Cigar Geeks - Emilio Serie H Robusto Sumatra

Cigar Geeks Geek Critique

Emilio Serie H Robusto Sumatra
Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Ken Kelley (Ken Kelley)

79
Cigar Geeks Rating

Welcome to another Cigar Geeks Critique of a vitola provided to us by our friends at Emilio Cigars. Up for review this time is the Emilio Serie H Sumatra. A special thanks goes out to Rich (lowpro75) for setting this one up.

Emilio Serie H Robusto Sumatra

Brand:: Emilio
Name:: Serie H Robusto Sumatra
Length:: 5.5
Ring Gauge:: 50
Country of Origin:: Honduras
Filler:: Costa Rica
Honduras
Binder:: Connecticut
Honduras
Wrapper:: Sumatra
Color:: Colorado Maduro
Strength:: Medium-Full
Shape:: Robusto
Notes:: http://emiliocigars.com/The_Brands.html

This cigar was enjoyed with water

Pre-Light: 17 Points of 10 Possible

This cigar wore a medium brown wrapper with a network of small veins and an oily sheen. The wrapper was quite thin, more like a Cameroon than a Sumatra. There were some bumps and rough spots here and there but nothing objectionable. I spotted one small hole about halfway down the body and another tiny one in the cap. The cigar felt moderately hard but had a slight give to gentle pressure. The aroma of the stick was of sweet dark tobacco with a distinct molasses tang. The aroma was noticeably stronger at the foot .

Lighting and Burn: 12 Points of 15 Possible

The foot toasted readily and the cigar lit easily. The burn wavered right from the start but required only one correction at the beginning of the last third when it reached a split area in the wrapper. The cigar gave signs of wanting to go out in the first third and forced me to puff a little faster than usual to keep the fire going. This problem cleared up at the beginning of the second third. Initial smoke production was on the skimpy side but picked up after the first third. The ash was was light gray with darker streaks and was moderately flaky. I accidentally knocked the ash off at the ¾" point but it subsequently held to about an inch and a half before coming loose on its own. When the burn reached the first soft spot mentioned earlier, the wrapper canoed until the soft spot was past. This process was repeated with the other two soft spots.

Construction: 20 Points of 30 Possible

The stick had a few bumps, a couple of small holes, and a few small splits which were probably due to handling. There were three noticeable soft spots on one side of the body where the wrapper was stretched over slight depressions. The spots were about ½" in diameter and spaced about ½" apart. The cap was neatly applied and firmly attached. I elected to open the cigar with a punch because a small hole in the cap revealed a fairly open draw when I was wetting the stick in my mouth prior to cutting the head. The stick punched cleanly with no cracking or splitting. The draw was looser than I prefer but not objectionable. Some splitting of the wrapper developed during the course of the smoke. One area about an inch from the band split in an H pattern about 3/8" across. The burn wavered quite badly when it reached the spot and required correction.

Flavor and Aroma: 30 Points of 45 Possible

Prelight, the cold draw had a very pleasant sweet dark tobacco taste with a distinct tang of molasses. The first few puffs had a slight peppery bite which soon faded. The first third was mild with a woody base, a slight coffee note and a hint of sweetness. At the beginning of the second third, the smoke volume picked up and the sweetness developed a slight caramel quality. An occasional dried fruit note appeared in the middle of the second third. The caramel sweetness became slightly more noticeable in the last third and the smoke picked up a creamy quality. Strength climbed from medium to medium full toward the end of the second third. When the burn reached the band the wrapper splitting mentioned earlier grew worse. The smoke developed a harsh bite so I elected to end the smoke.

Summary

The flavor of the cigar was its strong point. I am a Sumatran fan but this wrapper didn't quit fit the usual profile in that it lacked the slightly acidic tang I usually find in the darker Sumatran wrappers. However, this is not meant to be a criticism because I enjoyed the flavors in the stick quite a bit. Unfortunately, the construction and burn issues combined to offset my enjoyment.