Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Topper 1894 Corona is a medium reddish-brown with the raised, knotty veins carrying a lighter color to them. The seams are a bit raised while the caps are well applied. The band is white, gold and orangish-red and denotes the company and line. The aroma from the wrapper is a mild mix of wood and earth while the foot brings a fuller combination of cedar and earth. The pre-light draw brings musty cedar, hay and earth along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The Topper 1894 Corona is a solid looking cigar with a decent wrapper. The band is not that great, and in some way, it takes away from the wrapper, but the wrapper is decent. Medium sized veins throughout with a coarse and leather like texture. The coloring is right around Colorado, and it has a nice reddish hue overall. Aromas of tobacco, barnyard, earth, cocoa, spices and coffee.
John: The Topper 1894 Corona came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar information that tore as the cellophane was opened. I weighed the cigar at 14.3 grams and measured the humidity at 66.4% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included light, sweet hay and wood. Out of the foot, I could detect mild earth and wood.

Topper 1894 Corona

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with lightly toasted oak, gritty earth and mild black pepper. At a half inch in, some mustiness joins the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the black pepper is very mild. The retrohale is musty, toasted oak, earth and light black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the musty, toasted oak is up front, with earth a bit behind and some mild black pepper in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third begins with musty barnyard notes that are paired with some mushroom and warm spices. Bread and coffee notes are present. Tobacco, earth and cloves as well. Medium in strength and body.
John: The first third gets going with sweet and spicy wood, tobacco to follow and wood to finish and linger into the post draw. As the first third continues, a mild fruit sweetness is present on the retrohale. Some bread notes join the center of the retrohale as the cigar progresses to the halfway point. Not long after, mild tannins accent the wood on the finish. The tannins pick up strength to medium through the post draw in the bottom half.

Topper 1894 Corona

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth picks up and is now right behind the musty, toasted oak. At a half inch in, the black pepper has departed. At three quarters of an inch in, the toast level increases a bit, and the profile gains a bit of meatiness. The retrohale is now just musty, toasted oak and earth. At an inch and a half in, the earth is now even with the musty, toasted oak up front. As the third comes to a close, the musty, toasted oak and earth are even up front, with some meatiness in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third delivers some sharper spice notes but still has that must and mushroom flavor profile. Bread notes are present as well with some strong coffee, earth and cloves. Still medium in strength and body.
John: In the second third, I am getting tobacco, spices and tannic wood which lingers well into the post draw. That profile remains consistent as the cigar continues to the halfway point where tannic wood is driving the post draw. Bread and spices are at the front of the draw by the halfway point, with spices and mildly tannic wood on the finish.

Topper 1894 Corona

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level becomes pretty heavy. At a quarter inch in, some light black pepper returns to the profile. The retrohale remains musty, toasted oak and earth. At an inch in, the heavy toast is now a light char. As the cigar wraps up, the musty, lightly charred oak and earth are even up front, with light black pepper and meatiness in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the second. Leather and sharp spice notes. Coffee with bits of spices and bread as well. Finish with tobacco and fruity qualities. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: A woody open in the last third which stays all the way into the post draw. As the last third settles in, mild bread returns to the retrohale. After the re-light, medium strength spices are present on the retrohale. Moving towards the halfway point, medium strength tannic wood is defining the post draw.

Topper 1894 Corona

Burn

Aaron: The burn was fairly wavy at times, but would self correct. The cigar went out once in the second third, requiring a re-light. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: Good burn from start to finish.
John: The burn was relatively straight through the first and second thirds. The cigar went out in the last third, requiring a re-light.

Topper 1894 Corona

Draw

Aaron: The draw was fairly snug throughout, but didn’t have an effect on the smoking experience.
Seth: Nice draw throughout.
John: The draw was well into the resistant spectrum, roughly 3-1/2 to 4 notches.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with lightly toasted oak, gritty earth and mild black pepper. Some mustiness joined in fairly quickly. The black pepper became pretty mild a bit later. The second third saw the black pepper depart and the earth become even with the oak up front. Some meatiness also joined in. The final third saw some black pepper return and the toast level built up to a light char. The Topper 1894 Corona had an average flavor profile throughout, focused mainly around the musty, toasted oak and earth. Not really a cigar I’d see myself coming back to, but with the unique wrapper being used, I’d be interested in trying one of the larger ring gauge offerings to see if that may have an effect on the overall flavor experience.
Seth: The Topper 1894 Corona is a good cigar, and it is consistent and enjoyable from vitola to vitola in the line. The blend is complex, and it shows depth throughout. There is not a lot of transitioning through each third, but the blend was able to carry itself and deliver each third. The burn and draw were decent as well, and the strength and body blended well with the flavors. I would definitely come back to this cigar, and would have a hard time choosing between what vitola to smoke.
John: The Topper 1894 Corona delivered a pleasant flavor delivery for the majority of the review, but I didn’t find the flavors or combinations particularly engaging or dynamic. The burn required a single re-light and the draw was well into the resistant spectrum. I’ve had a number of enjoyable cigars from Topper and I think the price point here is very attractive for the current market. The flavor delivery isn’t enough that I would want to return to this in the future. The burn was a very slow and value forward 2 hours and 43 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$1.67

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.32

Cost/Point

$1.39

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.10

Cost/Point

$1.72

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Topper 1894 Corona