Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Esteban Carreras Cashmere Boolit is dark tan with some lightly raised veins. The seams are easily visible as they are slightly raised while the head is finished off with a well applied set of caps. There are two bands, both with a white, brown and gold color combination. The primary denotes the company name and Connecticut while the foot band denotes the line name. The brown bordering around the gold text and artwork tricks my eye a bit into thinking there’s some offset double printing. The aroma from the wrapper is sweet hay along with some wood while the foot has the wood ahead of the sweet hay along with a mild spiciness. The pre-light draw brings a mix of sweet hay and cedar.

Pre-light Experience

Silky to touch, the Esteban Carreras Cashmere Boolit sports small veins with a wrapper that is between Natural and Colorado in coloring. It is firm throughout, and I am picking up aromas of hay, soft spices, leather and cedar.

Pre-light Experience

The Esteban Carreras Cashmere Boolit initially had me thinking it was triple banded, but the cigar has a primary band along with a secondary ‘Cashmere’ band. The cigar has a Shade, light tan wrapper. Aromas from the cigar included barnyard, sweetness and hay. The barnyard was apparently while I was removing the cigar from the cellophane. From the foot, all I could pick out was light raisin.

Pre-light Experience

The Esteban Carreras Cashmere Boolit has a uniform claro Connecticut Shade wrapper shade. Veins are incredibly well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper tell a high level of barnyard and cat pee. Aromas from the foot give toast, well accented red pepper and hay. Cold draw gives wood shavings and toast.

First Third

The cigar begins with toasted cedar and intense cinnamon. At a half inch in, the cinnamon has morphed into a general baking spice and mellowed a bit. The retrohale begins with a black pepper zing and then allows some musty cedar to come through. As the third comes to a close, mustiness joins the profile and is even with the toasted cedar while the baking spice has transitioned to black pepper and is just behind. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

The first third opens up by delivering some cream and cedar notes. There are touches of coffee and dry earth, and it has a finish that is showing hay and dough bread qualities. In terms of strength and body, it is smoking around a medium level.

First Third

Sweet hay, with trailing cedar into the post draw greets me for my first few puffs. Mild spices, cocoa and cedar make up the flavor combination in the retrohale. Shortly after, baking spices linger into the post draw. Some bitterness comes through in the middle of the profile as the first third settles in. By the 10 minute mark, the post draw spices have moved up to medium strength. In the bottom half of the first third, cocoa on the retrohale has moved up to medium strength.

First Third

The first third has a nice array of balanced, yet full flavors. Plenty of sweetness and creaminess coming off buttered Hawaiian rolls and dried nuts. With that also comes a good amount of red pepper spice, which is accented just right through retrohaling. The finish tells namely lingering soft red pepper spice and cedar. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the black pepper moves a bit further into the background but has a long finish. At a half inch in, the toasted cedar, mustiness and black pepper are all even. The retrohale is an even mix of black pepper zing and musty cedar. As the third comes to a close, a slight bitterness joins the toasted cedar while the mustiness is even with it and the black pepper is slightly behind. The strength in this third has bumped up to medium.

Second Third

The second third is a continuation of the first third and I am getting those cedar and cream qualities. There is a little bit more spice present with the dry earth, but the finish delivers those dough bread and hay qualities. Like before, it is medium in strength and body.

Second Third

Sweet cocoa, baking spices and slightly tannic cedar lead the profile into the second third. Dry cedar is lingering between draws as it settles in. Hay joins the post draw some time later.

Second Third

Moving into the second third, I can start tasting the bitterness of the wrapper. Also, the profile gets more toasty, highlighting more of a roasted nuttiness and lightly charred red peppers. Strength and body remains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the toasted note transitions to char and the black pepper is fairly light. Th retrohale is musty and charred cedar with light black pepper. The cigar wraps up with the musty and charred cedar along with some slight bitterness and the black pepper light in the background. The strength in this third remained at medium.

Final Third

The final third delivers a new popcorn flavor and it is adding some unique aspects to the cedar, cream and dry earth finish. I am not getting that dough profile, but there is some hay present.

Final Third

Sweet hay is the primary flavor driver moving into the last third. Lingering hay joins the post draw. As the final third settles in, tannic cedar defines the post draw for the remainder of the review.

Final Third

The final third still has the acrid bitterness piping through. In terms of the level of bitterness, it’s comparable to the second third. With that said, I still get other flavors such as roasted nuts, lightly charred red peppers but definitely not the same (better) experience as the initial third. Strength and third finishes medium.

Burn

The burn line was straight the entire way, but the cigar did go out at the beginning of the second third, requiring a re-light. The ash held on in one inch increments.

Burn

Burn was amazing from start to finish.

Burn

Straight burn through the review. The ash holds on just over an inch at a time.

Burn

Picture perfect burn. Even burn, solid ashes and cool burning temperature.

Draw

The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar had a nice start with the cinnamon, which transitioned to baking spice and then black pepper. Once it reached the second third, things became fairly average the rest of the way. This Esteban Carreras Cashmere Boolit goes along with some of the more recent Connecticut Shades that carry a bit of strength to them, but it didn’t do enough to break away from the pack. The price point is quite attractive, which makes it an easy try. While I don’t really see myself returning to this one, I could see myself trying the cigar in another vitola to see what differences may exist.

Draw

Like the burn, draw was fantastic.

Overall

The Esteban Carreras Cashmere Boolit is a solid Connecticut and the pricing makes it very appealing. It is not a Connecticut I would definitely gravitate to if I had options, but I would be happy with selecting this if my options were limited. Great price too. It had a nice start, second third as well, but it went downhill in the end. At the price though, you could toss it if it got bad and not be upset. Excellent construction and draw!

Draw

The draw had some resistance to it, roughly 2-1/2 to 3 notches.

Overall

The Esteban Carreras Cashmere Boolit scored overall average in flavor profile, but I found that to be somewhat deceptive as I found the experience quite pleasant throughout. The price point is quite attractive on these, and I could see these being a go to for herfs, or when I just can’t decide what I want to smoke. Construction was quite good with a great burn experience, and some resistance to the draw. Total smoking time was a fairly quick 1 hour and 8 minutes.

Draw

Draw was also perfect, striking the ideal air flow and resistance.

Overall

What a shame. The first third had so much going for the Esteban Carreras Cashmere Boolit. The ideal balance and full flavors with buttered Hawaiian rolls, dried nuts and good amount of red pepper spice. Sadly, by the time the second third rolled around, the astringency of bitterness and sharpness reared its ugly head, decreasing the level of enjoyment and throwing the profile off balance. Strong start, terrible finish.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$0.92

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$0.90

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$0.95

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$0.90

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Esteban Carreras Cashmere Boolit