Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the OneOff Black and Tan is between light and medium brown, and the veins carry a lighter color to them. The seams are smooth and the caps are very well applied. The band is the traditional OneOff design but carries a matte black and white color combination. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of wood and earth while the foot brings bread, cedar and earth. The pre-light draw brings floral notes, cedar and some dusty earth along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The OneOff Black and Tan is a good-looking cigar. Not over the top, but well-constructed. The rustic band looks good against the rustic looking wrapper that is Colorado Maduro in coloring. Dark coffee bean coloring. Some oils are present with small veins throughout. Leather-like in texture with a beautiful triple cap. Aromas of tobacco, wood, earth, herbal spices and cocoa powder.
John: The OneOff Black and Tan comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker with the cigar information and an integrated tear space so it remains intact when opened. There is a single peace symbol band in white on black. I weighed the cigar at 13.7 grams and measured the humidity at 60.3% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper were sweet barnyard, tobacco and wood. From the foot, there was a sweet raisin tobacco and wood.

OneOff Black and Tan

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, bold black pepper and some earth. At a half inch in, all of the components are even. At three quarters of an inch in, the earth takes a slight lead in the profile. The retrohale is toasted cedar, zingy black pepper and some earth. As the third comes to a close, the earth is slightly ahead of the toasted cedar and black pepper. The strength is right at medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with an herbal spice flavor profile that has some cinnamon, cocoa and earth profiles present as well. Leather and tobacco are present on the finish, and it is medium in strength and body. Balanced.
John: The first thirds starts with medium-full baking spices and earth, as a muted, musty earth and wood finishes the draw. That mustiness carries into the post draw and pairs up with black pepper. The black pepper at the start moves to the background as the first third settles in. As the cigar continues, it has settled into a creamy bread and wood with lingering spices, and musty earth through the finish. The spices ramp up to medium strength between each draw. Just before the halfway point, the baking spices have backed off all the way to light strength.

OneOff Black and Tan

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, some light leather joins the profile. The retrohale is now earth and toasted cedar with mild black pepper. At an inch in, the leather picks up a bit. As the third comes to a close, the earth is just ahead of the toasted cedar and black pepper, with the leather a bit further behind. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third continues to deliver that barnyard profile with sweet spices, herbal spices and leather like profiles. Complex blend, but not over the top. It’s really a medium strength and body cigar, and it makes me think of cigars from years back.
John: I’m greeted with creamy wood up front and a spicy wood to finish. That initial profile remains remarkably stable as the cigar continues towards the halfway point. Through the post draw, the baking spices move between light plus and medium strength. Once the cigar reaches the halfway point, the profile evolves to become primarily wood forward, which continues for the remainder of the third.

OneOff Black and Tan

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the leather swaps places with the black pepper. The retrohale is now earth, toasted cedar and leather with mild black pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, the toast level becomes pretty heavy. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is just ahead of the heavily toasted cedar and leather with the black pepper a bit further behind. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third delivers that barnyard profile with sweet spices. Herbal spices are present as well with some leather qualities. Medium strength and body. Similar to the second third. Smooth finish.
John: My initial flavor impressions in the last third are creamy wood again, with tannic, lingering wood to finish and carry into the post draw. As the last third progresses towards the halfway point, earth joins the finish. Some mild bitterness is occasionally present on the post draw through the bottom half.

OneOff Black and Tan

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on through each third.
Seth: The burn was very good from start to finish.
John: The burn was wavy at times in the first third, eventually evening out. The burn continued straight through the second third, becoming uneven at times in the last third.

OneOff Black and Tan

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Great draw throughout.
John: The draw was a minor amount into the resistant spectrum, roughly 1-1/2 notches. That level of resistance puts it at a very good rating for draw.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, bold black pepper and some earth. The earth took a slight lead in the profile about halfway into the third. The second third saw some leather join in and then built up through the third. The final third saw the toast become heavy. The construction was absolutely perfect. The OneOff Black and Tan had an average flavor profile throughout, just focused around the earth, toasted cedar, pepper and leather. Not a very exciting profile and not something I’d see myself returning to.
Seth: I really liked the OneOff Black and Tan. It was a good smoking limited edition. Solid blend with a nice level of complexities. There was not a dramatic amount of transitioning, but the flavor profile was so enjoyable that it was not a concern. The body and strength paired well with the flavor profile, and it is a cigar I could smoke back-to-back with ease. The best OneOff I have smoked.
John: The OneOff Black and Tan offered some interesting and engaging flavor combinations in the first third, becoming more linear in the second third and flat through the last third. The burn was perfect and the draw was slightly into the resistant spectrum. Overall, I found the OneOff Black and Tan to be a pleasant cigar to review, however I don’t think there was enough in the flavor department that distinguished it enough for me to want to return. I would smoke it again if it was available, but I’d be unlikely to seek it out. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 9 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.78

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.57

Cost/Point

$2.44

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.95

Cost/Point

$2.69

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: OneOff Black and Tan