El Baton

I was given this cigar by John over at Diebel's on the Plaza and asked if I'd give him my opinion of it. I think he said this was a new size he's considering carrying. John said that this cigar was being marketed with smoker's like me in mind; I'm assuming that means relatively new smokers.

Info is fairly scarce on this brand. I've read that these are made by J. C. Newman Cigar Co. (the makers of the Cuesta Rey line) and is a Nicaraguan-made product of Nicaraguan puro content.

So, that said, here goes . .

Contents: Nicaraguan Corojo
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Size: Toro? approx. 6 x 56
Body: Medium
Acquired From: Diebel's on the Plaza
Price: $6.00 range (so I'm told)
Smoke Time: 2 hours +

Pre-light
The wrapper was a bit veiny and thick. The cigar felt firm with some springiness, and slightly lumpy. The aroma of the cigar was of rich compost. The final cap on the double-capped head was a bit off-center and coming loose, but that's where I cut it so no problems there. The draw was perfect and imparted sweet chocolate flavors with a little pepper on the lips.


First Third
The cigar was easy to light with great smoke output. Flavors were of mild coffee/roasted chocolate with a touch of pepper at the back of the mouth with a smooth mild finish. It was reminding me of a JFR product at this point. The aroma was of mild roasted chocolate. The burn line was a little wavy but never wildly uneven. The mild pepper moved in and out of the flavor throughout this third. The firm, white ash held on throughout this third as well. No problems here.


Second Third
The flavors moved into more of a black coffee/tobacco profile as the burn remained slow and consistent. By the end of this third the coffee flavors gave way to general tobacco flavor and I found myself wishing for a return of the chocolate. Great smoke volume and consistent but wavy burn continued. Only one burn correction was needed in this third.


Final Third
The flavors were starting to turn bitter at times until about the time I reached where the band would have been. At that point I could get only an occasional hint of coffee/tobacco. With about two inches left, it had reached the wholly unpleasant phase, and I was done.


Conclusion
This wasn't a bad cigar, but the $6.00 price point puts it into some stiff competition. More flavorful sticks can be found for less money. While the construction was nearly perfect, I found the flavors uninteresting.

Would I smoke this cigar again? No
Would I recommend this cigar? Not unless you're a big fan of Corojo puros.