Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo is very dark brown and is a bit lumpy with some raised veins. The seams are smooth and the tapered head well finished. There are three bands, with the primary and secondary both sporting a black, blue and copper color combination and both denoting the brand and Essential Blend. The foot has a yellow ribbon. The aroma from the wrapper is wood and stone fruit sweetness while the foot brings cedar and carboard. The pre-light draw brings an airy cedar and stone fruit sweetness along with a mid-level spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo is finished with a dark wrapper that is clearly maduro, and it has this oily dark espresso bean coloring. It’s a little rough in appearance and texture and one of the darkest Habano Vuelta Arriba wrappers I have seen. Slightly firm throughout, it has small to large sized veins and a pronoucned tapered finish. Aromas of cocoa powder, damp earth, tobacco and wood.
John: The O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker that tears in half when opened. There is both a primary band in bronze, blue and black along with a secondary band that indicates OM CIGAR CO. in the same color scheme. Additionally, there is a yellow foot band ribbon, and the cigar is torpedo shaped. Aromas from the wrapper included tobacco, sweet wood and mild barnyard. From the foot, I could pick up on sweet tobacco and coffee.

Team Cigar Review: O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, bold black pepper and light creaminess. At a half inch in, the black pepper has a slight lead over the toasted cedar. The retrohale is light creamy, toasted cedar and black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the toasted cedar and black pepper are now even. At an inch and a half, a light earth joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the profile is toasted cedar and black pepper even up front with earth and creaminess in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with some earthy and coffee qualities. There is this cocoa powder flavor present as well, and it has a malted milk balls quality with tobacco on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: The initial flavors delivered sweet tobacco and earth. The earth begins to finish the draw as a mild, lingering pepper sits on the palate through the post draw. As the first third settles in, vegetal notes mix in with the earth. Creaminess develops on the retrohale as the review continues, and some spices move into the retrohale. A mild wood is present on the post draw moving towards the halfway point.

Team Cigar Review: O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper mellows, but remains even with the toasted cedar up front. At a half inch in, the black pepper falls a bit behind the toasted cedar. At three quarters of an inch in, the creaminess has left the profile. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the earth increases to become even with the black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the black pepper and earth. The strength has bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third delivers this earthy and soft pepper spice quality. Bits of tobacco, coffee and cocoa powder present as well. Medium in strength and body.
John: A combination of vegetation, mild spices and tobacco take the cigar into the second third. Mild earth sits on the post draw. Creaminess and spices are still present through the retrohale and increase in intensity to medium strength. As the second third continues, post draw earth moves up to medium, almost medium-full. Approaching the halfway point, the earth has moved to the front of the profile, as dry cedar joins the post draw.

Team Cigar Review: O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth is now even with the toasted cedar up front. At a half inch in, the black pepper is now very mild. The retrohale is now just toasted cedar and earth. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front with mild black pepper in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the second third. Soft pepper and spice notes with some tobacco, cocoa powder, coffee and earth. Medium in strength and body.
John: Creamy earth leads the cigar into the last third, with earth and wood combining into the finish. Some acrid accents are present on the post draw earth as it settles in. That acrid note falls out after a few purges, as some bitterness comes through at the end of the draw.

Team Cigar Review: O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit iffy as it was fairly wavy throughout and required a couple of touch-ups to keep things going and one re-light was needed in the second third.
Seth: Burn was good throughout. Not great.
John: The cigar stalled and went out halfway into the first third, requiring a re-light. The burn continues to struggle going out again at the end of the first third, requiring a second re-light. The burn was uneven through the second and last thirds but did not require intervention.

Team Cigar Review: O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo

Draw

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

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, bold black pepper and light creaminess. Some earth joined in the second half of the third. The second third saw the creaminess depart and the earth increased. The final third saw the black pepper become very mellow. The O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around toasted cedar, black pepper and earth. The burn was a bit of a detractor for me, as it required some touch-ups and a re-light. This is my first experience with the brand, and while I don’t see coming back to this blend, I am interested in trying some of the other blends in their portfolio.
Seth: The O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo was an average cigar. The profile was average with some enjoyable aspects that I believe many smokers could enjoy and not find offensive. I don’t think there is anything regarding the blend that makes it stand out, but there is nothing really wrong with the cigar. It really smokes like a blend from 20 years ago. Seems dated as a release. The Whoppers qualities were enjoyable in the first and second, but not enough to help the cigar.
John: The O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo started out with an interesting earth forward profile in the first third. As it progressed, that earth profile became unbalanced, and by the last third it took on some bitter components which were off-putting. The draw was perfect, but the burn required two re-lights which I believe impacted the flavor profile. Given the burn issues I would likely take another pass at this cigar to see if another one performed better. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 19 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.35

Cost/Point

$2.24

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.10

Cost/Point

$2.35

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.35

Cost/Point

$2.24

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: O.M. Cigar Essential Blend No. 1 Torpedo