Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is medium brown with a very fine sandpaper feel to it. There are a couple of medium sized veins but they are well pressed. The seams are smooth and hardly detectable while the head is finished off with a well applied quadruple cap. The band is a mix of metallic green and yellow along with black and has a cat skull front and center. The aroma from the wrapper is a very full mix of barnyard and hay while the foot brings wood and tobacco sweetness. The pre-light draw brings sweet wood along with some red pepper spiciness.

Pre-light Experience

The Emilio Grimalkin Toro has a dark chocolate wrapper with a metallic yellow-green and black band. The wrapper nosed of barnyard, old wood, leather and light tobacco notes. Out of the foot, I was getting intense sweet tobacco aromas.

Pre-light Experience

The Emilio Grimalkin Toro has a nice red rustic hue wrapper. Construction and feel is great as veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head finished off with a well applied triple cap. Aromas from the wrapper tell pungent cedar and hay. Foot aromas provide a nice dose of white pepper, dried nuts and cedar. Cold draw tells dried nuts, hay and cedar.

First Third

The cigar begins with a slightly sweet cedar and a mild baking spice. At a quarter inch in, the cedar loses the sweetness while the mild baking spice remains in the background. At a half inch in, a mellow creaminess has joined the profile. At an inch in, the cream and baking spice have gone away as some dry earthiness joins in with the cedar to create a palate drying profile. The retrohale is an abundant cedar with a little bit of earthiness. As the third comes to a close, the baking spice returns and the profile is not as drying as before. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

First Third

On the first few puffs I’m tasting baking spices, cedar, sweetness, with a delayed pepper hit on the post draw. A few more puffs in and the baking spices become intense on the retrohale, with a faint cocoa underneath. The post draw pepper beings to intensify as it lingers on my lips between draws. As the first third starts to establish itself, there is mustiness on the retrohale, as the intense retrohale spices and post draw pepper begin to fall in strength. Once the intense spices have subsided I’m tasting plums and barbecue on the retrohale. As the Grimalkin moves towards the second third, there is additional sweetness on the palate, with the spices and pepper continuing to fall to light strength.

First Third

The first third exhibits a good amount of toastiness in bread and cedar. Further, a palate layering dry red pepper forms. Retrohaling gives nostril clearing white pepper and dried nuts. The finish has dried red pepper on the back end and toast. Strength is slightly above medium and body is right at medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the baking spice evolves into a graham cracker note to pair with the cedar and earthiness. At a half inch in, the graham cracker/baking spice note goes away while the cedar and earthiness remain. At an inch in, the retrohale is providing some toasted wood and earthiness. Some cream returns to the profile as well to mix with the cedar and earth. The third finishes out with the creamy cedar and earthiness. The strength in this third remained at slightly above medium.

Second Third

As if a switch was thrown, the retrohale spices start to climb again in strength during the shift to the second third. The retrohale also consists largely of sweet tobacco notes with each draw finishing in light pepper. There is a minor amount of char that persists until the second third settles in. Once the cigar has established itself, here the plums from the retrohale mix in with the sweetness for a combined syrupy note.

Second Third

The second third becomes bolder in flavors. Namely the dry red pepper spice picks up, having almost a seeded jalapeno like spice effect to it. Encompassing the spice is the same toasty bread and cedar. The strength is now a medium-full while body remains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the cream is ramping up to take the lead over the cedar and earthiness. At a half inch in, some char joins the profile to mix with the cream, cedar and earthiness. The retrohale provides a creamy wood note. At an inch in, the cream and char are at equal levels while the cedar and earthiness are in the background. As the cigar comes to a close, the char has taken over the profile as the cream, cedar and earth are faint in the background. The strength in this third bumped up to medium-full.

Final Third

The char from the second third is present here as well. The flavor profile takes on a light to medium cedar flavor and that flavor defines the last third.

Final Third

The last thirds strength is definitely hitting me now, border-lining full. Aside from the strength build up, the profile now brings some char mixed with the cedar. The toasty aspect of the cigar takes a slight backseat as a result of it. Body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was a bit wavy throughout and required a touch-up at one point. The cigar also went out once requiring a re-light.

Burn

The burn was inconsistent throughout the smoking experience. The ash held on well in 1 1/2″ increments. Unfortunately, I had to re-light the cigar throughout the review.

Burn

The burn performance was poor. I lost count of the number of times I had to re-light the cigar. The tunneling was severe and the wrapper refused to burn. Further, smoke production was very poor. The cigar did however never heat up.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

Having not smoked the original, I’m unable to compare it to how it matches up, but this cigar on it’s own carried a cedar forward profile along with earth and some cream. The burn had some issues, but it didn’t effect the overall enjoyment of the cigar. Strength was above medium and ramped up in the final third. For those that are fans of the dark flavors and strength that normally comes out of the Fabrica Oveja Negra factory, they’ll find something they like in the Emilio Grimalkin Toro as it follows a similar path. I could see myself enjoying more of these from time to time.

Draw

The draw on the Grimalkin was ideal, with a slight resistance.

Overall

The Emilio Grimalkin Toro seemed to deliver all of its flavor complexity in the first third, with the cigar settling into an enjoyable but ultimately average profile in the second and last third. I did have combustion issues through the smoking experience, but I don’t know that it had any impact on the flavor profile.

Draw

The draw, although a tad tight, was still considered very good.

Overall

Two main thoughts on the Grimalkin: 1) The flavor profile in itself was pretty straight forward and most importantly tasty. Loved the mixture of toasted bread, cedar and dry red pepper spice. The strength however was less than desired as by the end of the cigar I was needing sugar pretty badly. 2) The poor burn performance was a major let down as the wrapper refused to burn and there was major tunneling. Due to these factors, I’d say this was an average experience but would like to revisit to hopefully remediate the burn issues.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.47

Cost/Point

$1.55

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.70

Cost/Point

$1.75

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$1.72

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Emilio Grimalkin Toro