Aaron Loomis

 John McTavish

Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Vicente Blends Gold Standard V is light brown and has some decently raised veins present. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. The band is thick metal with a gold coating and has a V shape in the front with the company name and line name engraved on either side. The aroma from the wrapper is a mellow mix of cedar and earth while the foot brings musty cedar. The pre-light draw brings a lightly musty cedar and floral soapiness along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
John: The Vicente Blends Gold Standard V did not come in cellophane and there was no UPC sticker. There was a primary metal band, gold in color, that was quite heavy. I weighed the cigar with the band at 22.4 grams, and 14.3 grams without it.

Vicente Blends Gold Standard V

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar that carries a bitter bite to it along with some light earth. At a quarter inch in, that bitter bite is gone, and a mild creaminess has joined the profile. At a half inch in, the earth increases a bit, and a light leather joins the profile. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the earth increases a bit more. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is up front, a bit ahead of the earth, with some creaminess and leather in the background. The strength was slightly below medium.
John: The first third gets going with sweet tobacco, bread, wood, hay and mild spices as wood and hay finish. Through the post draw, wood is the defining flavor component. As the first third settles in, there is some mild dryness on my palate. I find the bread becoming more defined as pastry through the center of the profile. Some light-plus strength spices and wood team up in the center of the retrohale as sweet tobacco and bread leads off. On the post draw, spices join the wood to provide some balance as the first third progresses.

Vicente Blends Gold Standard V

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the toasted cedar gains a mild bitterness. At a half inch in, some black pepper joins in, just behind the middle of the profile. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with fuller black pepper. At an inch in, the creaminess picks up a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar with light bitterness is up front, with earth a bit behind, black pepper and creaminess just behind the middle of the profile with leather in the background. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
John: Creamy bread starts the second third and mixes with medium strength spices and wood which lingers well into the post draw. The spices quickly recede to light-plus strength after just a few puffs. At this point, I’m finding that the band is sliding around a bit, and distracting me so I remove it. By the halfway point, earth has come into the finish and serves to push the spices to a background note.

Vicente Blends Gold Standard V

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth inches closer up to the toasted cedar. At a half inch in, the black pepper picks up a bit. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar with light bitterness is up front, with earth a bit behind, black pepper in the middle of the profile with creaminess just behind and some leather in the background. The strength remained at slightly below medium.
John: The last third gets going with sweet wood at medium-minus strength as dry wood makes up the post draw. Bread returns to the retrohale as the last third settles in, some mild tannic wood mixing in as a background flavor. Moving towards the halfway point, some mild bitterness is present on the finish. By the halfway point, dry tannic wood is defining the post draw. During the bottom half, bread and wood lead off each puff with tannic, dry wood in the center and post draw. Some time later the bitter wood on the finish has moved up to medium strength.

Vicente Blends Gold Standard V

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times and required a touch-up to keep things in line. The cigar also went out twice, requiring re-lights and they showed a bit of tunneling occurring.
John: The burn was straight until the end of the first third where it became wavy. That waviness continued during the second third, eventually requiring a touch-up in the bottom half. The burn was relatively straight for the remainder of the review.

Vicente Blends Gold Standard V

Draw

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

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar that carries a bitter bite to it along with some light earth. The bitter bite departed fairly quickly and some mild creaminess joined in. Some leather joined a bit later. The second third caw the cedar gain a light bitterness and some black pepper joined in. The final third saw the black pepper increase a bit. The Vicente Blends Gold Standard V had an average flavor profile throughout, with the toasted cedar and earth being the drivers. It was a nice chance to try a new brand, but this offering didn’t grab my attention. Pair that with the large cost, and it’s not likely something I’d return to. I would be open to trying some of their other offerings though.
John: The Vicente Blends Gold Standard V was a brand I was unfamiliar with, and I was pleasantly surprised at the complex and layered flavor delivery for the first and second thirds. The last third had some of the same components but wasn’t able to find the same level of balance as the rest of the cigar. The draw was perfect while the burn was wavy for most of the review and required a touch-up to correct. This was an enjoyable cigar to review and firmly puts Vicente Blends on my radar as a brand I want to explore more. The only challenge for me is the price point, I think if this was a sub $20 cigar I would likely seek these out to smoke again, but over $20 I’d need the cigar to deliver the same flavor experience in the last third. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 16 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.45

Cost/Point

$7.71

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.72

Cost/Point

$6.25

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Vicente Blends Gold Standard V