Pre-light Experience

The San Pedro de Macorís Nicaragua Robusto has a wrapper that is light brown with some darker marbling in places. There are a few slightly raised veins. The seams are smooth and really only visible in some areas due to color variation of the wrapper. The head is finished off with a well applied double cap that has a darker top cap than the rest of the wrapper. The band is the traditional design for the brand while this Nicaraguan offering has a color combination of black, baby blue, white and silver. The aroma from the wrapper is primarily hay with some barnyard in the background. The foot brings light wood, tobacco sweetness and a light white pepper. The pre-light draw brings dry wood with a light sweetness and spice.

Pre-light Experience

The San Pedro de Macorís Nicaragua Robusto has a lovely Colorado wrapper that is marbled in coloring and sports few veins throughout. Veins present are small in size and there is an aroma of leather, soft spices, wood and earth. The foot has a similar quality showing some spices, earth, cocoa and leather.

Pre-light Experience

With consistent branding across the line, the San Pedro de Macorís Nicaragua Robusto has the same band design but in silver, baby blue, white and black. Nosing the wrapper, I get aromas of graham cracker, cedar, baking spices and brown sugar. In the foot, light raisin with sweet tobacco.

First Third

The cigar begins with musty wood and light black pepper. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper has become quite faint. At a half inch in, a slight chalkiness joins the musty wood. At three quarters of an inch in, the chalkiness is replaced by a slightly dry earth. The retrohale consists of the slightly dry earth just ahead of the musty wood. As the third comes to a close, the wood gains a toasted note to go along with the mustiness while the slightly dry earth is fairly light. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

The first third begins by showing some dry earth, leather, cedar/oak and spice notes. I am picking up some cinnamon and pepper. Strength and body are around medium to medium-full.

First Third

My first few puffs and I’m tasting sweet graham cracker with a pleasant creaminess, cedar finishing the draw with mild white butter. A very smooth start. The post draw complexity evolves rapidly. The cedar on the retrohale moves up to medium minus with cedar taking on fresh and aged components. There are some tannic edges to the cedar which increase in intensity as the third continues. Graham cracker has defined the profile by the halfway point, for a pleasant experience. The bottom half has a post draw mostly defined by cedar.

Second Third

The second third continues on with the toasted and musty wood and slightly dry earth. The retrohale maintains the dry earth ahead of musty wood. As the third comes to a close, the mustiness has taken the lead in the profile as the toast note has left the wood. Some dry earth is still present in the background. The strength in this third bumped up to medium.

Second Third

I am in the second third now and picking up notes of cream, oak, dry earth and cocoa. The cocoa notes are more of a cocoa powder flavor and there is also some qualities showing some cinnamon and red pepper notes. Like before, the cigar is smoking at a level between medium and medium-full.

Second Third

In the second third, the retrohale settles into graham cracker with tannic cedar that carries through the middle and post draw of the profile. Those post draw tannins increase to medium almost medium plus and coat the palate aggressively. The graham cracker that defined the mid flavor profile continues to do the same through the second third.

Final Third

As the final third begins, some bitterness joins the profile. At a quarter inch in, the bitterness has mellowed slightly as the toast has returned to the wood to go along with the mustiness and faint dry earthiness. At a half inch in, the bitterness has departed. At an inch in, the cigar begins to warm up, bringing some mintiness to the profile. The retrohale has a light mintiness along with the musty wood. The strength in this third remained at medium.

Final Third

The final third is showing some leather, earth and those cedar and oak notes. I am also picking some of those spices, cinnamon and pepper. Strength and body right around the medium to medium-full level.

Final Third

Cedar defines the front, middle and post draw of the profile with the graham cracker falling off. Once the cigar has settled in, the graham cracker is faintly detectable but is then immediately run over by the mid profile cedar.

Burn

The burn was straight the entire way. The ash held on through each third.

Burn

The burn fluctuated between samples. In some cases it was very good and other cases just average. There were never any problems, but if you are looking for a beautiful burn line, it won’t be present.

Burn

Pretty textbook burn performance through the first and middle thirds. The final third develops a slight canoe which eventually requires a minor touch-up.

Draw

The draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The San Pedro de Macorís Nicaragua Robusto is another good offering in the San Pedro line. While I still prefer the Ecuador offering the best, the San Pedro de Macorís Nicaragua Robusto still provides a flavorful profile with perfect construction tied together with a great price. I think a little more time will help improve the flavor profile in the final third, but as it is now, it’s still an enjoyable cigar. You have to try this brand if you haven’t done so and I’m now looking forward to trying the Sun Grown.

Draw

Draw was very good from start to finish. Nice level of resistance and great bit of smoke production.

Overall

Royal Agio really has something with the San Pedro brand. The multiple offerings are all enjoyable and it is great to see them using a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper. It seems that so many people are going to Ecuador for their Habano wrapper, that when you get a Nicaraguan offering it really pops. Solid flavor profile from start to finish and while it is not my favorite San Pedro offering, the San Pedro de Macorís Nicaragua Robusto is very enjoyable with a fantastic price tag.

Draw

As with the other cigars in the San Pedro line, the draw here is in the perfect zone between resistant and open.

Overall

The San Pedro de Macorís Nicaragua Robusto had a rich and nuanced first and second third with balanced and enjoyable flavors. The last third lost most of the cigars complexity and was almost entirely driven by cedar flavors. This is another solid performer in the San Pedro line and I think Royal Agio is poised to clean up on the value category this year. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$0.96

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.37

Cost/Point

$0.86

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$0.81

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: San Pedro de Macorís Nicaragua Robusto