Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the perfecto shaped West Tampa Devil Crab is a dull medium brown and has some raised veins present. The seams are smooth and the head is finished with a tightly wound pigtail. The band is a craft paper style and has the company logo, line name and image of a crab on the front, all in blue, with the company logo also on back. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of bakers chocolate and dark earth. The foot opening was too small for me to detect anything other than the wrapper aromas. The pre-light draw brings light sweet cedar and some dusty earth.
Seth: The West Tampa Devil Crab is nice looking perfecto. The bands look a little rustic, and it reminds me of the MUWAT Kentucky Fire Cured band. The cigar is firm throughout and finished with a nice maduro wrapper. It has a soft chocolate brown coloring, and there are few veins present throughout. The aromas are that of rich earth, cocoa, soft spices, tobacco and leather.
John: The West Tampa Devil Crab comes in cellophane with a UPC sticker containing the cigar information, which tears when the cellophane is opened. For artisanal complications, the cigar has a pigtail cap. The cigar weighed 15.5 grams, and I measured the humidity at 61.3% with the Humidimeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included very sweet tobacco, coffee and rich earth, with raisin in the background. I couldn’t pick out any aromas from the foot as it was barely exposed due to the shape.
Jiunn: The West Tampa Devil Crab has an attractive “flying pig” style perfecto shape with the man bun and everything. Wrapper coloration is Colorado Maduro. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped. Pre-light aromas consist of softness in game/meat and a hint of dried red pepper spice.

West Tampa Devil Crab

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, a very nice baking spice delivery and some earth. At a half inch in, the baking spice becomes a little less detailed and the earth picks up a bit. The retrohale is an even mix of toasted cedar, baking spice and earth. At three quarters of an inch in, some cocoa powder joins in and is playing nicely with the baking spice. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is a bit ahead of the baking spice, with earth a bit further behind and some cocoa powder in the back half of the profile. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third opens with soft cocoa and wheat toast flavors. Tobacco, dry earth and warm spices are present as well. Cinnamon, cloves and pepper are present with this dark currant and berry jam profile. The finish has this Nutella quality. Medium in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with dry spices and wood, as mild dry wood takes up the post draw. On the retrohale, the spices bring added complexity and a meaty savoriness. After a few puffs, that meaty savoriness transitions into the post draw. As the first third continues, light-plus earth comes into the finish. The retrohale spices climb to medium strength, while the post draw earth intensifies to medium strength as well.
Jiunn: The first third’s flavor profile is a good one. Barnyard funk, roasted chestnuts, game/meatiness, pencil lead shavings and mixed nuts. Retrohaling gives more of that barnyard funk and introduces dried red pepper spice. The finish has subtle naturally sweet roasted nuttiness and creaminess. Strength and body is medium.

West Tampa Devil Crab

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the baking spice becomes a bit dull. At a quarter inch in, the baking spice transitions to black pepper. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. At three quarters of an inch in, the toast level and earth both increase and the overall profile becomes fairly dry. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth, with black pepper just a bit further behind and the cocoa powder is light in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second shows more earth, tobacco and spice notes. Not as sweet and cocoa as before. Cinnamon, pepper, cloves, currant and berry jam flavors. Nutella and wheat toast on the finish, but softer with more earth. Like before, medium in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with creamy earth and wood, with the post draw defined by a medium to almost medium-full earth. Spices move into the center of the retrohale early on. By the halfway mark, earth becomes the dominant flavor component.
Jiunn: The second third is sweeter and creamier from the roasted mixed nuts. Strength level also increases from medium to medium-full (body still at medium). The sweet roasted creaminess plays off really well with the funky barnyard.

West Tampa Devil Crab

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth increases to become even with the toasted cedar up front. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the black pepper a bit behind and the cocoa powder light in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the first. Cocoa with wheat toast. Tobacco, dry earth and warm spices as well. Bits of nuts with currants, berry qualities and Nutella. Like before, medium in strength and body.
John: The final third opens with creamy earth as medium tannic wood defines the finish and post draw. As it settles in, earth once again dominates the post draw at medium strength. I don’t find any other evolution through the remainder of the final third.
Jiunn: The final third becomes less complex with mainly barnyard and construction paper. Not off-putting, just a bit uneventful. Strength and body finishes the same medium-full and medium, respectively.

West Tampa Devil Crab

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on to the middle of the cigar and then again until the end.
Seth: The burn was decent from start to finish. Good if you consider the vitola.
John: The burn was straight through the entire review process.
Jiunn: Burn performance was great, providing an even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

West Tampa Devil Crab

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was great from beginning to end.
John: I measured the draw at 45 inches of water with the CigarMedics draw machine. Subjectively, I found it to be at most one notch towards the resistant spectrum, which puts it in the ideal range between open and resistant.
Jiunn: The draw was also great, providing the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, a very nice baking spice delivery and some earth. A bit later the earth increased a bit. Later, some cocoa powder joined the profile. The second third saw the baking spice become a bit dull and then transition to black pepper. Later, the toast level and earth increased and the profile became fairly dry. The final third saw the earth increase to become even with the toasted cedar up front. The construction was absolutely perfect. This was a tale of two halves. The first half of the West Tampa Devil Crab was pretty good as the flavor components really worked well together. When the ash dropped in the middle of the cigar, the profile changed as the profile became dry and just didn’t have the same vibrance as before. If the flavor profile from the first half could have continued, this would be a cigar that I’d happily smoke more of. I’ll be curious to see how it performs for the others to see if they get a more complete experience. As of now, it’s wait and see for me.
Seth: The West Tampa Devil Crab is by far the best West Tampa offering I have smoked. It’s not a cigar I plan on coming back to in the future, and I am not a fan of blends being left undisclosed, but it is still the best West Tampa blend released to date. It’s a solid blend. The burn and draw were solid on this perfecto, and I only wish that it came released in a more standard vitola. A petit robusto or Rothschild would have been great.
John: The West Tampa Devil Crab opened with a good amount of balance and complexity, showing off spices, wood and some meaty savoriness before earth began to climb into the profile. By the second third, the earth had taken control and continued to dominate the remainder of the smoking experience. While the burn and draw were flawless, the overall flavor progression was too one-dimensional after the first third. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 18 minutes.
Jiunn: West Tampa, I have a confession to make. I was not looking forward to this West Tampa Devil Crab after the initial two releases that were honestly terrible. But you changed my perspective entirely with this blend. Such delicious full flavors packed into this man bun. I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but based on this experience, I look forward to the next one.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.13

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.26

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.13

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.91

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: West Tampa Devil Crab