Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Domain Neutron Robusto Extra is medium brown with a bit of marbling and has some slightly raised veins. The seams are a bit raised while the caps are well applied. There are two bands that look like one on initial glance as the primary is directly over the secondary. Both are in a black and shiny copper combination with the primary denoting the brand and line and the secondary carrying a repeating pattern of the brand logo. The aroma from the wrapper is rich earth, cocoa powder and spices while the foot brings a lightly musty mix of cedar, wood and bread. The pre-light draw brings cedar and a floral soapiness along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Domain Neutron Robusto Extra is a decent looking cigar. I think the band looks good against the cigar and makes the maduro look even better. Solid maduro in coloring, the cigar has this dark raisin coloring. Small veins throughout, the cigar is firm and has aromas of earth, wood and minerals. Barnyard notes.
John: The Domain Neutron Robusto Extra comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker with the cigar information, and a QR code. The entire UPC sticker comes off in one piece when the cellophane is opened. Initially, I wrote down that the cigar was single banded but it is comprised of the Domain Neutron band overlaid on top of another band. I weighed the cigar at 13.7 grams and measured the humidity at 62.8% with the HumidiMeter Pro. For aromas, I could smell barnyard and aged wood, reminding me of a bourbon barrel. From the foot, I was getting sweet tobacco, raisins, dusty wood and hay.

Domain Neutron Robusto Extra

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted oak, earth and baking spices. At a quarter inch in, a light cocoa powder joins the profile. The retrohale is toasted oak and earth. At an inch in, the baking spice mellows a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is slight ahead of the earth, with the baking spice a bit further behind and some light cocoa hanging on in the background. The strength was slightly above medium.
Seth: The first third begins with a soft pepper spice profile that is paired with lots of heavy earth profiles. It is not rich or sweet, but earthy. Wood, mineral and chalk qualities present as well. Medium in strength, medium-full in body. Lots of smoke.
John: The first third opens with tobacco, mild spices, mildly dry wood and then earth that finishes into the post draw. The spices rapidly move up to medium minus strength on the retrohale with some mildly charred earth to finish. White pepper comes in some time later and carries into the post draw. Roughly a half of an inch in, a creamy, medium strength chocolate is detectable and offsets the pepper. Moving towards the halfway point, a mild tannin joins the post draw. Wood is present through the center of the profile with baking spices up to medium-full strength at times through the retrohale.

Domain Neutron Robusto Extra

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, a bit of meatiness joins the profile while the baking spice has transitioned to black pepper. The retrohale is now toasted oak, earth and mild black pepper. At an inch in, the black pepper is now pretty mellow. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak remains slight ahead of the earth with the black pepper and meatiness in the back half and a faint cocoa powder still holding on. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third delivers a profile that is like that of the first. Earthy with wood, chalk and mineral notes. Lots of smoke being produced with a very long finish. Medium in strength with a body level around medium-full.
John: My initial flavor impressions are creamy tobacco followed by wood that gives way to chocolate with the wood taking on tannic accents on the post draw. A delayed light pepper lingers on the post draw as well. As the second third settles, some earth joins the finish, and begins to linger between each puff as it continues. A vegetal component breaks into the finish with a short delay.

Domain Neutron Robusto Extra

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level increases a bit and the earth, now a bit dry, becomes even with the toasted oak. The retrohale is now toasted oak, earth, mild black pepper and a bit of meatiness. At three quarters of an inch in, the dry earth takes a slight lead in the profile as the meatiness also picks up a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the dry earth is slight ahead of the toasted oak, with meatiness in the middle and black pepper a bit behind and some cocoa hanging on in the background. The strength bumped up to medium-full.
Seth: The final third is identical to that of the second. Possibly some more chalk qualities on the finish. Minerals and wood. Medium in strength with that medium-full body level.
John: The last third starts with both creamy and sharp wood and dry wood finishing and carrying into the post draw. As the last third settles in, a creamy earth breaks in and a tannic wood center to each puff. Moving towards the halfway mark, earth is driving the post draw. Some time later, lingering tannic wood follows the earth into the post draw.

Domain Neutron Robusto Extra

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout, with the ash holding on through each third.
Seth: The burn was good throughout. The cigar seemed dryer, and that helped with the overall smoking experience.
John: The burn is very straight in the first third with the ash holding on over one inch. The second third becomes uneven but straightens out. The last third is straight.

Domain Neutron Robusto Extra

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was solid from beginning to end. No complaints.
John: The draw is at most one notch towards the open spectrum which puts it in the ideal range between open and resistant for an amazing draw score.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted oak, earth and baking spices. A light cocoa powder joined in fairly quickly. The second third saw some meatiness join in and the baking spice transition to black pepper. The final third saw the earth become dry and take a slight lead in the profile. The construction was absolutely perfect. The Domain Neutron Robusto Extra had a full flavor profile that was well balanced through the first two thirds. It dropped down a bit in the final third as the earth dried out and took a slight lead in the profile. This cigar is a shining light in the slew of Mexican San Andres wrapped releases this year. It did a good job for the majority of the smoking time to balance that earth with the other components and used some good supporting notes. There is a vast number of vitolas in the line, so it would be interesting to see how it performs in some of the others, but this one does enough to make me want to come back and try some of those others.
Seth: I thought of Surgeon throughout this entire cigar, because the Domain Neutron Robusto Extra does not do any favors for Mexican San Andres. It is on top of this Nicaraguan blend that is already earthy, chalky and mineral forward, and there is no sweetness. Very long aftertaste. Full body with a lot of smoke produced, almost like a campfire. Not a cigar I would recommend.
John: The Domain Neutron Robusto Extra kept me engaged and interested through the review with the best flavor combinations coming in the first and second thirds. The draw was perfect and the burn was perfect. I haven’t previously smoked or reviewed a Domain cigar, this certainly was a positive introduction to the brand. The Neutron Robusto Extra is something I would return to, I think it’s a good representation of Mexican San Andrés at a reasonable price point. I’m excited to try more Domain offerings. Total smoking time was a bit on the quick side at 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.69

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$2.19

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.69

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Domain Neutron Robusto Extra