Cigar Weekly

Bobalu Cigars is a boutique cigar manufacturer based in Austin, Texas. They make more than a dozen different lines and if you visit them in Austin, they'll roll some fresh cigars for you, while you wait! They also have a webpage (http://www.livecigarrollers.com) where you can watch the rollers work.

Bobalu Corojo features what might be the most rare wrapper leaf on the market today. The Corojo wrapper is shade grown in Nicaragua. The binder is Habana 2000 and the filler is strong blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos. This is a spicy smoke that packs a big flavorful taste.

Cigar details:

• Size: 42 x 6.5 inches
• Tobaccos: All Nicaraguan, with Corojo wrapper
• Price: $3.25

Cigar Weekly reviews are blind taste tests conducted by our readers. Reviewers are sent three samples with all identifying marks removed. Reviewers are chosen randomly from the list of everyone that has signed the Cigar Weekly Guest Book. