Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a near medium brown and has some well pressed veins that are visible. The seams are slightly visible but smooth. The head appears to be finished off with a quadruple cap and the cigar carries no band. With no band, you really focus on the wrapper and it looks very nice. The aroma from the wrapper is a mild leather while the foot brings some hay and a light cherry sweetness. The pre-light draw brings a pretty sweet hay note.

Pre-light Experience

The Warped Lirio Rojo has a fine sandpaper grit like medium brown wrapper. Veins are well pressed and seams tight and almost invisible. Bunch and roll feels well executed as there are no soft spots and a uniformed give persists throughout the entire cigar. The head is finished off with a well adhered triple cap. Nosing the wrapper gives a mixture of flowers and fresh cedar. Nosing the foot tells white pepper and roasted mixed nuts. Cold draw reveals hay and dry wood.

First Third

Initial draws bring a really nice mix of wood and baking spices. At a quarter inch in, a nuttiness joins the wood and spice. The retrohale is primarily baking spice which gives a bit of a zing. At three quarters of an inch in, the nuttiness leaves and the wood and baking spice really intertwine. The retrohale gains a little cream which smooths out the baking spice. At an inch and a quarter, some cream joins the profile which lessens the spice and mixes well with the wood. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

First Third

First third brings a cohesive mix of flavors. Notes of toast, hay, creamed coffee and subtle black pepper. The black pepper becomes more prominent at the 1.5 inch mark, but still mixing well with the other aforementioned flavors. Retrohaling brings deeper black pepper and a rich roasted nuttiness. The finish is medium in length and is comprised of hay, dry wood and subtle black pepper. Strength and body is medium within the entire first third.

Second Third

As the third begins, the creaminess has faded away and some black pepper has joined the wood. At a half inch in, a fair amount of cream returns to the profile which mellows the pepper and creates a nice mix with the wood. At three quarters of an inch, the cream and pepper drop out and a slightly drying wood remains. At an inch and a quarter, a slight bit of cream returns to the wood to get rid of the dryness. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Second Third

Second third’s flavors is made up of mixed nuts, creamed bread (instead of the toast), decreased black pepper and hay. The decrease in spice from the mouth draws is picked up on the retrohale, in addition to the same rich roasted nuttiness. The finish is still medium in length with namely hay and dry wood. Strength and body is still at a consistent medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the wood and slight cream continue while a faint mintiness is present in the background. At a half inch in, the cigar warms up slightly which enhances the wood note a bit and some light cream remains along with a bit of mintiness in the background. At an inch in, the cream increases slightly which creates a more well rounded profile. This is how the cigar finishes. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Final Third

The most notable differences between the second third and last third is the increased black pepper spice and strength nearing medium-full. The profile is still comprised of hay and mixed nuts with the addition of a dry wood. The creamed coffee comes and goes in an intermittent fashion. The finish becomes more lengthy, with a combination of black pepper spice and dry wood. Body finishes at the medium mark.

Burn

The burn was a bit wavy through the first half of the cigar, and then in the second half, I battled the burn where the cigar went out multiple times and required re-lights. These burn issues did have an effect on flavor. When the cigar was burning, the ash held on in one inch increments.

Burn

Great burn performance. Even burn, solid ash marks averaging shorter half inch marks, and cool burning. Most importantly, I never had to use my lighter to touch-up or re-light.

Draw

The draw was fairly snug the entire way, and a draw tool provided no relief.

Overall

The cigar started out great through the first half, and then burn issues took a toll on the flavor. I’m hoping that Jiunn has a better constructed cigar and can provide better insight into how the cigar finishes. If the cigar would have kept up the flavor from the first half it would have scored very well. With this being a limited release, I probably wouldn’t try to track more down, but if you come across one, I would definitely recommend giving it a try and hope for better construction.

Draw

The draw was on the tight end of the spectrum. Not a big deal but a notable one.

Overall

Like the vast majority (if not all) of Warped offerings, the Lirio Rojo is a cigar that is flavor focused. Although a good cigar, it did not have any wow factors like the Maestro Del Tiempo 6102R or the La Colmena Black Honey. Wow in the sense of having that extra pop in fullness of flavors, so good you’d want to smoke the entire box/bundle in one sitting.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.73

Cost/Point

$1.74

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.80

Cost/Point

$1.47

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Warped Lirio Rojo