Vegas Robaina Famosos

(Size: 5″ x 48)

I’m going to be away from my computer and the internet for about a week, so thought I had better provide at least one more review before I headed off to the Austrian ski slopes.

Here it is, one of my favourite cigars, and a definite contender for the top three robustos to consider for the opening day of the baseball season in little over a week’s time. I hope you enjoy this archived review of a Vegas Robaina Famosos which I smoked alongside a Kirin Ichiban (Japanese lager)…

Appearance /15

The wrapper of this particular cigar seemed slightly washed out in colour; however, it maintained a nice sheen to it. The cigar was wrapped well and tidily, and the cap was neatly added. There were, though, a couple of very minor blemishes on the wrapper. Overall, this was a nice looking stick. 13

Smoking Characteristics /25

Pre-light there were some faint aromas of cocoa. This stick lit first time, with one match! Given its girth, and the less than ideal, outdoor conditions, that was a bloody miracle. Despite the rapid lighting manoeuvre it burned flawlessly until the very end – a good even burn throughout, which only needed a slight touch of assistance when already right at the nub… The slightly grey ash that formed was very solid, showing some very nice concentric rings. The pleasant, slightly firm draw produced good volumes of smoke, and the aroma was very appealing. Overall, the smoking characteristics are pretty much flawless. 24

Flavour /25

Arguably the most important factor of a cigar – what does it make you think of as you taste the flavours given off by the tobacco? I’ve said before that I like a cigar to have a nice development through, ideally, three full stages (for a cigar of this length). Straight off the mark I good some pleasant, if not especially flavourful notes of leather. This developed into a rich, dark chocolate theme, complimented by some after-notes of leatheriness. This middle section moved along quite nicely too, as the dark chocolate gave way slightly and the leatheriness came slightly closer to the fore again, this time accompanied by some hints of herbaceous flavours. This was a peculiar section of the cigar, as there seemed to be a very odd (but very nice) combination of flavour types, leading to, according to my notes at the time “a slightly sweet, soft, smooth, bitterness!!!???” The smooth element came distinctly to the forefront of my thoughts, and it was something that I couldn’t put my finger on… then I figured it out. The flavour had become very reminscent of a good gin (and by a good gin, I of course mean the smoother than silk, Plymouth Gin). The gin still maintained hints of cocoa and a slightly creamy leather. Even at the end there was little harshness, like you might expect at the death. But this cigar had one final twist, with a hit of peppery spiciness to finish. The flavours of this cigar were complex, many-fold and always developing. Very, very good. 24

Overall Impression /35

The Vegas Robaina Famosos is a medium strength, medium flavoured cigar. It delivers on virtually all fronts, providing a fantastic hour or so of smoking pleasure. The multitude of flavours work remarkably well together and the construction, burn and draw are all examples of how a fine cigar should be made. It really is difficult to find too much to fault this cigar on. Definitely one that everyone should try if they already haven’t. 32

Grand total… 93/100