Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a medium tan color and has a few small and slightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth but fairly easily visible due to the light color of the wrapper. The torpedo head is perfectly finished with a triple cap while the foot is covered over with excess wrapper. The band is the traditional band for the Classic line and looks very nice. The aroma from the wrapper and the foot, since it is covered, reminds me of an infants teething biscuit. Having a three year old, I’m not too far removed from those days and I actually enjoy the smell. There is also a hint of hay mixed in. The pre-light draw brings a slight cereal note along with some hay. There is also a very mellow spice on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The MBombay Classic Torpedo has a light caramel claro wrapper shade. The wrapper not only looks nice, it feels nice being smooth and velvety. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll uniform and the aggressively tapered torpedo head has a well applied cap. Aromas from the wrapper give cedar, hay and subtle white pepper. Aromas from the foot tell white pepper, nuts and cedar. Cold draw gives hay and aged dry wood.

First Third

As the cigar begins, it brings a mix of slightly toasted oak along with some red pepper spice. At a quarter inch in, a slight cream joins in to mix with the toasted wood and red pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, the profile has gained a light meatiness to go along with the toasted oak while the cream and red pepper notes are very faint in the background. At an inch in, the cream completely drops out as the red pepper builds back up a bit to mix with the toasty oak and light meatiness. At an inch and a half, the meatiness drops out of the profile while the toasted oak is still up front and some cream has joined back in with the red pepper in the background. The retrohale brings toasted oak along with a bit of earthiness. The strength in this third was mild.

First Third

The first third takes a little while to warm up. The initial inch is made up of sharper black pepper and dry wood. Past that mark, creamed bread and nuts comes in. Retrohaling gives deeper black pepper spice and nuts. The finish is medium length with sharper black pepper and dry wood. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, toasted oak remains up front, with the cream the next prominent flavor. The red pepper has transitioned to a mild black pepper. At a quarter inch in, a very faint meatiness is detectable in the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the toasted oak transitions to a slightly bright pine note while there is still some creamy and meaty notes in the background. The retrohale carries a mellower version of the slightly bright pine. At an inch and a half in, the pine isn’t quite as bright as earlier. There is still a slight cream present, but the meatiness has gone away. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak is trying to fight it’s way back in to the profile, but the pine isn’t quite letting up. The strength has bumped up to mild-medium.

Second Third

The second third wavers back and forth between having a rather average tasting profile providing sharper black pepper and dry wood effect or a more complex profile adding creamed bread and nuts. Within a couple draws, a great black coffee comes into the profile but it’s too bad the note never stayed. Strength and body stays medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the oak has returned while the pine note is co-habitating, but at a slightly lesser level. There is also a slight nuttiness present. At a quarter inch in, some cream and slight bitterness are present as the oak has completely taken over from the pine. At an inch in, the oak gains a warmth to it while the cream remains in the background and the nuttiness has left. The retrohale brings a very creamy warm oak note. As the cigar comes to a close, both the warmth and creaminess have increased around the oak. The strength in this third bumped up to medium.

Final Third

The last third thankfully shows consistency in the flavor profile. There is no longer a back and forth of less complex/tad mundane to a more complex profile. The cigar shows the black pepper backing off and increase in nuts, creamed bread and minerals. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

I couldn’t ask for much more from the burn as it was sharp the entire way and the ash held on through each third.

Burn

Aside from the flaky ash, the burn was flawless. Even burn, 1.5 inch average self tapped ash marks and a cool burning temperature.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The first third provided some interesting flavors and quite a bit of complexity. It was odd that the second third changed up so much from the previous profile and was fairly average. I was happy to see the final third gain back some of the core flavors and a better overall profile than the second. Construction was fantastic and the strength level only reached medium at its fullest. I’ve come to expect pretty good cigars from MBombay and this one meets that expectation again. It doesn’t bring those unique aged wood notes that some of the other lines do, but the the profile is unique in it’s own way. This cigar is on the higher cost side, but as most of the MBombay offerings, it can earn that. If you like a good dose of flavor with a lower strength level, then this is a cigar that is well worth seeking out. I’m looking forward to smoking more.

Draw

Creating the ideal resistance and air flow, the draw was perfect.

Overall

MBombay, according to my palate, can be categorized into two main buckets. The first bucket (ideal bucket) is a medium minus to medium bodied profile delivering complexities and nuances. The second bucket is a medium minus to medium bodied profile that tastes past its prime/too aged and uneventful. In the case of the Classic Torpedo, unfortunately it is of the latter bucket. The overall takeaway was a profile that was too much dry wood and black pepper focused. I’d look towards other MBombay offerings such as the Gaaja lines for the first bucket.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

7.02

Cost/Point

$1.70

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$1.99

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: MBombay Classic Torpedo