Pre-light Experience

A very light brown wrapper with some visible veins that carry a slightly darker color to them. The seams are very well blended and the three caps are nicely applied. There is a simple pastel green band with thin white lettering and artwork. The aroma from the wrapper is a light hay while the foot aroma is a bit fuller hay with a slight sweetness. The pre-light draw brings the same slightly sweet hay that I got from the foot aroma, along with the addition of a decent spice tingle on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Warped Villa Sombra Mojitos sports a veiny, claro shade wrapper. One major vein protrudes from the wrapper. Seams appear overall smooth and tight. Bunching and roll feels well executed as there is a uniformed give throughout the entire cigar. The head is finished off with a well adhered triple cap. Nosing the wrapper gives fresh barnyard, cedar and slight white pepper. Nosing the foot gives white pepper and dry nuts. Cold draw reveals dry cardboard, hay, dry wood, salt and slight white pepper.

First Third

Initial draws bring a creamy nutmeg. After a few draws, a wood note joins the creamy nutmeg. The retrohale consists of the nutmeg with a nice zing to it. At a half inch, the cream, nutmeg and wood are really nicely balanced. At an inch in, the nutmeg mellows quite a bit leaving the creamy wood as the primary note. The retrohale is primarily wood with a slight bit of nutmeg remaining. As the third comes to a close, the wood gains a bit of toastiness which mixes well with the cream and there is still a slight hit of nutmeg in the background. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

The first third has a nice array of flavors providing toasted wood, dry nuts, bread and balanced full mouth feel of black pepper spice. Quarter inch in, a tasty slightly burnt butter forms, mixing very well with the other flavors. Through the nose, elevated levels of black pepper, cedar and dry nuts. The finish is soft and light, giving notes of bread, creamed dry nuts and generic dry wood. In terms of body and strength, medium.

Second Third

As this third begins, the creamy and toasty wood is the lone note as the nutmeg has completely gone away. At a half inch in, the nutmeg comes back to the background very faintly. At an inch in, a slight bitterness joins the profile and pushed the nutmeg out. As the third comes to a close, the profile is creamy and toasty oak along with a slight bitterness. The strength in this third is right at medium.

Second Third

The second third still has a similar profile but the individual notes taste less full and distinct. Instead, the profile is now a bit muddled. The profile is still dominant with a full mouth feel of black pepper, toasted wood, dry nuts and bread. The buttery aspect is gone, and replaced by hay. Through the nose, still increased black pepper, cedar and dry nuts. The finish continues to be soft and light with notes of lightly charred wood, black pepper and bread. In regards to body and strength, still medium.

Final Third

As this third begins, the cream has moved to the background while the toasty wood is up front. The bitterness is just minor and only on the finish. At a half inch in, the bitterness increases a bit. At an inch in, the cream ramps back up and becomes even with the toasty wood. This is how the cigar finishes. The strength in this third was just slightly above medium.

Final Third

The last third is namely cream and black pepper spice oriented. Further, a harsh bitterness forms, increasing in intensity, especially towards the middle of the last third. The retrohale remains unchanged, still giving increased black pepper, cedar and dry nuts. The finish is no longer soft and light, producing lightly charred wood, cream and black pepper spice. Body and strength continues to be at the medium mark.

Burn

I really fought the burn on this one. Early on it seemed as though the wrapper wasn’t burning, and then later on there were sections of the filler/wrapper that wouldn’t burn and required touch-ups. There were also two relights required.

Burn

The burn performance was overall good. Total smoking time came in at an impressive 2.5 hours. Burn line was wavy at all times, with one minor touch-up needed within the last third. Ashes were slightly flowery throughout the entire time, averaging one inch marks.

Draw

The draw was just slightly tighter than I prefer.

Overall

This is another nice new Connecticut. Some really nice flavors with the nutmeg, wood and cream and then a toasty note that came along later. My biggest issue was having to babysit the burn. I’ll definitely revisit this hoping for better burn performance and if that improves, the score will just increase. The strength level is a good fit for this cigar, and some people may find this a great daily smoke as I could see this to be a great pairing with coffee in the morning.

Draw

The draw although good, was noticeably on the tighter end of the spectrum. Even cutting the cigar to the very end of the cap yielded no improvements.

Overall

The first third showed tremendous balance of distinct and well melded flavors, but unfortunately as the cigar progressed, the profile became muddled and ended with dominating bitter harshness. I’d like to revisit this cigar in half a year to a year in the hopes of the performance mimicking the first third. At this point, just smoking a great first third isn’t quite good enough.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.60

Cost/Point

$1.33

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.67

Cost/Point

$1.32

Scoring System