Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Warzone Rabito is between light and medium brown and has some marbling. There are some raised veins present along with some raised seams. The head is well finished with a small twist at the top. The band is the traditional design for this line. The aroma from the wrapper is grassy hay and wood while the foot brings a mix of wood and bread. The pre-light draw brings a sweet, aged cedar note.
Seth: The Warzone Rabito is a great looking cigar. Nice pigtail cap. Solid coloring of dark Natural. Slightly gritty with some faint oils. Minor tooth. Coffee bean coloring. Aromas of spices, leather, wood, fruits and bread.
John: The Warzone Rabito comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker with an integrated tear space so it remains intact when opened. The cigar is single banded, and has an artisanal complication of a ‘nipple’ cap. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet raisin, bread, wood, tobacco and faint clove. From the foot, there was sweet hay, clover, tobacco and musty wood.

Team Cigar Review: Warzone Rabito

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with musty, toasted cedar and a heavy black pepper. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper settles down a bit. At a half inch in, a mild creaminess joins the profile. The retrohale is creamy, toasted cedar and lightly zingy black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the toasted cedar becomes a bit dry. As the third comes to a close, the profile is musty, slight dry toasted cedar up front with black pepper a bit behind and light creaminess in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: Strong spice notes with rich earth and mineral qualities. Leather and wood present as well. Bits of peppery bread flavors. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third begins with creamy wood, as light pepper finishes into the draw and a delayed dry wood is present moments later. Some creamy vegetal flavors, along with an earth and wood combination work their way into the center of the profile as the cigar progresses. Chocolate and bread make up the retrohale, as post draw pepper moves up to medium-full intensity. That intense pepper immediately begins to come down in strength with each puff.

Team Cigar Review: Warzone Rabito

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the black pepper mellows a bit more. At a quarter inch in, a light chalkiness joins the profile and the black pepper is now pretty light. The retrohale is now musty, toasted cedar and mild black pepper. At an inch in, the black pepper picks back up a bit. As the third wraps up, the musty, toasted cedar remains up front with black pepper a bit behind and light chalkiness and creaminess in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: Cinnamon and pepper spice notes present. Bits of toast with leather and wood. Manure and earth qualities. Mineral notes as well. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: Sweet bread leads off here, with mildly dry wood and mild pepper following and lingering into the post draw. Light-plus strength cereal establishes itself in the center of the draw as it progresses. The flavor combinations here are much softer than the first third.

Team Cigar Review: Warzone Rabito

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level increases a bit and the black pepper drops back down a bit. The retrohale is now musty, toasted cedar with light creaminess. At three quarters of an inch in, the black pepper is no longer present. As the cigar wraps up, the profile is musty, toasted cedar up front with light chalkiness and creaminess in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third is similar to that of the second third. Cinnamon and pepper spice qualities with mineral qualities. Leather and wood as well. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: My first few puffs here are sweet, creamy bread, wood, and dry wood carrying into the post draw. Some sweet vegetation moves into the center of the profile, lingering for some time. After the re-light, earth is present, but becomes a background note after the cigar progresses for a few minutes. Chocolate breaks into the retrohale through the bottom half.

Team Cigar Review: Warzone Rabito

Burn

Aaron: The burn was slightly wavy at times and the cigar went out once, requiring a re-light. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: Very good burn from start to finish.
John: The burn was straight through the first and second thirds, with an ash up to one inch before I knocked it off. The cigar went out in the last third, requiring a re-light.

Team Cigar Review: Warzone Rabito

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: Great draw throughout.
John: The draw was at most a half notch towards the resistant spectrum, putting it in the ideal range between open and resistant.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with musty, toasted cedar and a heavy black pepper. Some mild creaminess joined a bit later. The second third saw a light chalkiness join in. The final third saw the black pepper depart. The Warzone Rabito had an average flavor profile throughout. The combination of flavors were pretty standard and it didn’t do anything to elevate itself. This experience was pretty on par with the Short Churchill and if I cam back to this line, I would go with the Robusto. I wouldn’t see myself really coming back to this vitola.
Seth: The Warzone Rabito was a nice addition to the Warzone offerings. The cigar was spicier and fuller in body and strength than past releases, but it still offered those complex and enjoyable flavor qualities. Much more concentrated in this smaller offering. There was transitioning throughout, but it did get stronger and show a lot of mineral qualities in the end. I do think the cigar, like all Warzones will age well, and if you wanted a little more strength and body with Warzone, this cigar captures those qualities.
John: The Warzone Rabito managed to engage with flavor intensity all the way from light-plus to medium-full and transition through each third in a way that was interesting and engaging. I think the Rabito size of the Warzone is my favorite so far. The draw was perfect, and the cigar went out in the last third which could have been due to my slow smoking rate. I will happily seek out more Warzone Rabito’s to smoke, especially given the affordable price point. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 45 minutes exactly.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$1.70

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.57

Cost/Point

$1.40

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.97

Cost/Point

$1.32

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Warzone Rabito