Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a fairly uniform milk chocolate brown with a couple of decently raised veins present and a network of well pressed ones. The seams are easily visible as they are slightly raised while the head is finished off with a well applied set of caps. There are two bands, the first being the brands standard logo but in an orange and gold color combination while the secondary strip band carries the same colors and designates the line. The aroma from the wrapper is a bit of unflavored beef jerky along with a bit of sweet wood. The foot brings some more wood along with a bit of stone fruit sweetness. The pre-light draw brings a mix of wood and floral notes. A mild spiciness is detectable on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The La Barba Ricochet Robusto has a rough and rustic Mexican San Andres wrapper and it is sporting some large veins that are present throughout and felt in texture. The wrapper is toothy as well and there are some oils present. It has a nice dark brown coloring, very light maduro and it is consistent from head to foot. The foot is giving off an aroma of rich chocolate cake, strong spices, damp wood and earth, while the wrapper is showing some rich earth, strong wood and chocolate notes.

Pre-light Experience

The La Barba Ricochet Robusto has a gold and orange band with a secondary band. The wrapper is toothy and rustic looking, with different shades on the wrapper ranging from dark chocolate to milk chocolate. Nosing the wrapper, I immediately pick up intense barnyard, with leather, mustiness and aged wood underneath. There’s a similar aroma profile in the foot, albeit subdued, along with some mild hay.

Pre-light Experience

The La Barba Ricochet Robusto has a Colorado maduro wrapper shade. The wrapper looks is great as there’s even toothiness spread throughout with a oily texture. Construction feels and looks good as veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even with no soft spots and head well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper give assertive cedar and faint white pepper. Aromas from the foot give rich white pepper spice and dried nuts. Cold draw tells primarily cedar and hay.

First Third

The cigar begins with a good dose of wood and black pepper. At a half inch in, the profile gains some meatiness to it to go along with the wood and pepper. At an inch in, the retrohale is quite potent with a very full mix of the wood and black pepper. As the third comes to a close, some mustiness joins in which smooths out the black pepper a little bit. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third opens up with some incredible sweetness to it and it is paired with a nice red pepper spice. I am getting rich earth and dark chocolate notes and it is paired with some dry cedar, and tobacco. The finish is showing some black coffee qualities and it has a toasty flavor to it as well. I would classify the cigar as being medium to medium-full in strength and it is full bodied. The flavors are pronounced and complex, and this is a great start.

First Third

The first third opens up with flavors of spice, pepper and syrupy sweetness. The pepper immediately begins to linger on the post draw at about medium strength, with the sweetness joining shortly afterwards. A few minutes in and post draw leather joins the profile at a medium strength level. As the first third settles in, the pepper intensity falls to light to light-plus, with the sweetness becoming nuanced and complex on the retrohale. At the halfway point of the first third, I get toasted fruit, along with a PEZ-like candy note.

First Third

The first third does a great job of providing sweetness, cream and spice. There’s a sweetness and creaminess from bread and biscuits, spice from namely a raw cut cedar that lingers on the palate for minutes. Through retrohaling, all of these notes are accentuated. The body, although not exactly medium-full does provide a nice viscosity to it. Strength is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the mustiness has continued to increase and becomes even with the wood while the black pepper is slightly behind. At a quarter inch in, the mustiness recedes back to become even with the black pepper while the wood is up front. At a half inch in, a subtle coffee note has become present. The retrohale is now a musty wood note with no black pepper to speak of. At an inch in, a slight meatiness rejoins the profile and replaces the coffee note. As the third comes to a close, the musty wood is up front with light amounts of meatiness and black pepper in the background. The strength in this third remained at medium.

Second Third

I am in the second third of the cigar now and finding the complexities from the first third continuing onward. It is delivering a nice spiciness that is paired with sweetness and like before it is giving off rich earth, red pepper and chocolate notes. The spices is more present in this third, really lingering and it remains to the finish delivering coffee, toast, nutmeg and cinnamon like qualities. It is still smoking at a medium-full level in strength and the body and flavors are full.

