Pre-light Experience

A dark, rustic brown wrapper with some decent sized veins and a few water spots. The seams are easily visible due to some color variations with the wrapper, but they are smooth. There are three very well applied caps and the foot is covered with excess wrapper that is folded over. The band is the standard JSK design but for this line it is black and gold. The aroma from the wrapper is damp barnyard, or maybe a better way to describe it is a farm after a rain. I didn’t detect any differentiating aromas from the foot, most likely because of it being covered. Pre-light draw is almost a light black tea with a little woodiness. There is also a slight spicy tingle on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Jas Sum Kral Crna Nok Toro has a dark chocolate, maduro shade wrapper. Veins are well pressed and seams tight. Bunch and roll feels firm with no soft spots and barely any give. The parejo head is finished off with a well adhered triple cap. Wrapper smells of sweet cedar and slight char. Foot smells of wet earth, wet wood and natural tobacco sweetness. Cold draw tells cocoa and dry nuttiness.

First Third

Initial draws bring a slightly spicy cedar along with some earthiness. At a quarter inch in, the cedar and earthiness give way to a dark general woodiness while the retrohale has formed into a very full cedar. At three quarters of an inch in, a light, dry cocoa joins in with the dark woodiness. The retrohale has also changed from the cedar to the dark general woodiness. As the third comes to a close, the dark woodiness and slight cocoa remain, along with a bit of effervescent sensation. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

First third’s flavors are comprised of first and foremost creamed dark chocolate. In addition, gritty earth, dry oak, charred wood bitterness and mixed nuts. Through retrohaling, fierce black pepper and sweet and creamy mixed nuts. The finish creates a mouth watering effect, with flavors of oak, wood bitterness and mixed nuts. In terms of body and strength, somewhere in between medium and medium-full.

Second Third

As this third begins, the earthiness comes back to pair with the woodiness and light cocoa. At a half inch in, the same combination of flavors remain and the retrohale has gained a slight bit of creaminess to go along with the wood. At an inch in, the general woodiness changes back to cedar to go along with the earthiness while the cocoa has gone away. As the third comes to a close, a slight bitterness has joined in with the earthy cedar. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Second Third

The second third’s notable differences are the creamed dark chocolate transitioning into more of a creamy oak as well as deeper notes of mixed nuts. Still the same levels of gritty earth, dry oak and charred wood bitterness persists. The retrohale remains unchanged, still providing fierce black pepper and sweet and creamy mixed nuts. The finish is also the same, still giving mouth watering notes of oak, wood bitterness and mixed nuts. Strength and body is still somewhere in between medium and medium-full.

Final Third

As this third begins, it continues with the earthy cedar and slight bitterness. At a quarter inch in, some creaminess joins in with the earthy cedar and slight bitterness. At an inch in, the creaminess increases as well as becoming apparent on the retrohale along with the cedar. The cigar maintains the creamy and earthy cedar with a slight bitterness the rest of the way. The strength in this third was medium-full.

Final Third

The last third has the creamed dark chocolate returning for the vast majority of the time. Still the same flavors of gritty earth, dry oak, mixed nuts and charred wood bitterness rounds out the profile. The retrohale is still giving strong black pepper and sweet and creamy mixed nuts. The finish also continuously provides mouth watering notes of oak, wood bitterness and mixed nuts. Body and strength finishes somewhere in between medium and medium-full.

Burn

The burn was pretty wavy the entire way. I did touch it up once to keep things in line. The ash held on in about inch and a half increments.

Burn

The burn was very good. Total smoking time clocked in at just over two hours. Burn line although wavy at times, was never an issue, as there were no touch-ups or re-lights. Ash was slightly flaky, averaging 1.5 inch solid increments.

Draw

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

Overall

The cigar had a pretty common profile of earthiness and cedar most of the way. There were some times where some general woodiness was present in the middle portion. Strength is medium and slightly above. I was hoping for more from this cigar. It’s a decent Connecticut Broadleaf offering, but there are others, especially other recent releases that shine more. I’ll revisit this in another vitola and would say it’s worth trying one to see if it fits your profile.

Draw

The draw was perfect. I performed a straight cut within the second layer of the cap, which yielded the ideal draw.

Overall

I found the Crna Nok in toro to be overall a consistently good, creamed dark chocolate forward cigar with a good surrounding cast of earthiness. I was hoping the cigar delivered the quintessential Red Knight and Zlatno Sonce oiliness and strength. Surprisingly, the Crna Nok never even reached a consistent medium full strength level. But just for the creamed dark chocolate, I will be returning to this cigar.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.73

Cost/Point

$2.09

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.87

Cost/Point

$1.75

Scoring System