Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a medium brown and has a couple of medium sized veins. The seams are slightly visible but smooth. There appears to be two caps with the top cap not applied all that neatly. The band is fairly simple with the company name and no other identifying marks. The colors are white, black and gold. The aroma from the wrapper is a distinct barnyard. The aroma from the foot is a sweet hay and leather. The pre-light draw is a mix of leather and spice. There is a decent spiciness on my lips as well.

Pre-light Experience

The Jenneff Session II Robusto sports a Colorado red-like wrapper shade. The wrapper has a nice oily sheen and is rustic in nature. One major vein is protruding through the extent of the cigar. Seams are for the most part well applied. There is a uniformed give to the entire cigar with no hardness felt on the head, which should hopefully have no draw issues. Nosing the wrapper gives rich spicy cedar and dry red chilis. Nosing the foot gives spicy, dry red chilis and fresh cedar. Cold draw tells dry cardboard, dry grass and fresh cedar.

First Third

The cigar begins with a very full woodiness and black pepper note. A quarter inch in, the woodiness and pepper come together a bit more, but the pepper is still very strong. The retrohale also has a strong pepper zing. At about an inch in, the pepper reduces slightly, but even a small decrease still leaves a big dose of pepper with the woodiness. The retrohale is a little smoother, but still dominantly pepper with wood in the background. As the third finishes, it is still a full pepper in front of the woodiness. The strength in this third is medium-full.

First Third

The first third provides a rather drying profile. Dominantly, leather and black pepper spice. It doesn’t take long for the black pepper to be lodged at the back of my throat, slightly irritating it. Surrounding the leather and black pepper is a generic sweet cream. Inch in, a slight wood bitterness is introduced. Through the nose, increased nose stinging black pepper, dry nuts and spicy cedar. The finish consists of throat irritating dry black pepper and spicy cedar. Body and strength is somewhere in between medium and medium full.

Second Third

As this third begins, the pepper eases up some more and comes into a better and even mix with the wood. The retrohale also gains a better mix of the pepper and wood, but it is still a pretty full strength retrohale. A half inch in, the wood becomes a bit greener and has a brightness to go along with the pepper. At an inch in, the wood loses the youngness and gets back to a general wood note. The pepper has eased off a little more but still has a decent finish. As the third comes to a close, the woodiness is the primary flavor with the pepper in the background and a bit of cream joining in. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Second Third

The second third continues to be a dry profile. The black pepper has thankfully died down, allowing wood bitterness, generic sweet cream and leather to shine through. Through the retrohale, still the same nose stinging black pepper, dry nuts and spicy cedar. The finish is now long and lingering with dry wood bitterness and spicy cedar. Strength and body continues to be somewhere in between medium and medium full.

Final Third

As this third begins, it’s primarily woody with some pepper and cream in the background. There is now also a minty finish. A quarter inch in and the creaminess is increasing to go along with the wood while the pepper has really faded away. The retrohale is also pretty creamy and woody. At an inch in, the minty finish goes away and the creamy wood is what remains. This is how the cigar finishes. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Final Third

The last third continuously shows a dying black pepper. The profile is now leather and wood bitterness centric. The once generic sweet cream is less sweet now. The retrohale remains unchanged, still giving nose stinging black pepper, dry nuts and spicy cedar. The finish has lost its spicy cedar character and now leaves me with a long and lingering dry wood bitterness. Body and strength is still at the medium to medium full mark.

Burn

The burn was never that sharp, but the burn line always kept up with itself and never needed any touch-ups. The ash held on in about one inch segments.

Burn

Very good burn. Total smoking time finished at a great 1 hour and 50 minutes. Burn line was very sharp, needing a single minor touch up within the last third. Ashes held on tight, averaging 1 inch increments.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but nothing that took away from the smoking experience. The cigar produced lots of smoke on each draw and even had a fair amount of smoke coming out of the head after I set the cigar down.

Overall

The pepper level in the first third was pretty off the charts. I was really glad that things settled down going into the second third where the profile evened out and wasn’t so in my face. The profile then became pretty common in the final third. I’d love to see what this cigar is like with an additional year plus of age on it to see if that pepper in the first third mellows out as it may become a more well rounded cigar. Fans of lots of pepper and wood may find this cigar really appealing, but newer smokers or those that like milder cigars may be overwhelmed. This was a decent introduction to the brand for me and I’m looking forward to trying some of their other lines.

Draw

The draw was perfect. Just the right amount of resistance after cutting the cigar with the Xikar XO.

Overall

This was an average cigar for me. The cigar was a bit rough around the edges, either being too spice driven or too wood bitterness and leather driven. If the flavors were to meld better together, I think this could be a good cigar.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.87

Cost/Point

$1.26

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.87

Cost/Point

$1.26

Scoring System