Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The box pressed Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto has a wrapper that is medium brown and carries some lightly raised veins. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are three bands, with the primary and secondary both carrying the same black, silver and red color combination. The primary is the traditional design for the brand, while the secondary denotes the line. The foot has a gray ribbon. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of cedar and dark earth, while the foot brings cedar, bread and some mild spice. The pre-light draw brings an airy mix of cedar and earth along with a mid-level spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto is a great looking cigar. The press on the cigar is lovely, and the cigar has a lovely Colorado Oscuro coloring. You can see this great marbled coloring with the tobacco, and it has a dark coffee bean coloring. The wrapper is smooth throughout with medium sized veins. Aromas of tobacco, earth, spices and wood on the foot and wrapper.
John: The Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto comes in cellophane with a UPC sticker that includes cigar information and an integrated tear space that remains intact when opened. The cigar has a Knuckle Sandwich primary band, a secondary Puro band and a silver ribbon foot band. For artisanal complications, the cigar has an aggressive box press. I weighed the cigar at 12.3 grams and measured the humidity at 63.7% with the Humidimeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet raisin, tobacco, mild barnyard, earth and wood. From the foot, I picked up a more intense barnyard note, along with sweet tobacco, hay and dry wood at medium strength.
Jiunn: The Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto has a beautiful rustic copper red Colorado Red wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas consist of rich cedar wood and mushroom barnyard.

Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with earth, toasted cedar and light creaminess and then a rush of black pepper floods in. At a half inch in, the earth and toasted cedar are even up front. The black pepper is delayed on the draws, but when it comes in, it is right behind the earth and cedar. The retrohale is zingy black pepper with some earth and toasted cedar along with mild creaminess. As the third comes to a close, the earth and toasted cedar are even up front, with the black pepper just behind and some creaminess in the back half of the profile. The strength was medium-full.
Seth: The first third starts out with soft mineral and dry earth qualities. There are some leather and seasoned wood notes present as well, and the finish has this herbal and peppery spice. Medium-full to full in strength and body.
John: The first third kicks off with creamy coffee leading the profile, as sweet tobacco and wood combine through the finish. A few puffs later, mild spices join the post draw as the profile begins to settle. Baking spices build to medium strength, combining with sweet tobacco, espresso and earth through the retrohale. Milk chocolate moves into the retrohale by the halfway point.
Jiunn: The first third shows aggressive dried red pepper spice. The spice is big and deep, seeping through from mouth to nose to a long and lingering finish. In addition to the big spice, there’s also high levels of minerals. Retrohaling is a bit unapproachable, being too aggressive in red pepper spice. Strength is medium-full and body is medium.

Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper isn’t quite as bright as it was previously, but it inches a bit closer to the earth and cedar up front. The retrohale is now an even mix of toasted cedar, earth and black pepper with some mild creaminess. At three quarters of an inch in, some leather joins the profile. At an inch and a quarter, the leather is now in the middle of the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the black pepper right behind. The leather is in the middle of the profile and some creaminess in the back half. The strength remained at medium-full.
Seth: The second third is fairly in line with the first. The strength has diminished some, but it is more balanced as a blend. Mineral and earth notes present with some herbal and peppery spices. Oak qualities present as well. Medium in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with creamy espresso, followed by earth and medium strength spices through the retrohale. A mildly tannic wood note lingers on the finish. A sweet, chewy tobacco flavor defines the center of the profile as it progresses, and chocolate returns to the front of each puff in the bottom half.
Jiunn: The second third’s spice is tamed down slightly (aside from the retrohale) but the overall flavor profile is intact with associated high levels of minerals. Strength and body remains medium-full and medium, respectively.

Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level of the cedar becomes pretty heavy and there is a light wood bitterness that becomes present. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper is now even with the heavily toasted cedar and earth up front. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and leather along with some black pepper. At an inch in, the wood bitterness departs and a light minerality joins in. As the cigar wraps up, the heavily toasted cedar, earth and black pepper are even up front, with leather in the middle of the profile and some creaminess and minerality in the back half. The strength remained at medium-full.
Seth: The final third is in line with the second. The flavors of minerals, earth, herbs, peppery spices and oak remain, while the cigar has that medium strength and body level. Not a lot of transitioning. Smooth finish on the cigar.
John: The final third opens with creamy, chewy and spicy tobacco combining to lead the profile, as spicy earth makes up the finish. Earth continues to define the post draw with spicy accents as the cigar progresses to the halfway point.
Jiunn: The final third is pretty mild (or my mouth is used to the big spice and minerals). At this point it is tamed dried red pepper spice, minerals and cedar wood. Strength and body finishes the same medium-full and medium, respectively.

Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: The burn was perfect from start to finish.
John: The burn was razor straight through the entire review process.
Jiunn: Perfect burn performance providing an even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was great from beginning to end.
John: I measured the draw at 30 inches of water with the CigarMedics draw tester. Subjectively, I found the cigar to be one notch towards the resistant spectrum, which suggests I may not have seated the cigar properly in the tester.
Jiunn: Perfect draw providing a great balance of air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with earth, toasted cedar and light creaminess and then a rush of black pepper floods in. As the second third begins, the pepper isn’t quite as bright, but increases a bit. Later, some leather joined in and then increased to the middle of the profile. The final third saw the toast level become pretty heavy and some light wood bitterness joined in. Later, the wood bitterness departed and some minerality joined in. The construction was perfect. The Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. The leather was a nice supporting note, but couldn’t elevate the profile. If you’re a fan of in your face pepper, then you’ll like this, but it just isn’t the profile that really intrigues me. I’m sure there are many that will enjoy this, but I just don’t see it as something I’d regularly come back to.
Seth: I thought the Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto was a solid cigar. I think the blend is better in the Toro size, the cigar develops more with the extra length, but the overall profile is very similar. I enjoyed the dry earth, mineral and herbal quality with the blend, but I wanted a little more strength and darker notes. I would be curious to know the regional breakdown of the tobacco in the cigar. Nicaragua has so much diversity with its tobacco and the flavors delivered from all the regions.
John: The Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto delivered a flavorful first and second third, highlighted by creamy coffee, espresso, chewy tobacco and balanced baking spice and chocolate complexity. The final third lost some of that balance as earth took over the profile. Construction was excellent with both burn and draw in the ideal zone. A very enjoyable smoking experience overall, particularly in the first two thirds. I’ve smoked quite a few of these before sitting down for the review, and they’ve been consistently good. Good enough that this might be my favorite Knuckle Sandwich release to date. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 41 minutes.
Jiunn: Perhaps this Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto was a bit too “puro” for me. Too much of a pure spice and mineral bomb without enough of a surrounding cast to make it a good cigar. New smokers should definitely not smoke this, but seasoned cigar enthusiasts (especially Espinosa lovers) I can see it being a nice off beat rotation.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.35

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.95

Cost/Point

$2.27

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.98

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.35

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Puro Nicaragua Robusto