Second Third

The Ricochet flavor profile carries into the second third with toasted cedar. As the second third begins to establish itself, the post draw consists largely of lingering cedar with mild pepper.

Second Third

The second third is basically the same profile as the first third. Still a good amount of body and medium strength formula of biscuits, creamy bread, raw cut cedar. There’s a new note of espresso beans that further enriches the flavor profile as well.

Final Third

As the final this begins, the meatiness increases a bit as the black pepper is just on the finish. The musty wood is still the leader of the profile. At a half inch in, the musty wood has gained a slight bitterness which knocks down the meatiness a bit and the black pepper has left the profile. At an inch in, a subtle sweetness has joined the profile of musty and slightly bitter wood along with the meatiness in the background. The cigar finishes with this same profile. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

The final third is a departure from the second third and is showing some major transitioning, much more so than between the first and second. I am picking up some distinct cream and coconut notes and they are paired with a nuttiness, toast and coffee like finish that is very enjoyable. It has lots of that peppery profile from before and it is providing a smooth finish to the cigar. I would classify the cigar as being medium in body and strength, and the flavors are right there as well.

Final Third

Moving into the last third, the spices and pepper from the first third are back at a medium strength level. There is trailing cedar that I start to also taste, and it lingers well into the post draw palate. Some char is introduced a few minutes into the last third, but begins to recede shortly after, evolving into a toasted barbecue.

Final Third

The last third actually melds the same flavors better. Sort of strange since most cigars fall apart within the last third for me. Still the same biscuits, creamed bread and raw cut cedar. Strength is leaning towards medium-full while body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn line was perfect and the snow white ash held on through each third.

Burn

The burn from start to finish was nearly perfect. This is a well constructed cigar and it has a near razor sharp burn line with a firm light gray, somewhat white ash on the end. The ash held on well throughout each third and if you kept the cigar as motionless as possible, I guarantee the ash could hold on to the halfway point.

Burn

I had a slightly wavy burn at times, with flaking ash. The ash held on well at 1.5 inch increments throughout.

Burn

Perfect burn. Strong ashes averaging 2 inch increments, cool burn, basically zero complaints.

Draw

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

Overall

The cigar had a bit of a heavier profile from what I was expecting in smoking previous La Barba offerings, The flavors consisted of wood and black pepper and then some mustiness and meatiness joined in at various points. Construction was perfect and required zero attention. This is a very nice cigar and one I look forward to revisiting. It would be a fitting smoke in the evening after a nice meal and paired with some Scotch. Track some of these down and see how they fit with your palate.

Draw

The draw was perfect from start to finish and to my liking. It was not too loose or tight, but smoked to my liking from start to finish. A well made cigar.

Overall

I have yet to find a La Barba release that I have not liked and this is no exception. Not only is the La Barba Ricochet Robusto a great cigar for the company, it’s a great cigar in general and a fantastic Mexican San Andres wrapper offering. The flavors were terrific from start to finish and it had a great bit of transitioning while remaining complex throughout. I loved how the cigar finished, very smooth and easy, making me want another and I love how it started as well. From the start, it grabbed my attention and at no point was it taken away. With the the great construction on top of the fantastic flavors, this cigar is a hit!

Draw

The draw starts out quite tight, but opens up somewhat most of the way into the first third. Overall, I would describe the draw as being in the resistant spectrum.

Overall

The La Barba Ricochet Robusto is a layered and nuanced cigar experience that I found enjoyable. The flavor profile is medium to medium-full in complexity.

Draw

Draw was perfect. No issues.

Overall

Within the plethora of Mexican San Andres in the market, this one stands out to me. The stand out is namely due to the spice delivery of a raw cut cedar while maintaining the softer notes of bread, biscuits and cream. I was also glad the strength almost got to medium-full but never quite got there. This is just a solid cigar.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.41

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

8.13

Cost/Point

$1.18

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.77

Cost/Point

$1.42

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.17

Cost/Point

$1.34

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: La Barba Ricochet Robusto