Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is dark brown and has a raised vein running down one side of the cigar. The seams are visible due to the thickness of the leaf, but otherwise smooth as is the well applied triple cap. There are two bands, the primary being the standard company band with the secondary being a black strip band with the line name and borders in white. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of damp wood and barnyard funkiness while the foot gives a mix of wood and slight stone fruit sweetness. The pre-light draw is similar to the foot aroma with the wood and slight stone fruit sweetness, but with a decent spiciness present on my lips and the tip of my tongue.

Pre-light Experience

The Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars Robusto has a maduro to oscuro oily wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll uniformly firm and a well applied thick double cap. Aromas from the wrapper give oak and black pepper. Aromas from the foot tells black pepper, cedar and mixed nuts. Cold draw gives cedar, black pepper and hay.

First Third

Things begin with a profile of wood mixed with a spicy cinnamon. After a few draws, the cinnamon mellows significantly and a musty vegetal note joins in the background. At a half inch in, the wood gains a slight char while the mustiness remains without the vegetal note. There is some cinnamon still present as well. The retrohale brings musty wood with a black pepper kick. At an inch and a quarter, the mustiness is up front with the wood note in the background and the cinnamon very faint on the finish. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

First Third

The first third gives a nice freshly ground raw black pepper spice, mixed nuts, natural sweetness and creaminess of dried nuts and a lingering tamed dried chili heat. Retrohaling gives intensified versions of the mouth draws, bringing bigger and bolder flavors. Strength quickly reaches medium-full with just half an inch in, and body is a consistent medium.

Second Third

The second third kicks off with the mustiness and wood at equal levels. The retrohale is now musty wood and has lost the pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, not much has changed as the mix of wood and mustiness are still paired evenly. The retrohale sees the wood take a slight lead over the mustiness. As the third comes to a close, the wood gains some char while the mustiness is slightly behind it. The strength in this third bumped up to medium-full.

Second Third

The second third continues to deliver a medium-full strength and medium bodied flavor profile centered around fresh ground black pepper, dried chili heat, mixed nuts and sweet and creamy nuttiness. The profile also picks up a slight dirt like earthy grit, which furthers the array of flavors.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the charred wood continues to be slightly ahead of the mustiness. At a quarter inch in, the cigar begins to heat up which brings some mintiness to mix with the charred wood and mustiness. This is the profile the cigar finishes out with. The strength in this third remained at the medium-full level.

Final Third

The last third moves up a notch in strength, now border-lining full (with body still medium). The flavor profile also picks up minerals, mixing especially well with the earthy grit. With so much earthiness and spice tasted, the flavors interestingly enough still holds the same amount of sweetness from the dried nuts, which is something I rarely come across.

Burn

The burn was slightly wavy the entire way. The cigar did go out on me once in the final third where it was tunneling a bit and required a re-light. The ash held on in one inch increments.

Burn

Burn performance was overall very good. The only downside was some flaky ashes falling off the cigar at times. Aside from that, fairly even burn, sturdy ashes, cool burn and most importantly, never a touch up or re-light.

Draw

The draw was fairly snug, even with a second cut and using a draw tool. This likely led to things heating up in the final third.

Overall

I enjoy a bit of mustiness in flavor profiles, but in this blend it was a bit too much. The first third started well, but the mustiness took over in the second third and drowned out some of the other flavors. Construction was a bit of a struggle for this cigar, so I’d like to revisit it to see how the flavor profile responds to a better draw and burn. Not my favorite from the Cornelius & Anthony portfolio, but for those that like more strength and some darker flavors, it might be right in their wheelhouse. It’s definitely worth picking one up to see how your experience is.

Draw

The draw was also very good. A tad too tight for my liking but nonetheless a very good draw.

Overall

Cornelius & Anthony really has something special going on with their proprietary U.S. binder. The combination of this binder and utilization of La Zona sourced tobaccos brings an added layer of punch that is both unique and tasty in this Señor Esugars. I rarely think a cigars last third is my favorite part but for this, it was. The heavy handed spice and earth forward notes was nicely dialed back by the subtle sweet and creaminess of naturally roasted dried nuts. This is definitely one to try especially if you enjoy heavy spice and earth cigars.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$1.86

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.27

Cost/Point

$1.34

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars Robusto