Pre-light Experience

Seth: The Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro is subpar in appearance. The cigar appears to be finished with a Connecticut seed wrapper, from where only Aaron knows, but it is of lower quality. It is silky and leather like in texture with small to medium veins. Aromas on the cigar are that of cedar, hay, tobacco and earth.
John: The Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro features a wrapper color that sits between Colorado and Colorado Claro. I weighed the cigar at 14.4 grams and measured the humidity at 64.6% using the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet hay, grassy undertones and clover, while the foot offered faint barnyard, hay and earth.
Jiunn: The Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro wrapper has a duller shade of Colorado claro. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas give ample barnyard and some stale cedar wood.

Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro

First Third

Seth: The first third begins with cedar, hay and tobacco notes. There are some earth and faint spice notes, but nothing substantial. It is one-dimensional, and I would classify the cigar as lacking. Not bad, but nothing for me or a cigar smoker. I would classify the cigar as just under medium for strength and body.
John: The first third opens with creamy tobacco and wood leading the profile, while sweet wood carries through the finish, joined by faint tannic accents on the post draw. As the cigar progresses, the profile remains fairly stable, with additional grass and clover notes building into the finish, reinforcing its lighter, more natural character.
Jiunn: The first third creates a soft and tamer flavor profile centered around cedar and hay. On the retrohale there’s more intense flavors of dried red pepper spice and a mild creaminess. The finish shows cedar wood and associated wood tannins. Strength and body is medium.

Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro

Second Third

Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Hard to determine if this cigar is bad, or just a simple cigar. Notes of cedar, hay and tobacco. There are some earth notes as well. Just under medium in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with a combination of dry hay and wood, with grassy elements moving into the center and mildly tannic wood defining the finish. As it settles in, a touch of chocolate appears through the retrohale, adding a brief layer of nuance. Overall, the profile settles into a very traditional Connecticut-shade style, with sweet tobacco leading, supported by dry hay and wood, and a mildly tannic finish.
Jiunn: The second third continues to be centered around cedar and hay. The pepper spice starts to form more on the mouth draws but it’s fairly insignificant. Strength and body continues to be medium.

Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro

Final Third

Seth: The final third is lacking what is delivered in the second third, and just plain flat. Just under medium in strength and body.
John: The final third opens with creamy sweet tobacco and dry, tannic wood at just under medium-minus strength. As the cigar progresses, dry hay on the post draw increases to just over medium strength, adding a more pronounced dryness to the profile.
Jiunn: The final third’s flavor profile is still all about cedar and hay. But this time around, the cedar becomes stale, which brings down some of the enjoyment. The retrohale is the best part as the flavors are direct and full. Strength and body finish the same medium.

Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro

Burn

Seth: The cigar had a very good burn.
John: The burn was straight through the first and second thirds, with the ash holding and dropping in consistent one-inch increments. Minor waviness appeared in the final third but required no intervention.
Jiunn: Burn performance was great as the burn line was razor sharp, ample smoke production and cool burning temperatures.

Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro

Draw

Seth: The draw was loose throughout the cigar.
John: The draw measured 50 inches of water on the Cigar Medics draw tester. Subjectively, it sat at most one notch into the resistant spectrum, placing it comfortably within the ideal range.
Jiunn: The draw was slightly snug but not a huge deal.

Overall

Seth: This Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro is not a cigar I would smoke again or even recommend. It is too lacking, and some may say it is a great introductory cigar, but you need more. You need to start smokers off on the right start, and this does not do that as an introductory cigar. I truly hope we don’t spend a lot of time trying to determine where this cigar is from and who is behind the blend. I do hope this is a cheap cigar.
John: This cigar delivers a classic, easygoing profile that leans heavily into Connecticut-style characteristics, with sweet tobacco, hay, wood and grassy notes forming the backbone from start to finish. The first third does a nice job of establishing that identity, with creamy textures and subtle clover notes adding a bit of distinction early on. As the cigar progresses, it settles into a more familiar rhythm, with dry hay and wood taking on a larger role and the tannic qualities gradually becoming more noticeable. The brief appearance of chocolate in the second third adds a moment of intrigue, but it doesn’t significantly alter the overall direction of the profile. The final third leans further into dryness, with hay and tannic wood becoming more assertive. While this shift doesn’t push the cigar out of balance, it does make the experience feel more linear as it approaches the finish. From a construction standpoint, this cigar performs exceptionally well, with a near-flawless burn and an ideal draw that make for an effortless smoking experience. In the end, the Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro is a well-executed example of a traditional, lighter-profile cigar. It doesn’t aim to be complex or transformative, but it succeeds in delivering a consistent and enjoyable experience, earning its good rating through balance, construction and reliability rather than bold evolution. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 6 minutes.
Jiunn: This Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro is your typical mild Connecticut shade, offering wood and grassy hay flavors. What it lacks is a dimension of dessert or pastry like sweetness to go from average to good. Nothing foul, nothing amazing, just right down the middle average.

Seth Geise

SCORE

4.33

Cost/Point

$3.35

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.47

Cost/Point

$2.24

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.60

Cost/Point

$2.59

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Tradecraft Vitruvian Toro