Herederos de Robaina

Emilio Cigars recently reached an agreement with American Caribbean Tobacco to distribute Herederos de Robaina in the US.  Manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua, this boutique line utilizes the classic blending methods from the Godfather of Cuban Tobacco, Alejandro Robaina.  There will be four sizes: Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, and Churchill in both 10 and 20 count boxes.  One can expect exact pricing and product information in September.

 For this review, I smoked the Robusto and paired it with some Eagle Rare single barrel bourbon.  The cigar was chocolate-y brown, but had only the slightest bit of a sheen.  Rolling the cigar between my fingers, I noticed that the veins were small and the stick had a bit of a spring when gently squeezed.  I smelled hay and some earthy notes on the wrapper and a faint manure and cocoa smell at the foot.  After clipping, the stick had a nice cold draw with a bit of sweet tobacco on my lips.

I toasted the foot and smoke billowed upwards as I smelled sweet tobacco in the air.  I also noted some creaminess with a bit of  barnyard and tobacco in the 1st third of the cigar.  It kind of reminded me of childhood while visiting extended family.  My uncles had barns and livestock while their neighbors raised tobacco. The smells would commingle in the breeze and those experiences became a part of my childhood. Now, those smells take me back to a more innocent and curious time.

As I reached the 2nd third, things became richer with spice and pepper.  It was a solid change without being overpowering. The draw had been excellent and the burn continued to be pretty even.  The ash was firm and held together well until I tapped it off at around an inch and a half.  It was at this time that I needed to relight.

As the middle third transitioned into the last, the flavors regressed to a more mellow profile.  Sweetness and a hint of cocoa rounded out the diminished spice from the previous segment. The draw remained excellent throughout and the smoke plentiful.  The burn stayed fairly even and I only needed a minor relight. Well constructed and flavorful, I'll gladly add this medium bodied cigar to my humidor. Herederos de Robaina was definitely a great addition to Emilio's portfolio and is another reason why Emilio has become a stand out in the boutique arena.  They are well worth watching grow over the next year.  I give this little gem a score of 90.