Pre-light Experience

The Cubariqueño Protocol Jane Doe has a very soft box press and the wrapper is a medium reddish-brown color. There are a few slightly raised veins and the seams are easily visible as they are lifted a bit. The head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. The band is a plain white paper band. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of wood, sweet hay and earth while the foot brings tobacco sweetness and wood. The pre-light draw is a mix of wood, hay and mild white pepper.

Pre-light Experience

The Cubariqueño Protocol Jane Doe is nicely pressed and finished with a solid triple cap. It has a nice light colored wrapper and it is a combination of Natural and Colorado. There are some small veins present throughout and it has an aroma of barnyard, fruits, meat, tobacco and light spices.

Pre-light Experience

The Cubariqueño Protocol Jane Doe has a light chocolate wrapper, featuring a soft box press. The band is a plain white paper band. Nosing the wrapper, I am able to smell aromas of leather, medium strength cedar and light plus barnyard underneath. In the foot, I’m only able to get sweet tobacco.

Pre-light Experience

The Cubariqueño Protocol Jane Doe has a medium natural brown wrapper shade with a very fine grit sandpaper feel. The soft pressed cigar has well pressed major veins, seams are tight, bunch and roll even and head finished off with a well wrapped triple cap. Aromas from the wrapper give wet barnyard and pencil lead. Aromas from the foot tell rich nuttiness and spicy cedar. Cold draw tells cedar, hay and a hint of herbal tea qualities.

First Third

The cigar begins with charred wood and a concentrated black pepper. At a half inch in, the char and black pepper have both lightened up a fair amount. At an inch in, the char has picked back up while the black pepper remains at a light level. A mellow dry earth joins the profile as well. The retrohale consist of a lightly charred wood. As the third comes to a close, the charred wood is up front with light black pepper and dry earth in the background. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third opens up with some sweet spices and there is some herbal qualities with that. I am picking up some damp earth notes with that and it has a finish of cinnamon, coffee and slight citrus. I would classify the cigar as being medium in strength and the body is around a medium-full level with the flavor there as well.

First Third

The first third opens with dry cedar and faint leather on the post draw. On the retrohale, faint background cocoa, then a full bodied blast of baking spices that brings lingering spices on the post draw. Toasted barbecue joins the middle of the flavor profile, and pepper joins the post draw. The evolution continues as dry cedar comes into the middle of the profile, the faint cocoa on the retrohale picking up intensity, bringing mild bready notes with it. By the point the cigar has settled into the first third, the intensity of the spices has faded to medium, and cedar moves into the post draw.

First Third

The first third has a mix of good flavors as well as one fairly major over-powering flavor that creates an average smoking experience. The good flavors consists of nuts, cherries and cedar. The downside of it is a char that remains on the palate and finish. Retrohaling is the best part as the char isn’t noticeable and instead a nice spicy cedar and nuttiness pulls through. Strength is nearing medium-full and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the char has mellowed some. At a quarter inch in, the char has ramped back up. At a half inch in, the black pepper has dropped out of the profile while the light dry earth remains. The retrohale is now showing a toasted oak. At an inch and a quarter, the char mellows once again. As the third comes to a close, the char increased just a bit. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Second Third

The second third shows some slight transition and I am picking up some bread notes with some nice citrus spice. There are some peppery qualities present with that and it has a finish of cinnamon, earth and wood. The strength is remaining at that medium level like before and the body and flavors are right around a medium-full level.

Second Third

During the transition, light plus leather joins the post draw. Bread and cedar join the retrohale, with cedar on the mid profile and light plus spices on the post draw. There is some initial earthiness on the middle of the profile but it quickly fades as the cigar settles in. In the bottom half of the second third, mild spices join the retrohale and balance nicely with the bread and cedar.

Second Third

The second third continues to not really impress. The char continues to build such that it is quite heavy on the palate and finish. On top of that, the good notes are starting to dissipate. Strength moves to a consistent medium-full and body remains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the char is dominating the profile once again as it is up front and has a long finish. At a half inch in, the char mellows again, letting the wood lead the profile. There is still a dry earthiness in the background. The retrohale maintains the toasted oak note along with a little bit of heat. As the cigar comes to a close, it begins to heat up which brings a pine note along with some bitterness. The strength in this third bumped up to medium-full.

Final Third

I am in the final third of the cigar now and it is showing a resurrection in some flavors. I am picking up some citrus spice notes and with that is some earthy, woody, nutty and toast qualities. It is a solid finish and an improvement to the second third. The strength of the cigar is still at that medium level and like before, the body and flavors are right around medium-full.

Final Third

The post draw is entirely defined by cedar going into the last third. The retrohale still has a pleasant breadiness to it, with earth finishing the draw. Once the last third settles in, light leather joins the post draw.

Final Third

Unfortunately, the final third stays true to the second third. Still medium-full strength, medium bodied delivery of heavy char sitting heavy on the palate.

Burn

The burn was fairly wavy and required one touch-up and one re-light. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

The burn was solid on the cigar from start to finish. At no point was it perfect, but at the same time I was not getting any problems that required touch-ups or correcting.

Burn

The burn is straight at the beginning of the first third, lopsided in the bottom half, eventually resulting in a touch-up. The burn is lopsided in the second third but self corrects. The burn is fairly straight through the last third.

Burn

The burn performance was a bit disappointing. Two re-lights, multiple touch-ups and uneven burn were the main factors.

Draw

The draw was slightly looser than I prefer but didn’t cause an issue with the smoking experience.

Overall

The cigar started with charred wood and a concentrated black pepper, The pepper eased up fairly quickly and the char fluctuated from mellow to full. The profile was quite heavy the whole way and the char really dominated at times masking any other flavors. The Cubariqueño Protocol Jane Doe isn’t a cigar I’d likely return to as it didn’t provide any enjoyable flavors. It’s a disappointment coming from a brand that I’ve enjoyed all of their other releases that I’ve tried. I’d pass on it unless you have a heavy drive to give it a try.

Draw

The draw was great on this cigar. There was a nice bit of resistance and it made for a nice smoking experience with the pressed offering.

Overall

Overall, the Cubariqueño Protocol Jane Doe was a solid cigar that has some qualities which I really enjoyed. The flavor profile had some high points and low points, slight bit of inconsistency which was a shame, and I just wish there was a little extra something to take the blend to a higher level. The first third and final third were fairly solid, but the second third had some low points which really hurt the cigar. With that being said, the body, strength and flavor combination were very enjoyable. I thought the cigar really had something with that combination and if the flavors were better it would have helped out greatly in making this a great cigar. There was a nice draw with the cigar and I was a little surprised by how it actually burned from start to finish. A little disappointed in that sense.

Draw

The draw is 1 to 1-1/2 notches towards the resistant spectrum.

Overall

The Cubariqueño Protocol Jane Doe is medium strength with enjoyable complexity through the first and second thirds. The cigar has a range of flavors from cedar, leather, cocoa, bread, pepper, baking spices and earth. Overall, I enjoyed the Protocol Jane Doe and would happily smoke it again. My total smoking time was 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Draw

The draw, although slightly loose, was still considered very good.

Overall

The Cubariqueño Protocol Jane Doe cigar is the first Cubariqueño I’ve disliked. In the midst of all the accolades, I guess one has to be a dud? The heavy char really killed the flavor profile for me, creating a palate caking unwanted heaviness. Further, having to wrestle with the average burn didn’t help either. On to the next one.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

4.33

Cost/Point

$2.28

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.62

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.57

Cost/Point

$1.51

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

4.23

Cost/Point

$2.34

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Cubariqueño Protocol Jane Doe