Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Micallef Purple Robusto is a greenish tan and carries a network of fine veins. The seams are smooth and the caps very well applied. The band is the traditional design for the brand and carries a purple and gold color combination. The aroma from the wrapper is musty grass and hay along with some cedar and earth. The foot brings stone fruit sweetness and smoky wood. The pre-light draw brings cedar and smoky beef jerky along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Micallef Purple Robusto is decent in appearance. The Mexican San Andrés Sumatra wrapper is lighter than I expected and is a soft Natural in coloring. Classic light brown coloring. It has small veins throughout and is silky and gritty in texture. It has a rich aroma of spices, earth, wood and tobacco on the foot, and the wrapper gives off similar notes.
John: The Micallef Purple Robusto comes in cellophane and includes a UPC sticker displaying the cigar information, along with an integrated tear space that remains intact when opened. There is a single, primary Micallef band. I weighed the cigar at 14.5 grams and measured the humidity at 65.1% using the CigarMedics HumidiMeter Pro. For aromas from the wrapper, I picked up sweet bread and wood. From the foot, the aromas consisted of sweet tobacco, bread and hay.
Jiunn: The Micallef Purple Robusto has a pale and dull Colorado wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas give faint barnyard, minerals and leather.

Micallef Purple Robusto

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, somewhat sharp baking spice and some earth. At a quarter inch in, the baking spice loses the sharpness and a light smokiness joins the profile. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and some smokiness. At an inch in, the baking spice mellows and is now behind the earth. At an inch and a quarter, the earth increases. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth, with baking spice just behind the middle of the profile and some smokiness in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with sweet spices paired with some pepper, nuts and faint cocoa qualities. Just under medium in strength and body. Very easy smoke. Faint mocha creaminess on the finish.
John: The cigar opens with a combination of sweet bread and mild wood, accented by subtle earthy undertones. A light spice emerges in the center of the profile, blending into dry wood on the finish. Through the retrohale, the spices intensify to medium-minus strength, adding depth. As the third progresses, a musty tobacco note begins to quietly settle into the center of the profile.
Jiunn: The first third has a decent array of flavors but it doesn’t have the IT factor. The flavors range from stale cedar wood to semi-sweet cream but it needs another factor to make it better. Retrohaling is the most flavorful and cleanest as there is a nice mixture of minerals and red pepper spice. The finish shows quite a bit of staleness in cedar wood and tannins. Strength and body is medium.

Micallef Purple Robusto

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth becomes even with the toasted cedar up front. At a quarter inch in, the baking spice transitions to black pepper. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth, with mild black pepper and smokiness. At an inch in, the black pepper increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with black pepper in the middle of the profile and some smokiness in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third is fairly in line with the first. Sweet spice notes with some pepper qualities. Nuts, cocoa and mocha creaminess on the finish. Again, just under medium in strength and body.
John: The second third transitions into a mix of dry wood and sweet tobacco, with light-plus strength spices moving into the center and merging with wood on the finish. Wood becomes the defining note on the post draw. As the third settles in, bread returns to the retrohale, bringing back some welcomed complexity. By the midpoint, a mild cinnamon note joins the finish and blends well with the wood.
Jiunn: The second third gains some mild pepper spice to the stale cedar wood and cream, but the flavor profile still tastes indistinct and jumbled. The finish also lengthens but the flavors remain the same. Strength and body remains medium.

Micallef Purple Robusto

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level increases a bit. At a quarter of an inch in, the black pepper increases a bit more. At a half inch in, the smokiness increases a bit. The retrohale remains toasted cedar and earth, with mild black pepper and smokiness. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the black pepper a bit ahead of the middle of the profile and the smokiness just behind the middle of the profile. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is identical to the second. Sweet spice notes with pepper notes. Nuts, cocoa and mocha creaminess on the finish. Just under medium in strength and body.
John: The last third begins with a combination of creamy and mildly dry wood, along with cinnamon on the finish. A note of sweet citrus moves into the center of the profile as the final third settles. In the bottom half, tannic wood at medium strength takes over the finish and defines the post draw all the way to the close of the review.
Jiunn: The final third is the same as the second third. Still a muddled flavor experience with mild pepper spice, stale cedar and generic cream. Strength and body finishes the same medium.

Micallef Purple Robusto

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on through each third.
Seth: Perfect burn from start to finish.
John: The burn was razor straight throughout the entire review, requiring no touch-ups or corrections.
Jiunn: Excellent burn performance providing an even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

Micallef Purple Robusto

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Perfect draw.
John: The draw measured 60 inches of water with the CigarMedics Draw Machine. Subjectively, it was 2 to 2.5 notches toward the resistant side, which I would define as somewhat snug.
Jiunn: Excellent draw as well, giving the best balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, somewhat sharp baking spice and some earth. Fairly quickly the baking spice loses the sharpness and some smokiness joins in. Later, the earth picked up and the baking spice mellowed. The second third saw the earth become even with the cedar up front. Later, the baking spice transitioned to black pepper. Then, the black pepper picked up a bit. The final third saw the toast level increase a bit and then the pepper and smokiness also increased a bit. Construction was absolutely perfect. The Micallef Purple Robusto had an average flavor profile throughout, with the toasted cedar and earth being the drivers. The baking spice and later black pepper was a good supporting component and the smokiness was a nice addition. While this isn’t a cigar I’d see myself returning to frequently, it is a unique flavor profile with this Mexican Sumatra wrapper. The price is very attractive and I’d say it’s worth trying out just because of the unique flavor delivery.
Seth: The Micallef Purple Robusto is a very approachable cigar, but lacking in depth and complexities. The strength and body are just under medium throughout, which makes it appealing to so many smokers, but there is a loss of flavors and body with that softer strength quality. Beautiful burn and draw, but not a blend I would come back to in the future. Price is hard to beat.
John: The Micallef Purple Robusto presents a profile that opens strong with sweet bread and spice complexity, but gradually settled into a drier, earth and wood-forward experience. I found only brief moments of sweetness and citrus to break the monotony. Excellent burn performance and a somewhat snug draw rounded out the experience. While the flavor progression didn’t really stand out, the price point will definitely assist in a competitive cigar market. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 52 minutes.
Jiunn: Although this Micallef Purple Robusto isn’t for me (given its muddled and uneventful flavor profile), I can see how many will gravitate to it. It’s an incredibly well priced $7 robusto in which although the flavors weren’t my jam, there’s nothing offensive about it. I can see many, especially newer cigar smokers, enjoying this cigar.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.22

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.22

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$1.21

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.22

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Micallef Purple Robusto