Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is dark brown and has a vein running the length of the cigar on each side of the logo on the band. The seams are smooth but visible due to some slight color variations on the wrapper. The head is finished off with a triple cap. A single band is present which is primarily silver with some black and red. There is a howling wolf on it as well as the name of the line. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of barnyard and wet hay while the foot gives a mix of leather and cocoa. The pre-light draw is a very simple, light leather.

Pre-light Experience

The JRE Rancho Luna Maduro Robusto has a dark brown, gritty and toothy wrapper. The bunch and roll feels well done as I feel a uniformed give throughout with no soft spots. Veins are well pressed and seams very tight. The parejo head is finished off with a well adhered, thick, triple cap. Nosing the wrapper tells strong dry barnyard and cedar. Smelling the foot gives dark chocolate bar and white pepper. Cold draw reveals dry mixed nuts and aged cedar.

First Third

The cigar starts out with a gritty earthiness along with some cocoa in the background. At a quarter inch in, some wood joins the earthiness which pushes the cocoa note out. The retrohale carries a slightly darker and richer version of the earthiness and wood. At an inch in, the earth and wood create a really nice pairing and there is a chocolate undertone in the background. As the third comes to a close, the chocolate note goes away and some minerality appears in the background to support the earthiness and wood. The strength in this third was mild-medium.

First Third

First third shows notes of bakers chocolate, slight charred wood, mixed nuts and balanced black pepper spice. Retrohaling shows greater intensities in black pepper spice, cedar and an underlying jammy dried plums. The finish tells slightly charred and bitter wood and mixed nuts. Strength and body is at a consistent medium.

Second Third

As the third begins, the earthiness and wood mixture continues as the minerality has lessened. The retrohale is a very creamy version of the same mix of earthiness and wood. At three quarters of an inch in, not much in the way of transitions, still a nice mix of earth and woodiness. As the third comes to a close, the wood gains some char and some nuttiness joins in along with the earthiness. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Second Third

Second third provides namely a mixture of slightly charred wood that at times has a campfire effect, tapered black pepper and mixed nuts. The bakers chocolate is now in the background. Retrohaling loses out on the jammy dried plums and is now mainly a mix of black pepper and mixed nuts. The finish is still the same, giving slightly charred and bitter wood and mixed nuts. Strength moves almost to the medium-full category while body stays medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the profile is a bit darker with the charred wood and earthiness. The retrohale is a creamy charred wood. At a quarter inch in, a slight bitterness latches on with the charred wood while the earthiness is now a background note. At three quarters of an inch in, the char and bitterness drop back and the wood is up front. There is also a slight bit of mintiness that joins in. At an inch and a quarter, quite a bit of bitterness returns, pushing the charred wood to the background. This is how the cigar finishes. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Final Third

The last third loses out on some complexities, now being namely spice and wood centric with black pepper and charred wood. The charred wood note spikes, not allowing for the other notes within the second third to shine through. The retrohale is namely black pepper, baking spices and subtle mixed nuts. The finish creates deeper notes of black pepper in addition to the pre-existing charred wood. Strength still nears medium-full and body medium.

Burn

The burn was slightly wavy at times, but overall pretty sharp. The ash held on in one inch increments but would drop without notice.

Burn

The burn was great. Tight ashes averaging 1.5 inch increments. Ashes towards the last third slightly flowers. Burn temperature was cool the entire smoking experience and there was never a need to re-visit my lighter.

Draw

The draw was a bit deceiving. It felt pretty snug, but I was still able to get a good amount of smoke from each draw. I tried a draw tool to free things up to no avail.

Overall

This cigar was pretty one dimensional, focused around earthiness and wood. While transitions aren’t necessary, this cigar would have benefited as it became a bit monotonous after the first third. Performance was pretty good which is a plus. Medium strength the whole way makes it approachable to most smokers and I would say it’s worth a try, but it didn’t present an enjoyable enough experience to recommend it past that. I’d smoke another if I was handed one, but probably wouldn’t seek one out.

Draw

The draw was perfect. Just the perfect medium between tightness and airflow.

Overall

I enjoyed the first two thirds of the cigar. I especially enjoyed the jammy dried plums on the retrohale of the first third; a note I seldom taste in a cigar but wish I did more. Unfortunately, by the time the cigar got to the last third, the profile became too mundane with charred wood and black pepper. A decently good cigar.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$1.21

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.87

Cost/Point

$1.02

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: JRE Rancho Luna Maduro Robusto