Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Don Doroteo El Alcalde is a dull medium brown and carries some raised, knotty veins. The seams are fairly smooth and the tapered head is well finished. There are three bands, with the primary being gold, white and black and denoting the brand and line, The secondary band is gold, light blue and white and denotes 15 Anos while the foot band is just a glossy baby blue. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of cedar and dusty earth while the foot brings stone fruit sweetness, cedar and light earth. The pre-light draw brings aged cedar, stone fruit sweetness and dusty earth along with a mid-level spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Don Doroteo El Alcalde is a nice looking belicoso. I love the tapered head, not too drastic, but still pronounced and present. There are small veins scattered throughout, and there is a nice toothy aspect as well. Dark natural in coloring, the cigar has a rich aroma of stone fruit, spices, chocolate cake, rich earth and tobacco.
John: The Don Doroteo El Alcalde came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar information which tore as it was opened. There is a primary Don Doroteo El Alcalde 1969-71 band, along with a secondary 15 Años band and a blue foot band. I weighed the cigar at 15.4 grams and measured the humidity to 62.1% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet tobacco, wood and mild bread. From the foot, I could detect sweet tobacco and hay.

Don Doroteo El Alcalde

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with aged, musty toasted cedar, baking spice and some earth. At a half inch in, the baking spice transitions to black pepper. At an inch in, the toast level becomes pretty heavy, and the earth is now right behind the cedar. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the aged, musty toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth with the black pepper in the middle of the profile. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with some rich earth qualities that are paired with stone fruit, tobacco, wood and spice notes. Some mineral qualities are present as well. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third gets going with tobacco, wood, earth and mild to light-plus spices through the post draw. As I complete a few retrohales, I’m picking up on salty nuttiness and tobacco. As it settles in, the nuttiness is carrying into the post draw, but loses the salt as it does. Approaching the halfway mark, sweet tobacco is leading off each puff with salty nuttiness defining the center, and wood to finish. There are some delayed light-plus strength spices on the post draw.

Don Doroteo El Alcalde

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the overall profile is pretty dry. At a half inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. At an inch in, the cedar loses the aged, musty note. At an inch and a half in, the earth becomes even with the toasted cedar up front and the black pepper mellows a bit more. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front with the black pepper in the back half of the profile. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third shows a rise in the mineral and spice notes. Sweet spices and pepper spices present. Dry wood notes are present with tobacco and some faint rich earth. Medium-full to full in strength and body. Some strength resonating.
John: The second third kicks off with creamy tobacco, wood to follow and a mildly tannic wood to finish. Light strength baking spices come through the center of the profile as it settles. Lingering nuts on the post draw immediately after. That profile remains consistent for the remainder of the second third.

Don Doroteo El Alcalde

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toasted cedar takes back a slight lead in the profile. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. At an inch in, the black pepper picks back up to the middle of the profile. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth with black pepper in the middle of the profile. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third continues to show more mineral and spice notes. Stronger cigar. Somewhat harsh. Bits of sweet pepper spices present, earth, tobacco, and dry wood on the finish. Like the second third, medium-full to full in strength and body. Harsh mineral notes towards the end.
John: Creamy, spicy wood at medium strength to lead off the last third, with mildly dry wood and background spices on the post draw. That profile remains consistent for the remainder of the final third.

Don Doroteo El Alcalde

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and three quarter increments.
Seth: The burn was a little wavy throughout. Not a major problem, but there. I had to re-light the cigar once, and that was when it got a little wavy on the burn line, but no other issues following that.
John: The burn was straight through the entire review process.

Don Doroteo El Alcalde

Draw

Aaron: The draw was a bit tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: Draw was average. Despite the re-light, never too loose or tight.
John: The draw was at most one notch towards the open spectrum, which leaves it in the ideal range between open and resistant.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with aged, musty toasted cedar, baking spice and some earth. The baking spice transitioned to black pepper fairly quickly. The second third saw the profile become pretty dry, the pepper mellowing and the earth becoming even up front. The cedar also lost the aged, musty component. The final third saw the cedar take the lead in the profile and the pepper picked up a bit. The Don Doroteo El Alcalde had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around the toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. It was also quite dry from the second third on. Not a very exciting cigar, especially considering the aged component of it. It’s also quite expensive, all leading to me not really seeing myself coming back to it.
Seth: The Don Doroteo El Alcalde was a decent cigar. I think the struggles the cigar faced was the quality of Ecuadorian Sumatra tobacco that everyone is facing, but they were able to work with it as the wrapper and binder well. I imagine having a high-quality Ecuadorian Sumatra tobacco would take this blend to a higher level. I would have looked at a lower priming leaf as well, but that is personal preference. It got a little too mineral heavy towards the end, but I had a feeling that would happen as the cigar began.
John: The Don Doroteo El Alcalde had an interesting assortment of flavors in the first third, with the profile remaining pleasant, but less dynamic for the remainder of the review. Both the draw and the burn were perfect. Price point aside, this cigar was pleasant to smoke and although I only scored the first third as good, I could see myself smoking this again. Unfortunately, factoring in the price point, the cigar would have to be good through all three thirds for me to seek out another one. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 7 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.60

Cost/Point

$5.31

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$5.67

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$4.88

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Don Doroteo El Alcalde