Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Surrogates Closing Time is light brown, with a network of raised veins. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are two bands, both in a black and white color combination. The primary band carries the line name while the secondary denotes the brand name. The aroma from the wrapper is a light mix of cedar and earth while the foot brings a mix of cedar, bread and earth. The pre-light draw brings cedar, earth and a mild spice, along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Surrogates Closing Time is decent in appearance. It is in line with the Surrogates brand, but it’s not the prettiest of cigars. It has a dark Natural, somewhat Colorado wrapper that is oily with medium sized veins. Some tooth present. The black bands and design don’t pop against the dark natural wrapper.
John: The Surrogates Closing Time came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar information which tears when the cellophane is opened. There is a primary “Closing Time” band along with a secondary “surrogates” band. I weighed the cigar at 15.6 grams and measured the humidity at 60.6% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Nosing the wrapper, I was getting aromas of tobacco, mild earth, wood and sweetness. From the foot, I could detect hay, wood and sweetness.

Surrogates Closing Time

First Third

Aaron: As the cigar begins, it provides a detailed profile of toasted cedar, black pepper and earth. At a half inch in, the black pepper is quite bold. At three quarters of an inch, the pepper has settled back down, back in between the toasted cedar and earth. The retrohale is toasted cedar, zingy black pepper and mild earth. At an inch and a half in, the earth is now even with the toasted cedar up front, with the black pepper right behind. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar moves just ahead of the earth, with the black pepper just a bit further behind. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third begins with a dry profile of leather, wood, tobacco and barnyard. Faint dry earth notes with some pepper and spices on the finish. Medium in strength and body. Not overly complex or challenging.
John: The first third gets going with sweet tobacco as mild spices finish. In the retrohale, I’m picking up on bread, wood, medium strength spices and a spice and wood combination to finish. Pepper joins the finish and post draw as it continues at medium-full intensity. That pepper fades to light plus as the first third continues, as bread leads the retrohale. By the halfway point, wood is the dominant flavor on the finish.

Surrogates Closing Time

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper has mellowed a fair amount. At a half inch in, the earth mellows a bit. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and light earth. At an inch and a quarter, a light creaminess joins the profile. At an inch and a half in, the earth picks back up a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is up front, with earth in the middle and light amounts of black pepper and creaminess in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Some herbal qualities are present with the dry spices. Earth, leather, wood and tobacco. The cigar continues to smoke at that medium level in terms of strength and body.
John: My initial flavor impression is medium strength spicy tobacco on the retrohale which evolves into medium-full pepper on the finish. That pepper fades with medium strength wood with mild tannins defining the post draw as it continues towards the halfway point. Bread moves into the center of the retrohale by the halfway point.

Surrogates Closing Time

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the black pepper picks up a bit. At three quarters of an inch in, the earth is once again right behind the toasted cedar. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with mild black pepper. At an inch in, the toast level becomes pretty heavy. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper is now right behind the earth. At closing time, the profile was heavily toasted cedar up front, with earth right behind and black pepper just behind that, with light creaminess in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third delivers some dry earth, tobacco and wood. Herbal and mineral spices on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: Creamy wood leads off with mildly bitter wood to finish and linger on the post draw. That same creamy wood drives the profile as it continues with bitterness fading on the finish.

Surrogates Closing Time

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times, but always self corrected. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: The burn was great from beginning to end.
John: The burn was straight to start with some waviness as it continued. The cigar went out at the halfway point of the second third, requiring a re-light. The burn continued uneven in the last third.

Surrogates Closing Time

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was fantastic.
John: The draw was at most one notch into the open spectrum which puts it in the ideal range between open and resistant for an amazing draw score.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began, with toasted cedar, black pepper and earth. The second third saw the pepper and earth mellow a fair amount and a light creaminess joined in. The final third saw the earth and pepper both ramp back up. The Surrogates Closing Time had an average flavor profile throughout. It started pretty bold, then mellowed through the second third and then ramped back up in the final third. The price point is attractive, but the flavor profile wasn’t really exciting enough for me to want to come back with any real frequency.
Seth: The Surrogates Closing Time was an average cigar from beginning to end. I am curious about the Mexican tobacco in the blend, and how much is in the filler, because I did not really experience it’s presence in the blend. At least in a positive way. I am curious if they left the blend entirely Nicaraguan if the blend would be better. I think it needed some more strength for the flavors delivered.
John: The Surrogates Closing Time delivered some interesting and engaging flavors in the first third. The cigar remained pleasant in the second third but lacked most of the character delivered previously, and became linear through the last third. The draw was perfect, while the burn required a re-light at the halfway point. Overall, the flavor profile was above average, and the price point is reasonable in the 2024 marketplace. This might be something I could see myself picking up to revisit. Total smoking time was value forward at 2 hours and 30 minutes on the nose.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$1.77

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.50

Cost/Point

$1.82

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.90

Cost/Point

$1.69

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Surrogates Closing Time