Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto is dark brown with some lighter marbling and carries some thick, raised veins. The seams are a bit raised and the caps have some lifting edges. The band is various shades of black/grey, orange, teal and brown. It carries the brand and line names. The aroma from the wrapper is stone fruit sweetness and cedar while the foot brings stewed fruit, cedar and mild spice. The pre-light draw brings cherry sweetness and a mellow mix of cedar and earth along with a mild spice on my lips.
Seth: The Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto is a firm cigar in hand with a nicely applied cap. The wrapper has a dark marbled coloring, and it ranges from Colorado-Maduro to Oscuro. There is this coffee bean and raisin like coloring throughout. It is slightly oily in texture, and sports small veins throughout. The wrapper has a rich aroma of barnyard, earth, spices and leather, while the foot gives off aromas with similar traits and some licorice notes on top of that. Very rich and powerful aroma.
John: The Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto comes packaged in cellophane with a UPC sticker containing cigar information. It features an integrated tear strip designed to remain intact when opened. The cigar has a single band. I weighed it at 15.5 grams and measured the humidity with the CigarMedics HumidiMeter Pro at 63.4%. For aromas from the wrapper, I’m getting sweet tobacco with a raisin-like quality. From the foot, darker tobacco notes with aged cedar accents.
Jiunn: The Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto has an incredibly oily Colorado red wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas consist of cedar and nuts.

Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted oak, dark earth and some light baking spice. At a quarter inch in, the toasted oak gains a darkness of its own. At a half inch in, a light creaminess joins the profile. The retrohale is toasted dark oak and dark earth with a lightly zingy baking spice. At an inch in, the baking spice increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted dark oak is a bit ahead of the dark earth, with baking spice just behind the middle of the profile and some creaminess in the background. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: The first third begins with a flavor profile of rich earth and manure. There are some damp wood and cocoa notes present as well, and it has a baking spice profile. There are some mineral notes present as well, and the cigar has a long finish. I would classify the cigar as medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The cigar opens with dark earth, tobacco and leather leading the flavor profile, accompanied by mild baking spices. Leather and earth combine on the post-draw. As the first third settles, the profile shifts to mildly spicy wood with dry wood in the center, finishing with delayed spices on the post-draw. That profile remains consistent for the remainder of the first third.
Jiunn: The first third’s flavor profile tastes a bit hollow and thin. For such a dark looking cigar, it’s a bit of a conundrum. Thinner flavors of mixed nuts, light cream, aged cedar and celery seeds. Retrohaling helps purely due to the intensity of flavors increasing with flavors of spicy cedar and mixed nuts. The finish is short with cedar. Strength and body is medium.

Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the creaminess increases a bit and the earth isn’t as rich. At a quarter inch in, the toast level increases a bit. The retrohale remains toasted dark oak and dark earth with a lightly zingy baking spice. At an inch in, the earth increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted dark oak is just ahead of the earth, with baking spice just behind the middle of the profile and the creaminess a bit further behind. The strength bumped up to medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Flavor profile really lingers on the palate. Lots of damp wood, cocoa, rich earth and manure. Baking spices present with some mineral notes again on the finish. The mineral notes are more pronounced in this third. Like before, medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: This section introduces creamy wood alongside mild dryness at the center. Mild dry wood finishes the segment with light spices in the post-draw. Light leather notes join the post-draw as the second third progresses. Approaching the halfway point, the profile is largely defined by wood with mild nuttiness quietly joining the post-draw.
Jiunn: The second third picks up a slight char to the overall flavors. While it does give a rustic nature to the profile, it’s not something that is pleasant. As a result of this, the finish is lengthened but doesn’t change the enjoyment factor. Strength and body remains medium.

Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth is now even with the toasted dark oak up front. The retrohale is now just toasted oak and earth. At three quarters of an inch in, the creaminess departs. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted dark oak and earth are even up front, with the baking spice in the back half of the profile. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third has a profile of minerals and strong earth. Damp wood and tobacco notes are present with cocoa and baking spices. It has strength and body that is in line with the first and second third.
John: The final third begins with sweet wood and mildly dry wood in the post-draw. As it continues towards the halfway mark, light-plus earth mixes in with the wood. Medium-minus strength tannins develop on the finish through the bottom half of the last third.
Jiunn: No changes to the final third. The flavor profile continues to have a char over the flavors of mixed nuts, light cream, aged cedar and celery seeds. Strength and body finish the same medium.

Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times and the cigar went out once in the first third, requiring a re-light. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: The burn was perfect from start to finish.
John: The burn was straight and performed at an amazing level for the entire review process.
Jiunn: Perfect burn providing an even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto

Draw

Aaron: The draw was a bit tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: The draw on the cigar was slightly snug, but not a problem. It led to a slower smoking experience.
John: I measured the draw with the CigarMedics draw tester to 92 inches of water. My subjective take was that the draw was 5 – 6 notches towards the resistant spectrum, just a step down from being plugged.
Jiunn: The draw was slightly snug. Not a major deal but a notable one.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted oak, dark earth and some light baking spice. The oak gained a darkness pretty quickly as well and later some creaminess joined in. The second third saw the earth lose the darkness/richness and it increased a bit later on. The final third saw the earth become even with the oak up front and the creaminess departed. The Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around toasted dark oak and earth. The baking spice and creamy supporting notes never did enough to elevate the profile. While the price point is attractive, the flavor profile wouldn’t bring me back to this cigar, so overall, it’s a pass.
Seth: The Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto is an average robusto that delivers a rich flavor profile from beginning to end. It has this syrupy quality with a long finish and a medium-full strength and body level throughout. The mineral notes really grew as the cigar progressed, but it had a consistent baking spice and cocoa flavored profile. There was almost this licorice quality towards the end of the flavors melding together with strength and body. The burn and draw were very good throughout, but even with that it is not a blend I would come back to in the future. I don’t think it shows the strength of Honduran tobacco, especially Honduran Trojes, and I would have preferred a more balanced profile from beginning to end.
John: The Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto offers a smoking experience focused on earthy and woody flavors accented by mild spices and leather. As I continued, it progressed from dark earth and leather to creamy wood and subtle nuttiness while maintaining a medium level of intensity. I found the burn to be flawless, while the draw was extremely resistant and almost plugged. It’s hard to determine how much of a factor the draw played in the flavor delivery, but I think it’s fair to say this is a cigar I should probably try again to see if I can compare one with better construction. As I currently experienced, this is not a cigar I’d return to at any price point. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 54 minutes.
Jiunn: I wanted to go three for three for liking Raices Cubanas new releases but I’ll have to settle for (still an impressive) two for three. The Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto didn’t do it for me. The flavors were too hollow and rustic and left an unpleasant finish on my palate. As such, I don’t care to return back to this.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$1.94

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.45

Cost/Point

$1.93

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

4.63

Cost/Point

$2.27

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.60

Cost/Point

$1.88

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Raices Cubanas C5 Black Robusto