Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the SP1014 Black 6×54 is between light and medium brown and has some decently raised veins present. The seams are smooth and the caps a bit wrinkled. The band is yellow, black and white and has a cartoonish old Cuban Cohiba style. The aroma from the wrapper is a very light mix of wood and earth while the foot brings a mix of cedar and bread. The pre-light draw is primarily cedar with light amounts of earth and floral notes.
Seth: Average in appearance, the SP1014 Black 6×54 has a light Maduro coloring. The wrapper itself is rough in appearance, and is finished with small to large sized veins throughout. Leather in texture. Some soft spots with aromas of charred wood, earth, coffee beans, rich earth and spices.
John: The SP1014 Black 6×54 comes in cellophane, does not have a UPC sticker and has a single band. As I removed the cellophane I observed that the cellophane was quite tight on the cigar, which I can’t recall having observed before. The cigar weighed in at 20.9 grams, while the humidity as measured by the HumidiMeter Pro registered at 62.7%. Aromas from the wrapper included sourdough bread and wood. From the foot, I was getting sweet tobacco and hay.
Jiunn: The SP1014 Black 6×54 has a Colorado Red wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper tell of ample barnyard. Aromas from the foot give spicy cedar, cigar ash and leather. Cold draw provides cedar, hay and mixed nuts.

Team Cigar Review: SP1014 Black 6×54

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar with light earth and cinnamon. At a quarter inch in, the cinnamon transitions to a general baking spice. At a half inch in, a light creaminess becomes present. The retrohale is a smoother mix of the same components from the mouth draws. At an inch and a half in, the earth picks up a bit while the baking spice and creaminess are very light. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth, with light baking spice and creaminess in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third delivered muddled flavors of earth, charred oak, damp wood, some spices and faint chocolate notes. It was not overly complex, and no flavor popped or showed finesse. A bowl of muddled flavors. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: Sweet wood and hay opens the first third as sweet tobacco, spices and wood combine through the retrohale. Some post draw spice ramps up to medium-full almost immediately. As the first third continues, some chocolate is present on the retrohale at light-plus strength. The spices calm down to medium as the first third continues. Some bread adds to the retrohale mix progressing towards the halfway point.
Jiunn: The first third shows a fair amount of nuances and balance. All flavors are hitting the same linear peak, with buttered toast, slightly sweet dried nuts, cream, cedar and a hint of vanilla. Retrohaling awakens the palate with dried red pepper spice and cedar. The finish is short with buttered toast and cedar. Strength and body is medium.

Team Cigar Review: SP1014 Black 6×54

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the baking spice picks up a bit. At a half inch in, the flavor components are all muddled together and has this damp cedar finish. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and mild baking spice. At an inch and a quarter in, the earth is now even with the toasted cedar up front. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with light baking spice and creaminess in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third was really much the same as the first. Muddled flavors of damp wood, tobacco, earth, spices and some cocoa. Again, medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The second third retrohale opens with bread, wood and spices, all at medium strength. Some earth comes through on the finish as the second third settles in. Tannic wood defines the center of the profile as the second third continues. There were no other flavor changes through the second third to remark on.
Jiunn: The second third improves from the first third. The flavors taste more full, especially the notes of dried nuts and cream. The finish is also lengthier. Strength and body remains medium.

Team Cigar Review: SP1014 Black 6×54

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth takes a slight lead in the profile. The retrohale is now just toasted cedar and earth. At an inch in, the toast level becomes a bit heavy and there is now a light wood and vegetal bitterness present. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is slightly ahead of the toasted cedar with baking spice, cream and wood/vegetal bitterness in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third was right in line with the second. In some ways, a little bit harsher and more mineral forward. Earthy with charred oak, tobacco, leather, chocolate and spices. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: The last third gets going with tannic wood as a dry wood finishes the puff. There is some earthiness coming through on the finish and post draw as it settles in. Tannic wood and earth carries the profile for the remainder of the last third.
Jiunn: The final third goes back to the first third in which it’s a bit light in flavors, but also maintaining overall nuance and balance. Strength and body finishes the same medium.

Team Cigar Review: SP1014 Black 6×54

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times, but never needed any attention. The ash held on in inch and three quarter increments.
Seth: Burn was never great, but also not a problem. Does that make sense?
John: The burn was uneven through the first third, which continued into the second third, eventually requiring a touch-up. The burn was uneven through the last third requiring a second touch-up.
Jiunn: Burn performance was perfect. Even burn, ample smoke production, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

Team Cigar Review: SP1014 Black 6×54

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: Loose draw.
John: The draw was at most a 1/2 notch towards the open spectrum, putting it in the ideal range for a perfect draw.
Jiunn: Flawless draw, giving the best balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar with light earth and cinnamon. The cinnamon transitioned to a general baking spice fairly quickly and some cream joined a bit later. The second third saw all of the components become a bit muddled. The final third saw a wood/vegetal bitterness join in. The SP1014 Black 6×54 had a nice flavor profile for the first inch or so and then fell off a bit as the profile became a bit muddled. The profile was fairly linear the rest of the way. Overall, not a very exciting cigar. It fared a bit better than the first offering from the brand, but it’s not a cigar I’d see myself returning to.
Seth: I wasn’t blown away by the SP1014 Black 6×54, and the price does not make it more appealing as a consumer. The packaging doesn’t do anything for me either, so I am not buying the cigar to look cool. The cigar delivered these muddled flavors from start to finish. Nothing stood out, and the combined profile did not deliver an enjoyable experience. Don’t be fooled by the notes. It was flat from start to finish.
John: The SP1014 Black 6×54 started out well enough, with some good flavor combinations that kept me engaged. As the cigar progressed, it became more linear, and by the halfway point was largely unremarkable. The draw was perfect, while the burn was uneven through the review and required two different touch-ups to correct. While the price point on the SP1014 Black 6×54 is quite reasonable for today’s market, this isn’t a flavor profile or format I’d be interested in returning to. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 11 minutes.
Jiunn: Words I used like balanced and nuanced are positive indicators of a good cigar. However, when these words are paired with light flavors, then it becomes not as good. If the flavors were fuller like the second third, the smoking experience would be entirely different. But as is, the thin flavors created an overall lackluster smoking experience with the SP1014 Black 6×54, in which I will pass on in the future.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.50

Cost/Point

$2.00

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.00

Cost/Point

$2.20

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.90

Cost/Point

$1.86

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.80

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: SP1014 Black 6×54