Pre-light Experience

The wrapper color varies from dark brown to medium brown with a bit of turtle shell appearance. The veins are easily visible as they carry a lighter color to them. The seams are also easily visible due to the wrapper color variations, but they are smooth. The head appears to have a triple cap with the top cap being finished with a very long pigtail that is wrapped up very tightly. The foot is fully closed with excess wrapper folded over. There is a single silver band with some embossing and white lettering. The aroma from the wrapper is a very faint aged wood and hay. The foot gives the same as it is completely covered. The pre-light draw brings a slightly fuller aged wood note along with some sweet hay.

Pre-light Experience

The Cordoba & Morales Platino Sumatra: Reposado en Cedro Toro has a fine grit sandpaper like rustic maduro shade wrapper. Veins well pressed and seams tight and visible. Bunch and roll feels well done having no soft spots and a uniformed give throughout. The man bun head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. Nosing the wrapper gives aged cedar, flowers and subtle white pepper. Nosing the foot gives white pepper and natural sweet black tobacco notes. Cold draw tells aged cedar, hay and balanced white pepper.

First Third

Initial draws bring a sweet and spicy aged wood note. At a quarter inch in, the sweet and spicy components go away and are replaced by a good amount of cream. The aged wood continues and there is a slight dull pepper on the finish. The retrohale brings a nice mix of the aged wood and pepper. At a three quarters of an inch in, the aged wood becomes more defined as aged cedar and the cream and pepper are mixing really well with it. At an inch and a half, some sweetness returns to mix with the creamy and peppery aged cedar. As the third comes to a close, the sweetness goes away leaving the creamy and peppery aged cedar. The strength in this third was just below medium.

First Third

First third’s flavor profile shows dessert like sweet cream, sweet cedar, balanced black pepper spice and dry roasted nuts. The retrohale holds similar notes as the mouth draw but deepens in intensity with notes of sweet cedar, black pepper and sweet creamed nuttiness. The finish isn’t all that noteworthy, primarily consisting of a lasting generic dry wood. Body and strength is at the medium mark.

Second Third

As the third begins, the pepper fades away leaving the creamy aged cedar. At a quarter inch in, some cream returns. The retrohale is very creamy now with the aged cedar in the background. At an inch and a half in, the sweetness has once again left and the cream lessens a bit moving the aged cedar more to the front. As the third comes to a close, the cream continues to lessen and is now just in the background while the aged cedar is the dominant note. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Second Third

The same overall notes are represented within the second third, but with a mix up. The profile becomes less sweeter, replaced by more earthy tones. Aged cedar, dry nuts and black pepper is on the forefront, followed by sweet cream. The retrohale remains unchanged, still providing more intense notes of sweet cedar, black pepper and sweet creamed nuttiness. The finish also remains unchanged, still giving a lingering dry wood. Body and strength continues it’s medium stride.

Final Third

As the third begins, some bitterness enters the profile of aged cedar and slight creaminess. At a quarter inch in, the bitterness lessens while the aged cedar and slight creaminess soldier on. At a half inch in, the bitterness ramps back up and is even with the aged cedar while some cream still remains in the background. The retrohale is aged cedar with some bitterness in the background. At an inch and a half in, the cigar begins to heat up which highlights the bitterness. The aged cedar is still in the background while the cream has completely left. This is the profile the cigar finishes with. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Final Third

Starting from the midway point of the last third, the wood and spice becomes sharper. They are by no means sharp notes in the sense that it over-takes the other flavors. Flavors of sharper cedar, increased black pepper spice, sweet cream and dry roasted nuts rounds out the profile. The retrohale still gives increased notes of sweet cedar, black pepper and sweet creamed nuttiness. The finish is still lingering with dry wood and also picks up a subtle wood bitterness. Body and strength finishes out at the medium mark.

Burn

The burn was perfect as it stayed straight the entire way. Ashes held on in inch and a quarter increments.

Burn

Spectacular burn performance. Ashes held on tight with self tapped 1.5 inch increments. Burn line was sharp and all leaves burned in unison. Total smoking time was a long and slow 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Draw

The draw was slightly snug, but I never felt that it kept me from getting all of the flavors the cigar wanted to present.

Overall

This was a pretty nice smoke. The aged wood becoming more defined as cedar was very pleasant. The nuances in the first third were really nice and then it settled into a linear profile that was enjoyable the rest of the way. The strength level topped out at slightly above medium, so it should be approachable for most smokers. This is a really nice offering from Cordoba & Morales and one I would easily revisit in the future.

Draw

The draw was perfect. Cutting the cigar right around the second cap yielded the best draw.

Overall

I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar. The interplay of sweetness, cream, spice and wood did just enough to keep me engaged throughout the entire long smoking time without ever being mundane. Having smoked the Santa Fe and now the Platino Sumatra: Reposado En Cedro, I am starting to get a sense of Azarias’ Cuban heritage blending style known for flavor and balance, without the overbearing strength. Knowing that is right up my alley, it’s time to pay closer attention to his blends and smoke more of them.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

7.13

Cost/Point

$1.68

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.33

Cost/Point

$1.64

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Cordoba & Morales Platino Sumatra: Reposado en Cedro Toro