A few weeks back I got an email from C-Bid about a sampler of Jericho cigars. The price was decent (around $30.00) so I decided to place a bid. After a few days, I got an email letting me know that I had won my auction and that I was the owner of a Jericho Sampler.
The whole reason I decided to take the chance on these sticks was that I read an article in the Cigars International mailer a couple of months back. The article talked up these cigars as being an old brand that was recently bought by Camacho and re-blended. If you are a regular here at Stogie Review, you probably know that I enjoy a good Camacho cigar, so I had to pull the proverbial trigger and give these a shot.
After a couple weeks of resting in the humidor, and since I have been on a bit of a Camacho kick lately, I decided to fire up one of the Robustos I received. While looking over the wrapper, I found a fair amount of medium sized veins and a lumpy appearance. When given a slight pinch, I felt a mixture of soft and hard spots throughout the length of the stick.
After my pre-light inspection, I reached for my plug cutter and began piercing the cap. The result was a quick clean cut that led way to a smooth pre-light draw with little resistance. Toasting and lighting was effortless and produced a good volume of smoke in little time. The initial flavor was a very intense spice that immediately irritated the back of my throat and sinuses. The finish was long and pungent while the body was very full at this point.
The first six or eight puffs produced this overwhelming spice and power that I thought was very unbalanced and not enjoyable whatsoever. During this portion of the cigar the burn was erratic and ugly while producing a fairly light colored ash. The draw was good while still producing a good volume of smoke.
Once I pushed past the first half inch or so, the power mellowed considerably. The body was still full bodied but the spice began to fade enough that I could begin to enjoy the smoke. The finish was slightly dry and sharp leaving me with a quick spice on the palate that quickly disappeared. The base flavor turned to wood with some grassy undertones while the draw remained easy with little resistance.
Article comments