Pre-light Experience

The cigar is fairly rustic looking with a medium brown wrapper and some raised veins, The seams are easily visible as they are slightly raised. The triple cap also has a few wrinkles to the edges. The two bands continue the traditional styling from the brand as the primary has the company logo and the secondary strip band denotes the line name. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of wood and barnyard funk while the foot brings a sweet and dense dark bread note. The pre-light draw brings the breadiness from the foot aroma and I would liken it to some sort of dark bread with nuts. There is also a decent amount of spice present on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Cornelius & Anthony Mistress Robusto has a gorgeous dark wrapper that has a combination of Colorado and Maduro coloring qualities. There are some small to medium size veins present throughout and it is fairly smooth in texture with some minor oils present. It is slightly firm to the touch and the wrapper has an aroma of barnyard and manure while the foot is showing qualities of dark chocolate, raisins and rich earth.

Pre-light Experience

The Cornelius & Anthony Mistress Robusto has a chocolate brown wrapper with visible pressed veins. The cigar features primary and secondary ‘Mistress’ bands, matte gold and cream colored. I was able to pick up chocolate, cedar, faint baking spices, sweetness and almonds from the wrapper. From the foot, I detected sweet raisiny tobacco.

First Third

The cigar begins with an intense cinnamon along with some wood, bread and cream notes. At a half inch in, the cinnamon isn’t quite as intense but still provides a nice burn while wood has darkened up and pushed out the bread while a faint creaminess remains. At an inch in, the cream increases and smooths out the cinnamon to go along with the wood. The retrohale brings a creamy wood. As the third comes to a close, the cinnamon, wood and cream are all at equal levels. The strength in this third was medium-full.

First Third

The first third opens up with a ton of pepper flavors. Lots of white and black pepper notes. With that is some metallic qualities and a smokiness as well. The finish is of dry wood and earth, and there are some Asian spice qualities right on the finish. It is a full flavored cigar and with that is a full strength and body experience. The draw is great on the cigar but the burn line is quite off. I have had to touch up the cigar quite a bit thus far.

First Third

The first third starts out with bold pepper that ramps up in intensity immediately, lingering like chili peppers into the post draw. Some sweet cocoa comes in through the retrohale, along with some raisin sweetness at the end of each draw. The pepper is so intense it runs both flavor combinations over. Approximately 10 minutes in, the pepper intensity starts to subside, and a creamy cocoa takes its place, along with some toasted caramel. As the cigar progresses through the first third, nuttines joins in and at the bottom half, caramel intensifies as powdered cocoa dominates the retrohale.

Second Third

As the second third begins, a floral note joins the mix of cinnamon, wood and cream. At a half inch in, the cinnamon is now very faint while the wood, cream and floral note are up front. At an inch in, the cinnamon is completely gone and the creamy wood is up front with floral note slightly behind. The retrohale carries all of the same notes just at equal levels. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Second Third

When I get into the second third of the cigar I find that the flavor profile is rather consistent with the first third and the cigar is a beast. It is showing that pepper and Asian spice profile and it is paired with some dry earth and sharp wood. I am getting the metallic and smokiness profile as well and it is a full body and full strength cigar. Like the first third, the draw is nice on the cigar but the burn line is off. You can see the dark burn line against the wrapper and it is producing a flaky ash.

Second Third

Moving into the second third, the flavor profile is creamy cedar, which carries into the post draw. The creamy cedar flavors match the intensity of the caramel. At the halfway point of the middle third, cinnamon joins in, as the cedar evolves into a sweet cedar dropping the creaminess.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the wood takes on some char while the cream and floral note are slightly behind. At a quarter inch in, the floral note increases to become even with the charred wood while the cream is slightly behind. At three quarters of an inch in, the charred wood, cream and floral notes are back to even levels. The retrohale has the floral note up front with the creamy wood slightly behind. At an inch in, the cigar begins to warm up bringing some mintiness to the profile. The strength in this third built up to a sneaky full strength.

Final Third

As I enter the final third of the cigar, I begin to lose consciousness. The cigar has gotten stronger, if that is even possible in this final third and it is showing tons of pepper, metallic and dry earth notes. There is a smokiness present as well, but the Asian spice and wood notes have faded away. Like the first two thirds, the cigar is smoking at a full level for strength and body, and it is probably closer to a full-full rather than a solid full. The construction is similar to what it has been throughout and the same goes for the draw.

Final Third

The sweet cedar continues to change as it becomes toasted cedar moving into the final third. The caramel intensity picks back up. As the last third establishes itself, the profile alternates between sweet and drying cedar with caramel accents.

Burn

The burn line was a bit wavy throughout and needed a touch-up at one point to keep things going evenly. The cigar also went out in the first and second third requiring re-lights. Not sure if that has to do with the heavy tobaccos used or not.

Burn

The burn was off from start to finish and I believe it comes from the tobacco being used in the blend. There is a lot of high priming tobacco in this blend, and those thick leaves are impacting how the cigar is smoking.

Burn

Touch-ups were required halfway into the first third, moving into the middle third, with a re-light at the halfway point of the cigar. Ash held on well in 1/2 – 1 inch increments.

Draw

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

Overall

The flavor profile started with cinnamon, wood and cream. The cinnamon transitioned out to be replaced with a floral note in the second third. The strength level was quite high and for those that strength has an effect on may see this as the Dominatrix rather than the Mistress. After finishing this cigar, I had to take a few minutes to grab some chocolate to battle the effects of the nicotine. There were some burn issues while the draw was perfect. The Cornelius & Anthony Mistress Robusto is a good cigar that would do well after a big meal and you might want to have something sugary around to tame the nicotine. I would have no problem returning to this when the mood strikes for a very strong and flavorful cigar.

Draw

The draw was nice on the cigar and there was a nice snugness to really help with the smoke and flavors. I also think it assisted in destroying me with the strength and body of the cigar.

Overall

The Cornelius & Anthony Mistress Robusto is quite a departure from other Cornelius & Anthony releases and is a cigar that is full in strength and body from start to finish. It is one of the strongest cigars I have had in some time and is composed of some great tobacco that is not just packed with strength, but has some flavor to it as well. It is not overly complex or showing a great bit of transition from start to finish, but it does have a solid flavor profile that pairs well with the strength and body of the cigar being delivered. I can’t smoke this cigar that often, nor do I know anyone who can or would, but it is a great cigar to come to when you are looking for something with flavors and lots of strength/body. With all that being said, Cornelius & Anthony has successfully created a cigar that has maxed out strength and body, but also delivers a good bit of flavors. It is not just a strong cigar, it has something more to it.

Draw

The draw was in the ideal place, leaning towards the open spectrum.

Overall

The Cornelius & Anthony Mistress Robusto was a complex cigar with a wide assortment of enjoyable flavors. The cigar reaches full strength and full bodied so I would only recommend it for the cigar aficionados who enjoy cigars in the fuller range.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.52

Cost/Point

$1.30

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

7.32

Cost/Point

$1.16

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

7.32

Cost/Point

$1.16

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Cornelius & Anthony Mistress Robusto