Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a very light golden brown with a few visible raised veins. The seams are smooth but easily visible due to the vein lines. The head appears to be finished off with a double cap. There are two bands with the primary band being the traditional Fratello band but in gold, while the secondary band is a foot band and is also gold and designates the Oro line. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of sweet hay and leather while the foot provides a mix of sweet tobacco and leather. The pre-light draw is a bit of a dusty leather.

Pre-light Experience

The Fratello Oro Robusto has a golden claro shade. There’s a good amount of oil content on the wrapper. The cigar feels slightly lumpy with minor divots and semi-pressed veins. The head is finished off with a deep triple cap. Nosing the wrapper tells namely a faint barnyard and hay. Nosing the foot gives white pepper, cedar and mixed nuts. Cold draw reveals light, dry wood, mixed dry nuts and moderate white pepper spice.

First Third

Initial draws bring a light charred wood with a little baking spice. After a few draws, the char goes away as some cream joins in which also mellows the baking spice. The retrohale is very smooth with a slight bready note. At three quarters of an inch in, the profile is a very smooth, slightly creamy wood note. At an inch and a quarter, a slight nuttiness joins in with the creamy wood. As the third comes to a close, a slight char returns which pushes the nuttiness out. The strength in this third was mild-medium.

First Third

First third exhibits an extraordinary amount of sweetened cream. In addition to the sweetened cream, there are subtleties in soft dry wood, black pepper and ripened stone fruits. Retrohaling gives increased black pepper (but not overbearing), sharper cedar and mixed dry nuts. The finish is comprised of lingering soft dry wood and palate layering black pepper. Strength and body is at a consistent medium.

Second Third

As the third begins, the lightly charred wood and slight creaminess continue while there is just a bit of nuttiness present in the background. At a quarter inch in, a toasty note replaces the char and nuttiness while the wood and cream continue on. At three quarters of an inch in, the toast note becomes even fuller, pushing the wood and cream to the background. The retrohale also carries the toast note with a bit of pepper punch and a slight bit of creaminess. As the third comes to a close, the toast note leaves and the wood really comes up front with a slight bitterness and no cream. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

Second Third

Second third’s profile for the most part carries forth from the first third’s profile. The black pepper spice is ever so slightly increased. Aside from that, still heavily focused on sweetened cream and delicate notes of soft dry wood and ripened stone fruits. The finish continues to have lingering soft dry wood and slight increase in black pepper. Strength and body is still at a dead on medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the full woodiness with wood bitterness continues. At a half inch in, some char returns which cuts the bitterness way down. The retrohale carries a slightly charred wood note as well. At an inch in, a slight mintiness joins with the charred wood. As the cigar comes to a close, the mintiness fades away and the slight charred wood is what remains. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Final Third

Starting right around the start of the last third, the profile all of a sudden becomes noticeably bitter and the cigar begins to heat up. I can still taste the other notes, but they have a somewhat charred and bitter characteristic to them. My favorite part of this third is the retrohale, as it mimics the first two thirds being full of deeper black pepper, sharper cedar and mixed nuts. The bitter note also shows on the finish, in addition to the dry wood and black pepper. Strength and body finishes at the medium mark.

Burn

The burn line was just slightly wavy and the ash was a bit flaky at times, but not too much of a problem. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

The burn performance was average for two reasons: two touch-ups and the hotter burn within the last third. The foot band had an excess amount of glue on both samples smoked, which caused a touch up within the first third. Further, the last third on both samples required a touch up. Aside from that, ashes held on tight averaging 1.5 inch increments.

Draw

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

Overall

The cigar started out with a very traditional Connecticut profile with wood and cream and as the cigar progressed, got a bit darker with some char notes. As I mentioned when reviewing the Toro, it’s refreshing to get back to some new but traditional Connecticuts in the era of amped up Connecticuts. If you’re looking for an old school Connecticut that isn’t grassy and keeps a medium and below strength level, this might be what you’ve been looking for. Definitely a cigar I would revisit.

Draw

Just the perfect balance between being tight or too loose. Very well done.

Overall

Sweet cream for days. A great example of a full flavored and medium strength cigar (for the first two thirds anyways). This is a cigar I can sit down any time of the day to enjoy multiples of. The last third’s bitterness was unwanted, but I’m banking on time to cure that. Another Connecticut Shade to put into my rotation.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.87

Cost/Point

$1.20

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.60

Cost/Point

$1.25

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Fratello Oro Robusto