Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a light brown with a few small veins present. The seams are smooth and blend in well and the head has three very well applied caps. There are two bands, the first being the standard Cornelius & Anthony band and the second being a small strip band, primarily black with gold borders and lettering with the line name. The aroma from the wrapper is a bit of leather while the foot gives a nice sweet stone fruit. The pre-light draw is a mix of leather and lightly sweet hay.

Pre-light Experience

The Cornelius & Anthony Daddy Mac Robusto has a Colorado shade wrapper. The wrapper has good oil content and is textured like construction paper. Veins are well pressed and seams are tight and visible. The cigar has a uniformed and slightly spongy give throughout with no soft spots felt. The head is finished off with a well adhered thick triple cap. Nosing the wrapper gives cedar and baking spices. Nosing the foot gives baking spices, white pepper and anise. Cold draw tells cardboard, dry wood and hay.

First Third

Initial draws bring a full note of baking spice. After a few draws, the baking spice settles down and oak is now apparent. The retrohale is a very full baking spice. At a quarter inch in, oak becomes the primary note with the baking spice in the background. At three quarters of an inch in, some cream joins in which makes for a very creamy oak profile while the baking spice is very faint in the background. The retrohale is also a creamy oak without any baking spice present now. As the third comes to a close, the creamy oak remains. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

First third has a nice bouquet of flavors providing black pepper, black coffee, lightly creamed, dried mixed nuts, cedar and bread. Through retrohaling, notes of strong black pepper, sharp cedar and dried mixed nuts. The finish is lengthy first and foremost with black pepper layering the entire palate, followed by an oily oak and charred mixed nuts. In terms of body and strength, medium body and somewhere in between medium and medium-full strength.

Second Third

This third continues with the very creamy oak profile with the same profile on the retrohale. This profile continues for quite a while and then at an inch in, a little bitterness joins in with the creamy oak. At an inch and a quarter, the bitterness diminishes a little but is still in the background and on the finish but the creamy oak is still what dominates the profile. This is how the third finishes. The strength in this third is slightly above medium.

Second Third

Second third shows better fused flavors especially within the mixture of creamy bread and palate layering black pepper spice. The profile continuously shows other flavors such as cedar and lightly creamed dried mixed nuts. The black coffee note is lost, replaced by intermittent baking spices. The retrohale remains unchanged, still giving strong black pepper, sharp cedar and dried mixed nuts. The finish continues to show lengthy notes of palate layering black pepper, oily oak and charred mixed nuts. Body remains unchanged at medium and strength somewhere in between medium and medium-full.

Final Third

This third begins with the creamy oak and slight bitterness. The retrohale is a very creamy oak. At a quarter inch in, the bitterness increases a bit. At three quarters of an inch, the cigar begins to warm up, which actually lessens the effect of the bitterness and enhances the creamy oak note. This is how the cigar finishes. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Final Third

The last third although still good, shows letting off the throttle, especially in black pepper spice. The profile is now centered around cream, oak, black coffee, dry mixed nuts and tapered black pepper. The retrohale remains unchanged, still showing strong black pepper, sharp cedar and dried mixed nuts. The finish is now comprised of namely dry oak and mixed nuts. Body finishes at the medium mark and strength somewhere in the middle of medium and medium-full.

Burn

The burn was perfect and stayed very sharp the entire way. Ashes held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

The burn was very good. Total smoking time clocked in at an impressive 2 hours and 20 minutes. Burn line was slightly wavy and ashes slightly flowery. Ashes held on strong, averaging 1.5 inch increments. Most importantly, there were no re-lights or touch-ups.

Draw

The draw had just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

Not much in the way of transitions for this cigar, but that was OK as the flavor profile was consistently good for most of the experience. Strength level wasn’t over the top, so it fits with most smokers profiles. Add in the great construction and it makes for a low maintenance enjoyable experience. I’d gladly smoke more of these and would easily recommend them to those that like a creamy oak profile. Another good offering from Cornelius & Anthony.

Draw

The draw was perfect. Just the right amount of resistance to pull in all the flavors.

Overall

This is yet another winner within Cornelius & Anthony’s product offerings blended by Hector. I especially enjoyed how the black pepper spice was palate layering without overshadowing the other flavors. When I wanted an increase in spice (and intensity of flavors in general), I always had the retrohale on tap. Given how much I enjoyed the Venganza and now the Daddy Mac, I hope to see further collaborations from Cornelius & Anthony and La Zona.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

7.00

Cost/Point

$1.29

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.53

Cost/Point

$1.19

Scoring System