Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a light brown and there are some visible veins that criss-cross the wrapper. The seams are visible but smooth. The triple cap is very nicely applied. The foot is closed with excess wrapper that is folded over. The band is very nice with an orange gold with the cigar name and picture for the line centered. There is also a fabric foot band which is a similar orange gold color and very sparkly. The aroma from the wrapper is a light sweet hay. The aroma from the foot is the same due to the closed foot. The pre-light draw gives a faint raisin sweetness.

Pre-light Experience

The Cordoba & Morales Finca Santa Fe has a caramel and very smooth Criollo ’98 wrapper. The veins are well pressed and seams almost invisible. The bunch and roll feels well executed as there is a nice and uniformed give. The parejo head is finished off with a neatly adhered triple cap. Pre-light wrapper aroma gives fresh and pungent barnyard, cedar and dry plywood. The foot smells of ripe plums, cedar and dry white pepper spice. The cold draw tells namely dry cardboard, cedar and slightly lip tingling white pepper spice.

First Third

Upon lighting, I’m greeted with cedar and a mild, slightly sweet cinnamon. The retrohale has a sharper spicy cedar which provides a zing through the nostrils. A quarter inch in, the still slightly sweet and spicy cedar remains. The retrohale is still a zinger even though the cigars strength itself isn’t that high. Just before the one inch mark, the sweetness goes away and the profile is now slightly spicy cedar. The retrohale has also toned down the spice a little causing less of a zing. Passing the inch mark, the spice from the cedar has transitioned to more of a mild black pepper. The retrohale is now much smoother and carries the same cedar and mild black pepper. As the third finishes, it remains primarily cedar with a little black pepper. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third immediately starts off with well balanced and nuanced notes of creamy bread, dried nuts (nuttiness), aged cedar, light sweet cream and tongue layering white pepper spice. Halfway through the first third, the white pepper cakes my palate, providing a pleasant slick and oily pepper zing. Through the nose, intensified white pepper spice, cedar and bread. The finish consists of a slick and oily white pepper spice and oak. Strength and body is right at medium.

Second Third

As this third begins, a little sweetness comes back to the cedar while the mild black pepper still remains in the background. The retrohale is now a creamy cedar with no zing. A half inch in, the sweetness dials back a bit, but is still there while the cedar is up front and there is a little bit of black pepper on the finish. An inch and a quarter in, the sweetness and black pepper have gone away and cedar is the lone flavor. At an inch and a half in the black pepper returns to mix with the cedar. The retrohale remains a creamy cedar. The third finishes with the cedar and black pepper. The strength in this third was just below medium.

Second Third

The second third is within the same lines as the first third, but in a more robust manner. Fuller and more distinctive notes of creamy and slightly buttery bread, a sharper cedar as compared to the first thirds aged cedar and deeper dry white pepper spice. There is still the dried nuts, light sweet cream and slick and oily pepper zing. Through the retrohale, intensified white pepper spice, cedar, creamy bread and slight barnyard. The finish continues to linger with oily white pepper spice and oak. Body is still at medium and strength trying to creep to a medium full, but I still put it more towards the medium mark.

Final Third

As this third begins, cedar is the lone flavor while the retrohale consists of cedar and some black pepper. A quarter inch in, the pepper goes away and a bit of cream comes in to mix with the cedar. At an inch in, the pepper comes back to mix with the creamy cedar. At an inch and a half in, a little bit of bitterness joins in with the creamy oak and pepper. This is the profile that the cigar finishes with. The strength in this third was just above medium.

Final Third

The last third moves in pace with the second third. Still full and distinctive flavors of creamy and slightly buttery bread, sharper cedar, dried nuts, light sweet cream and slick and oily pepper zing. Towards the last two inches or so, a savory saltiness mixes in, pairing quite well with the cedar note. Through the nose, still intensified white pepper spice, cedar, creamy bread and slight barnyard. The finish consisting of a savory saltiness, rich and oily pepper zing and oak. Strength and body is still at the medium mark.

Burn

The burn was perfect through the first half of the cigar. Getting into the second half, the burn skewed and the cigar went out twice in the remainder of the second third and required relights. The ash held on in one and a half inch increments.

Burn

The burn at all levels was outstanding. Total smoking time clocked in at an amazing 3 hours and 10 minutes. The burn line was almost razor sharp. The ash held on strong, averaging 1.5 inch increments.

Draw

The draw was tighter than I prefer, but I don’t believe it was detrimental to the flavors that the cigar presented.

Overall

I really enjoyed the flavor and complexity of the first third. After that, the cigar became very simple in its flavor. Really good performance through the first half of the cigar and then some relights after that caused a bit of a drop in scoring. This is a cigar easily approachable to any level of cigar smoker. With this cigar being aged in rum barrels, I really didn’t experience any flavors that demonstrated that. I would revisit this cigar hoping for some better construction. Check one out and see how this fits in your flavor profile.

Draw

The draw was cream of the crop. Just the right amount of resistance, allowing me to taste all the complexities of the cigar.

Overall

As much as I dislike this term, the cigar was very “Cubanesque.” The well balanced and nuanced notes made for a very pleasurable smoking experience. Given that the cigar was aged in rum barrels, I expected to taste that. Perhaps sweeter, molasses, vanilla and ripe stone fruits (often times associated with a good dark rum). But I didn’t get any of that throughout the entire smoking experience. Not a big deal as the flavors I did taste were all favorable. I’d happily smoke more of these, even given the higher price point.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.67

Cost/Point

$3.53

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

8.20

Cost/Point

$2.44

Scoring System