Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is golden brown with a few spots that are a bit green. There are some raised areas that appear to be veins underneath the wrapper. The seams are very smooth as is the well applied triple cap. There are two bands, the first being the traditional Cornelius & Anthony band with the secondary being a strip band that is orange and carries the line name. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of hay and grassiness. The foot brings a mix of hay and a light stone fruit sweetness. The pre-light draw brings a very light hay note along with a mild spiciness on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Cornelius & Anthony Aerial Robusto has a smooth and slightly oily Colorado Claro shade wrapper. Veins are well pressed and seams tight. Bunch and roll feels well done as there is a uniformed give throughout. The head is finished off with a well applied thick triple cap. Nosing the wrapper tells cedar, dried jammy stone fruit and tapered black pepper. Nosing the foot gives cedar, white pepper, barnyard and dried jammy stone fruits. Cold draw reveals cedar and hay.

First Third

Upon lighting, I’m greeted with a fair amount of strength. There are full flavor notes of wood along with an underlying baking spice. At a half inch in, the wood gains a bit of a toasty note while the spice is still slightly masked. The retrohale carries a decent amount of baking spice along with a slight creaminess to it. At an inch in, a little bit of a vegetal note is present on the retrohale as the spice tones way down but the creaminess remains constant. As the third comes to a close, it remains a toasty wood note along with a faint baking spice. The strength in this third was medium-full.

First Third

The first third’s beginning shows a plethora of toasted wood, semi-sweet creamed nuttiness and mild black pepper spice. As the cigar approaches the middle point of the first third, the black pepper intensifies, but is not overbearing. Through retrohaling, a big surprising pop in black pepper and creamed nuttiness shows. The finish is a mixture of long and lingering dry toasted wood and black pepper on the rear palate. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third kicks off, a little bit of cream joins the toasty and now slightly charred wood as the baking spice is now just very faint. At a half inch in, the spice is completely gone from the profile and the toasty wood still has a slight bit of char to it. As the third comes to a close, there haven’t been any changes to the profile and the retrohale continues to bring a bit of a vegetal note to the profile. The strength in this third remained medium-full.

Second Third

If I smoked this cigar blind, I would be hard pressed to know this was a Connecticut shade cigar. Meaning, the amount of spice the cigar puts out is not indicative of a typical Connecticut shade cigar. In addition to the cigar picking up intensities in spice on the mouth draws and retrohale, the profile also becomes more toasted wood focused. Still tasting the same creamed nuttiness, but a bit overshadowed by the toasted wood and spice. The finish softens up, now primarily a soft dry wood with the spice being more well rounded. Strength is moving towards medium-full and body stays medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, some grassy bitterness joins the profile. A quick purge mitigates the bitterness and the profile goes back to the toasty and slightly charred wood. A little further in, the cigar warms up a bit which enhances the toasty note. At a half inch in, a good amount of creaminess and slight bitterness join the toasty and charred wood. This is how the cigar finishes out. The strength in this third remained medium-full.

Final Third

The last third is basically the same profile as the second third except that there is a hint of baking spices picked up. The profile is still centered around toasted wood, black pepper and creamed nuttiness. Towards the latter half of the last third, there’s a spice heat almost reminiscent of dried peppers. Strength is still near medium-full and body medium.

Burn

The burn was perfect. The burn line stayed straight the entire time and the ash held on in three quarter inch increments.

Burn

Burn performance was overall very good with no real complaints. The only downside was a touch up required within the last third. Aside from that, slow and cool burning, great 1.5 inch ash retention and a relatively sharp burn.

Draw

The draw was also perfect with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

This is definitely a fuller strength Connecticut shade, so for those that aren’t traditional Connecticut smokers due to the lower strength this may be something that appeals to them. Lots of wood and spice to start and then things moved to a toast and charred wood for the remainder. There were some vegetal notes presented on the retrohale which I enjoy. A little bitterness in the final third that I’m hoping some time will help fade out. I’m interested in revisiting this to see if that occurs as well as trying the other vitolas. The cigar is good enough to smoke now as well. Probably something as a later in the day smoke or a second or third cigar of the day. Definitely one I’m looking forward to smoking more of.

Draw

Perfect draw. Zero issues here.

Overall

I’m slightly tired of saying it at this point, but this is another “not your grandfather’s Connecticut shade” cigar. The Aerial showed great depths of flavors starting with the familiar La Zona spice kick upfront and good identifiable flavors. A great representation of well rounded and building intensities of flavors. I say give a Connecticut Shade hater an unbanded Aerial and show him/her the bands afterwards to see their surprise.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.36

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.07

Cost/Point

$1.31

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Cornelius & Anthony Aerial Robusto