Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Lampert Oro Don Patron is dark tan, but has some green spots along with some lightly raised veins. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. The band is gold, black, white and reddish-orange. It carries the company and line names. The aroma from the wrapper is a light, general wood note while the foot brings a slightly sweet mix of cedar and bread. The pre-light draw brings musty cedar and subtle floral notes.
Seth: Silky in texture, the golden hay colored wrapper has few veins and is firm throughout. Claro to Natural in coloring. The Lampert Oro Don Patron has aromas of nougat, honey, graham crackers, white pepper, tobacco and cedar.
John: The Lampert Oro Don Patron comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker that tears in half when opened. A single primary band is presented in gold, red, black and white. I could detect aromas of baked bread, sweet wood, faint hay and earth. Out of the foot, there were aromas of sweet tobacco and hay, both at light levels.

Team Cigar Review: Lampert Oro Don Patron

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with cedar that has a decent level of toast to it, mid-level black pepper and a faint wood bitterness. At a half inch in, some earth joins the profile. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and zingy black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the earth and black pepper are even, right behind the toasted cedar. As the third comes to a close, the earth is now even with the toasted cedar up front. The black pepper is just behind, and there is a light wood bitterness in the background. The strength is slightly above medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with lovely white pepper and cedar qualities that are paired with grassy hay notes. Bits of honey, tobacco and nougat. Medium in strength and body.
John: A sweet creaminess opens the first third with sweet wood to finish the draw. Some spicy wood develops on the post draw after a few puffs. Chocolate comes into the retrohale as the first third settles in. Moving towards the halfway point, graham cracker also joins the retrohale. Powdered cocoa lingers at the end of the draw into the post draw through the bottom half.

Team Cigar Review: Lampert Oro Don Patron

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, a light mustiness joins the profile. At a half inch in, the earth moves back to even with the black pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, the black pepper mellows. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper has moved to the background, but has a long finish. As the third wraps up, the toasted cedar is up front, with the earth a bit behind and black pepper and wood bitterness in the background. The strength remained slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third delivers those white pepper, cedar and hay notes with some manure up front. Bits of tobacco and nougat still. Not as much honey sweetness. More pepper on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: Powdered cocoa leads off with wood to follow and a creamy wood to finish. Tannic wood moves into the center of the profile as the second third settles in. As the cigar progresses to the halfway point, that wood in the center moves to the front of The profile. In the bottom half, there is a vegetal note that comes through at the end of a puff. Tannic wood carries the profile in the bottom half.

Team Cigar Review: Lampert Oro Don Patron

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level increases a bit. At a half inch in, the earth once again becomes even with the toasted cedar up front. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and light earth. At an inch in, the cigar warms up and a vegetal bitterness joins in and takes over the wood bitterness. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front with the vegetal bitterness in the middle and black pepper in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third delivers some hay notes with nougat, pepper spices and cedar. Didn’t pop as well as the second and first. Still medium in strength and body.
John: Creamy, tannic wood starts off the last third, with highlights of bread and dry, tannic wood and hay combining in the post draw. Some powdered cocoa tries to break through into the center of the profile as it settles in. Wood and hay are driving the profile approaching the halfway point, as creamy hay defines the center of the profile pushing down the powdered cocoa. Tannic wood and dry hay define the post draw through the bottom half.

Team Cigar Review: Lampert Oro Don Patron

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout, but the cigar did go out once at the beginning of the second third, requiring a re-light. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: Very nice burn from start to finish.
John: The burn was straight until the last third where there was some minor waviness. No intervention was required.

Team Cigar Review: Lampert Oro Don Patron

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Great draw throughout.
John: The draw was perfect, right in the ideal zone between open and resistant.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with cedar that had a decent level of toast to it, mid-level black pepper and a faint wood bitterness. Some earth joined in a bit later. The second third saw a light mustiness join in. The final third saw a vegetal bitterness join when the cigar warmed up about halfway through. The Lampert Oro Don Patron had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. A fuller strength than most Connecticut shade offerings. With the flavor profile provided, and the high price point, I don’t see it as a cigar I’d really come back to.
Seth: The Lampert Oro Don Patron is a solid smoke. It’s a little bit lighter than how I like my light Connecticuts, but it shows that quality Ecuadorian Connecticut flavor profile. The nougat notes were enjoyable, and they played well with the pepper and cedar flavors. I wish it had a little more earthiness overall, but it may have taken away some of the other flavors. If I was at an event, I would pick some up.
John: I enjoyed the first third on the Lampert Oro Don Patron, with some cocoa and creaminess combining in engaging ways. The second and last thirds were primarily hay and wood driven which wasn’t unpleasant but was linear on the palate. The draw and burn were both perfect. The profile was slightly above average, and given the price point, this isn’t something I would likely return to in the future. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 56 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$2.65

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.85

Cost/Point

$2.56

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.46

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Lampert Oro Don Patron