Pre-light Experience

Seth: The Micallef White Robusto is silky in texture and sports a decent looking Connecticut wrapper. From a quick glance, it is between average and good. There are small to medium sized veins present throughout, and the cigar has a more natural and brown coloring of that golden hay offering that Connecticut seed can produce. There are aromas of hay, tobacco, earth and coffee.
John: The Micallef White Robusto features a wrapper color that sits between Colorado and Colorado Claro. I weighed the cigar at 13.6 grams and measured the humidity at 63.1% using the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included wood and sweet tobacco, while the foot delivered a combination of bread, vegetal notes and wood.
Jiunn: The Micallef White Robusto wrapper is on the paler, duller side of Colorado. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll is lumpy in certain areas and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas give barnyard galore.

Micallef White Robusto

First Third

Seth: The first third begins with some lovely spices that are paired with earth, tobacco, hay and cream. There are faint earth notes present as well, and it is a balanced blend with some depth for a Connecticut. I would classify the cigar as medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with sweet tobacco and bread leading the profile, while vegetal wood defines the finish. A delayed mild tannic wood develops on the post draw as the cigar progresses. Medium-strength baking spices move into the retrohale early on, adding some depth and energy to the profile. Roughly twenty minutes in, those baking spices recede to light-plus strength. A bread note then works its way into the retrohale, bringing subtle wood accents along with it.
Jiunn: There are parts that I like and dislike. Plenty of tasty notes of toast, sweet brioche bread and minerals. What I dislike is the cedar wood tannins and leathery finish that is drying on my palate. Strength and body is medium.

Micallef White Robusto

Second Third

Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Creamy aspects with some earth and warm spices. Tobacco as well. Like before, medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with bread and wood leading the profile, while mildly tannic wood continues to finish each puff. As the cigar settles in, the baking spices in the retrohale evolve into a cinnamon-like accent. By the halfway point of the second third, bread and wood have become the dominant flavor drivers, with the profile remaining balanced but fairly restrained.
Jiunn: The second third’s finish is less drying but it still doesn’t change the way I overall feel about the mediocrity of the cigar. Although less drying, the finish flavors are too leather and wood tannins driven, which take away much of the softer pastry-like flavors that I enjoy. Strength and body remains medium.

Micallef White Robusto

Final Third

Seth: The final third is in line with the first and second. It’s solid and has a nice core flavor profile with a decent strength and body level.
John: The final third opens with bread and mildly dry wood combining, while wood entirely defines the post draw. Baking spices return aggressively through the retrohale at medium strength as the third settles in, but by the halfway point they quickly recede back to light levels. Through the bottom half, tannic wood becomes the defining characteristic of the profile, adding increasing dryness.
Jiunn: The final third is exactly the same as the second third. Still liking the softer pastry-like flavors but the finishes wood tannins and leathery components wreck the good flavors. Strength and body is unchanged at medium.

Micallef White Robusto

Burn

Seth: The burn is fantastic from beginning to end.
John: The burn was excellent throughout, remaining consistently straight across all three thirds with no intervention required.
Jiunn: Flawless burn performance providing a razor sharp burn line, tight ashes, ample smoke production and cool burning temperatures.

Micallef White Robusto

Draw

Seth: The draw is amazing throughout the cigar.
John: The draw measured 42 inches of water on the Cigar Medics draw tester. Subjectively, it sat between a half and one notch into the resistant spectrum, placing it squarely within the ideal range between open and resistant.
Jiunn: Flawless draw performance as well, giving the ideal air flow and resistance.

Overall

Seth: The Micallef White Robusto is a decent smoke. Yes, I would smoke it again, but it’s not something I would go crazy over or really seek out to keep in my humidors. The flavor profile is consistent from beginning to end, just enough complexity to keep my interest, and has amazing construction and burn. Honestly, with a cigar like this, it comes down to the price. If it’s somewhat affordable, I would approach this cigar in the future.
John: This cigar delivers a balanced and approachable experience built around sweet tobacco, bread, wood and restrained baking spices. The first third is the strongest portion, particularly due to the way the baking spices interact with the retrohale and the bread notes provide a softer, rounded texture to the profile. As the cigar progresses, the profile gradually narrows toward a more wood and tannin driven experience. The cinnamon accent in the second third adds a brief moment of intrigue, and the return of stronger baking spices in the final third initially feels promising, but those spices fade quickly before they can meaningfully reshape the profile. The increasing prominence of tannic wood through the latter stages ultimately defines the experience, adding dryness that limits the balance established earlier. From a construction standpoint, the cigar performs exceptionally well. The burn is flawless, and the draw sits comfortably in the ideal range, making for a very easy smoking experience from start to finish. In the end, the Micallef White Robusto has excellent construction with a flavor profile that simply doesn’t evolve enough to move beyond average territory. It’s enjoyable, balanced and well-made, but ultimately more consistent than memorable. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 55 minutes.
Jiunn: I feel like I just recently reviewed a cigar just like this Micallef White Robusto, such that the mouth draw flavors were pleasant and enjoyable but the finish was lackluster and made the overall flavors not as good. It’s too bad because for a shade wrapper to reach such pastry creaminess, breadiness and sweetness is not common. Way to F it up finish.

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.31

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.31

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.39

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Micallef White Robusto