cedar and coffee profile. Baking spice notes are present as well with the cigar. In terms of strength and body, the cigar smokes at a level just above medium.
John: The first third gets things going with creamy wood and sweet tobacco, while a combination of mild leather, wood and tobacco finishes each puff. As the first third settles in, mild cinnamon baking spices and chewy leather combine in the center of the retrohale. The profile establishes itself at a surprising overall body strength of light plus, which feels restrained given the broadleaf wrapper. The cigar continues toward the halfway point of the first third with the cinnamon beginning to linger into the post draw and brings with it some mild tannic wood, adding a bit of structure without upsetting the balance.
Jiunn: The first third gives a medium strength and bodied experience. Flavors of sharper tinny minerals, slight meatiness, light milkiness and slightly tannic cedar wood. Retrohaling highlights more tinny minerals. The finish is short with mildly tannic cedar wood.

Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper has mellowed a bit more. At a quarter inch in, the cocoa powder departs. The retrohale is now toasted oak, earth and mild black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is up front, with the earth a bit behind. The black pepper is a bit behind the middle of the profile with some creaminess in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Cocoa, earth, cedar and coffee notes. Baking spice qualities are present on the end of the cigar. Like before, just above medium in strength and body.
John: The second third starts with baking spices combining with wood and mild leather, with the baking spices intensifying to medium minus strength through the finish. As the second third settles in, some medium minus strength meatiness moves into the center of the retrohale, adding a savory dimension to the profile. By the halfway point, wood is leading off each puff, taking a more dominant role. Through the bottom half of the second third, sweet tobacco defines the post draw, helping to soften the otherwise wood-forward nature of the profile.
Jiunn: Teh second third’s flavor profile hits its stride. Increased body to a heftier medium-full (strength still medium). Flavors are less tinny and sharp, introducing creamed cocoa and fuller tannins.

Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level of the oak increases and some wood bitterness joins in. At a half inch in, some minerality joins the profile. The retrohale has moved back to toasted oak and earth with some lightly zingy black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the toast level increases a bit more. As the cigar wraps up, the heavily toasted oak is up front, with earth a bit behind. The black pepper and minerality are a bit behind the middle of the profile with some creaminess in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the first and second. Cocoa, earth, cedar and coffee notes. Baking spice qualities are present with mineral notes on the finish. Just above medium in terms of strength and body.
John: The last third kicks things off with creamy, tannic wood, which increases in strength to medium minus through the finish. Toasted earth moves into the retrohale at medium strength, while chewy sweet tobacco leads off through the bottom half of the final third. The flavors remain cohesive, though they don’t evolve much further as the cigar winds down.
Jiunn: The final third is less engaging with mild tannins, cedar and less sharper minerals. There’s also a major loss in the creamed cocoa from the second third. Strength and body finishes the same medium and medium-full, respectively.

Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy throughout and needed a touch-up in the second third to keep things in line. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: The burn was good from start to finish.
John: The burn was straight through the entire review process.
Jiunn: Burn performance was great. Even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was very good from beginning to end.
John: I measured the draw at 90 inches of water with the CigarMedics draw machine. Subjectively, I found the draw to be approximately 4½ to 5 notches resistant, pushing slightly past snug and into near-plugged territory. This level of resistance consistently impacted airflow and required additional effort on each puff.
Jiunn: The draw was slightly snug but not enough to get too annoyed or impact the flavor delivery.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with a mix of toasted oak, earth, black pepper and baking spice. The baking spice departed fairly quickly and a light cocoa powder joined in. Later, the black pepper mellowed a bit and a light creaminess joined in. The second third saw the black pepper mellow some more and then the cocoa powder departed. The final third saw the toast level increase throughout and some minerality joined in. The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro had a nice start, with a good combination of flavors. As the second third began, it dropped a level as the cocoa powder departed and the black pepper mellowed. It remained at that level the rest of the way. This iteration of the Project Broadleaf is right in line with the other two I’ve reviewed. Overall though, it’s still not a cigar I’d see myself returning to with any real frequency.
Seth: I felt the Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro was the weakest of the three offerings we have smoked. It’s probably the most appealing vitola to me, but the weakest in terms of flavors delivered. There was a lack of complexity and transitioning which took away from the cigar. Core flavors of cedar, cocoa, baking spices and coffee, but the cigar did not grow or transition.
John: The Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro presents itself with an appealing concept and a restrained flavor profile that never quite overreaches. The cigar leans into balance rather than power, offering a lighter-than-expected broadleaf experience built around wood, sweet tobacco, leather and baking spices. The first third was easily the most engaging, with its creamy texture and subtle cinnamon-spiced leather notes setting a promising tone. While the second and final thirds remained pleasant, the profile gradually became more wood-forward and linear, relying on sweet tobacco and toasted earth to keep things from flattening out completely. Unfortunately, the draw significantly held this cigar back. The extreme resistance required constant attention and effort, which made it harder to relax into the experience and likely muted some of the nuance the blend was trying to deliver. Despite an excellent burn, the airflow issue was persistent and undeniably impactful. In the end, this cigar lands squarely in average territory. There’s clear intent and craftsmanship on display, and the flavor profile starts out sound, but the lack of evolution combined with a severely resistant draw prevents the Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro from fully realizing its potential. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 28 minutes.
Jiunn: Overall flavor experience with the Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro was just ok. My favorite part was the second third where the flavor profile was less sharp and introduced more of the Connecticut broadleaf type notes (cocoa, cream). But it wasn’t enough as most of the cigar was either a tad too sharp or dropped off in flavors. I’d pass on this one.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.90

Cost/Point

$2.88

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$3.15

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.35

Cost/Point

$3.18

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.95

Cost/Point

$2.86

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Cavalier Genève Project Broadleaf Wayfinders Toro