Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is medium brown and is a bit darker at the foot than the rest of the cigar. There are a couple of raised veins present and the seams are easily visible as they are slightly raised as well. The head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. One other item to note is that the cigar is quite heavy for its size. There are two bands, with the primary being the traditional chevron style design with this line a black, silver and white color combination. There is also a sleeve in the same colors that covers most of the bottom half of the cigar and notes the brand and line name. The aromas are centered around bread with the wrapper giving a nice spiced bread note and the foot bringing raisin bread. The pre-light draw brings spicy cedar and a light bread note.

Pre-light Experience

The Fratello Navetta Inverso Robusto has a primary band and a band that covers half of the cigar. Both share the same style of white lettering on black background, with silver accents. Nosing the cigar, I’m able to smell deep notes of rich wood and leather. In the foot, there is sweet raisin and tobacco.

Pre-light Experience

The Fratello Navetta Inverso Robusto has a Colorado Maduro, darker roast coffee wrapper shade. Bunch and roll is even, veins well pressed, seams tight but visible and head with a layered triple cap. The wrapper smells of sweet cedar, hay and barnyard funk. The foot smells of rich cedar, nuts and fairly assertive black pepper spice. Cold draw tells sweet cedar, persimmons and hay.

First Third

The cigar begins with a mix of musty wood and candied cinnamon. At a half inch in, the wood becomes more defined as cedar and still carries the mustiness while the cinnamon has faded into the background a bit. The retrohale shows the musty cedar. As the third comes to a close, the cinnamon picks up a bit while the musty cedar is still up front. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

The first third begins with cedar, chocolate and sweet cereal milk at the end of each draw. On the retrohale, there is sweet baking spices, finishing with slight earthiness and light hay. As the cigar settles in, it takes on a drying mouthfeel, along with dry wood joining the retrohale. Some faint chocolate joins the profile minutes later, along with white pepper. Cedar defines most of the profile for the bottom half of the first third.

First Third

From the onset of the cigar, there is undeniably a plethora of sweet creamed coffee notes. This is accompanied by cedar and rich nuttiness. Retrohaling gives a sharper cedar, minerals and baking spices. The finish is made up of cinnamon and cedar. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

The second third begins with the cinnamon dropping out and the musty cedar being the whole of the flavor profile. At an inch in, there is some bitterness that just sits on my tongue during the finish. The retrohale carries a musty general wood note. At an inch and a half, a slight bit of cinnamon returns to the profile. As the third comes to a close, the mustiness has become thicker and heavier. The strength in this third bumped up to medium.

Second Third

The cigar moves into the second third with sweet green cedar. That cedar takes on more of a defined character on the retrohale. Some mild chocolate begins to establish itself, along with an earthy finish. As the second third settles in, earth takes the front of the palate and carries into the post draw. In the bottom half of the second third, there are some vegetal notes.

Second Third

The more I get into the second third, the less I taste the sweet creamy coffee notes. Instead, it is replaced by a bigger showing of cedar, minerals and baking spices. The finish loses out on the cinnamon and is replaced by a long and lingering cedar. Strength and body remains medium.

Final Third

The final third begins with the cigar heating up and a slight mintiness joining the profile. At an inch in, the mintiness has continued to increase. The retrohale has the mintiness up front with the musty wood right behind. At an inch and a quarter, the wood shows a bit of a young profile to it. The cigar finishes out with the young musty wood and mintiness. The strength remained at medium.

Final Third

Flavor complexity falls here as the defining character through the final third is cedar and earth.

Final Third

The last third surprisingly has the sweetness coming back but not from the first third’s creamed coffee note. Instead, it’s a creamy nuttiness from roasted nuts. The profile is still quite earthy with cedar, minerals and baking spices. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was a bit wavy throughout and the cigar went out and required a re-light in the middle third. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

The burn is slightly uneven in the first third, requiring a touch-up midway through. A second touch-up is required in the middle third.

Burn

Burn was overall good but had it’s share of issues. The issue mainly lied within the thick wrapper refusing to burn, causing multiple touch-ups. Further, the ashes were incredibly flaky.

Draw

The draw was quite tight and I believe it took a toll on the flavor profile.

Overall

The cigar began with cedar and candied cinnamon. As it progressed, some mustiness joined in as the cinnamon faded back. In the second third, the tight draw was strangling the flavor profile which settled in to just musty cedar. The final third showed young wood and mustiness. The construction was average as the very tight draw was a problem I couldn’t remedy. I enjoyed the first third and wished that cinnamon note could have been present throughout. I’d be interested in trying this cigar again and hope for a better draw to see what the cigar could really do. I’d also like to try this cigar in the Boxer vitola as I’ve found that to be the sweet spot for the other lines.

Draw

The draw has some resistance to it, sitting 1-1/2 to 2 notches towards the resistant spectrum.

Overall

The Fratello Navetta Inverso Robusto has flavors of cedar, chocolate, baking spices, hay, earth, white pepper, cereal milk and vegetal. Packaging and presentation was appealing, unfortunately I never found the flavors harmonizing in an interesting way, and flavor complexity fell off sharply in the last third. Overall strength profile was under medium for the smoking experience, and burn experience was very good.

Draw

Perfect draw. No issues whatsoever.

Overall

The Fratello Navetta Inverso Robusto had such a promising initial third. I loved the sweet and creamy coffee note with just the right amount of earthy minerals and spice. But past that point, the cigar became more average, losing out on the sweet and creamy aspects the first third was so good at showing. It was still an overall enjoyable cigar but missed out on the greatness potential. I hope to find this hopefully in another vitola (Boxer format always seem to be the top dog).

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.10

Cost/Point

$2.21

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.00

Cost/Point

$2.25

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.62

Cost/Point

$1.70

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Fratello Navetta Inverso Robusto