Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto is medium tan with a hint of green and carries some thick raised veins and a network of fine veins. The seams are smooth and the caps very well applied. The band is the traditional design and colors for the brand. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of cedar and hay along with some light earth, and the foot brings a creamy mix of cedar, bread and earth. The pre-light draw brings cedar, dusty earth, floral notes and a bit of graham cracker. There is also a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto is an average looking cigar. I have seen better Connecticut releases from My Father and many others. There are a lot better looking Connecticuts out there, and I really think that is a huge part of grabbing a Connecticut. Medium sized veins throughout with a browner golden hay color. Aromas of cedar, tobacco, earth, wood and spices.
John: The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar information which tore as I opened it. There is a single Jaime Garcia band. For artisanal complications, the cigar appears to have a very soft box press to the foot. I weighed the cigar at 11.3 grams, and measured the humidity to 61.5% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included light-plus strength sweet barnyard, hay, earth and an undercurrent of salt. From the foot, I could detect earth and damp barnyard.
Jiunn: The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto has an even shade of Colorado Claro. The wrapper looks great as it’s velvety and has a nice layer of oils. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas consist of dry barnyard, cedar and mixed nuts.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar and very bold black pepper. At a quarter inch in, some light earth joins the profile. At a half inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit. The retrohale is toasted cedar, zingy black pepper and some earth. At an inch in, the earth is now in the middle of the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is up front, with the black pepper and earth both a bit behind. The strength is slightly above medium.
Seth: The first third begins with some cedar and cream notes. I am picking up some faint tobacco and earth qualities as well. There are some subtle spices, but not much present overall. I would classify the cigar as being just under medium in strength and body.
John: My first third experience opens with musty, sweet tobacco. Some floral notes are present on the retrohale. That profile settles in and remains unchanged for the remainder of the first third.
Jiunn: The first third has a grassy undertone to what’s otherwise familiar Connecticut shade flavors. Flavors of cedar, mixed nuts and natural nutty sweetness. The retrohale awakens the palate with a nice burst of dried red pepper spice and nutty creaminess and sweetness. The finish is on the shorter end with cedar. Strength and body is medium.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, some light hay joins the profile. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper has receded to the middle of the profile. At a half inch in, some leather joins the profile. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and lightly zingy black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper picks back up a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth, with the black pepper right behind it and some hay and leather in the background. The strength remained slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first. I am picking up some cedar and cream notes. Tobacco and earth as well. A little bit more in the spice department, but not much. It’s really a true Connecticut in that sense. Just under medium in strength and body.
John: Sweet, creamy floral notes take the cigar into the second third with mildly, dry wood to follow and finish. The profile is similar to the first third in that there are no flavor changes or any intensity changes I can remark on for the remainder of this third.
Jiunn: The second third is less enjoyable and loses out on some of the complexities. The overall feel now is grass, cedar and dried red pepper spice without any of the sweetness and creaminess from the first third. Strength and body remain the same medium.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, a light creaminess joins up with the hay in the background. The retrohale is now an even mix of toasted cedar, earth and non-zingy black pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, the toast level becomes pretty heavy. At an inch and a quarter, the earth is now even with the heavily toasted cedar up front. As the cigar wraps up, the heavily toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with black pepper in the middle of the profile and leather and creamy hay in the background. The strength bumped up to medium-full.
Seth: The final third is right in line with the first and second. Nothing else to report. Easy finish.
John: Creamy wood greets me in the final third with a mild floral component to follow and dry wood to finish into the post draw at light-plus strength. That dry wood on the post draw increases in intensity as the cigar continues, eventually reaching the medium mark.
Jiunn: I feel the same about the final third as the second third. The profile is still heavily lacking sweetness and creaminess. It’s filled with earthiness in grass and cedar but now it’s a bit tannic and harsh. Strength and body finish the same medium.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times and the cigar went out twice, requiring re-lights. Once at the end of the second third and again at the beginning of the final third.
Seth: The burn was good from start to finish.
John: The burn was straight through the entire review process.
Jiunn: Flawless burn providing tight ashes, even burn and cool burning temperatures.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: The draw was good from beginning to end.
John: The draw was perfect, right in the ideal zone between open and resistant.
Jiunn: The draw was perfect, giving the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar and very bold black pepper. Some light earth joined in fairly quickly. The second third saw a light hay join the profile and some leather a bit later. The final third saw some creaminess pair up with the hay in the background and the toast level of the cedar became very heavy. The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto had a very average profile throughout, focused around toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. The accents of creamy hay and leather were nice, but didn’t do anything to elevate the profile. Definitely not a typical Connecticut shade offering, so for those that typically don’t like that profile, but like a bolder Nicaraguan profile, this might be a good fit, but for me, not a cigar I’d see myself returning to.
Seth: I found the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto disappointing. I remember when there was just one Toro in the limited run boxes that was legitimate! It was more desired than the maduro offerings! How many years ago was that? 2011! LOL … Either way, this was a somewhat flat cigar. There were no complexities, and the flavors present were not what I was hoping for with a My Father release. Despite the price, this is not a cigar I would come back to or recommend. Spend a couple dollars extra and get a really good Connecticut. My Father is better than this. Average cigar overall, but subpar for My Father.
John: The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto had a pleasant profile through the review, but in writing my tasting notes it may set a record for the least number of words and descriptors I have ever used. Both the draw and burn were flawless. As I mentioned above, the profile was pleasant but ultimately I found it to be very simple. Even if I factor in the affordable price of the cigar, I feel that the blend is completely lost on me. I don’t see myself seeking out or smoking this cigar again in the future. Total smoking time was a little on the quicker side, for a Robusto sized format, at 1 hour and 33 minutes. I would typically expect my smoking time to be somewhere around the 2 hour mark.
Jiunn: Chop this Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto up to another Connecticut shade that is in the middle of the pack. The blend has plenty of earthiness in wood and grass, but it needs to break away from all that earthiness and deliver more sweetness and creaminess. It’s not off putting (especially considering the price point), but it doesn’t really have anything special going for it. It’s a pass for me.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.30

Cost/Point

$1.70

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$1.71

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.57

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.48

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Connecticut Robusto