Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is dark brown with some areas that are even darker mixed across it. It has a very fine tooth along with some dots dispersed throughout the wrapper. There are a few veins visible but they are very well pressed and the seams are smooth. There is a triple cap with the top cap slightly lifting on one side and the cigar has a nice soft box press to it. The band is very nice with a black and copper color combination. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of light barnyard and white pepper. The foot brings an intense crushed red pepper note with a slightly sweet hay note in the background. The pre-light draw brings a slightly sweet bready note along with a mild spiciness on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Gispert Intenso Toro has a maduro shade Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. The wrapper, as expected from Connecticut broadleaf, is thick and rustic in appearance. Veins are well pressed and seams tight. Bunch and roll feels well executed as there is a uniformed give throughout. The head is finished off with a thick double cap. Nosing the wrapper tells cedar and faint floral notes. Nosing the foot gives fairly intense white pepper and mixed nuts. Cold draw reveals a mix of white pepper and cedar.

First Third

The cigar starts off with a nice mix of slightly sweet bread and a pretty full black pepper note. At a half inch in, the pepper mellows a bit while the retrohale is providing a nice sweet bready note. At an inch in, a general wood note mixes in with the bread and pepper to create a more well rounded profile. The wood makes its way into the retrohale to mix with the bready note. As the third comes to a close, the pepper has continued to mellow, creating a very nice combination of bread, wood and pepper. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

First third gives rather generic flavor notes centered around black pepper, bitter dark chocolate, generic creamed sweetness, dirt and minerals. Retrohaling brings forth fuller creamed sweetness, black pepper and mixed nuts. Finish is comprised of soft dry wood, dirt and minerals. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the profile is losing some of its complexity as the wood note takes front stage and the bread note has moved to the back while the pepper is only present on the finish. At a half inch in, the wood note becomes quite a bit darker along with some earthiness while the bread and pepper notes have completely left. The cigar maintains this dark wood profile through the end of the third without much change. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Second Third

The second this has an increase in minerals and dirt. Aside from that, no notable changes as it’s still centered around black pepper, generic creamed sweetness and bitter dark chocolate. I find the retrohale to be my favorite part of the cigar as it provides fuller flavors of black pepper and mixed nuts. The finish is still earth dominant with lingering soft dry wood, dirt and minerals. Strength nears medium-full and body stays medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, some pepper returns to mix with the dark wood note. At a quarter inch in, the pepper transitions to more of a crushed red pepper spiciness which is a nice addition to the profile of dark wood. At an inch in, the red pepper note decreases a bit while some bitterness joins the profile as the cigar begins to heat up. This is the profile that the cigar finishes out with. The strength level in this third moved up to medium-full.

Final Third

The last third at times transitions from average to good mainly due to the flavors being fuller and focused. A sharper dry wood and deeper creamed sweetness emerges making the cigar less of a dominant earthiness. But unfortunately, it was inconsistent. Retrohaling is still black pepper and mixed nuts. The finish also picks up the sharper dry wood note with the same dirt and minerals. Strength is still nearing medium-full and body medium.

Burn

The burn line was perfect the entire way and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Burn

Perfection in every way. Rock solid ash marks averaging 1.5 inch self tapped increments. Slow and steady burn throughout. Razor sharp burn line.

Draw

The draw had just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

This is a little known brand from the Altadis portfolio, so I was interested in seeing what it was about. The first third was very good with an interesting mix of bread notes, pepper and wood. Unfortunately, the second third transitioned to a pretty standard flavor profile. The final third gained some red pepper notes, but it wasn’t enough to really move up beyond an average profile. Construction was perfect which isn’t much of a surprise in regards to where this cigar was rolled. Price doesn’t factor into the score, but it is an attractive one. If other samples could provide the flavor profile from the first third longer through the cigar, then this could be really good. It’s well worth checking out for the price to see if it’s something you might enjoy.

Draw

Ideal draw. The perfect amount of resistance to draw in all the flavors.

Overall

Another typical new AJ offering, but this time at a fantastic price. The profile was too unfocused and earthy (dirt and minerals) for me. While there were some pockets of tastiness, it just wasn’t quite enough. If you’re ballin’ on a budget, give this a shot. If not, focus on other AJ offerings.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.45

Cost/Point

$1.01

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.13

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Gispert Intenso Toro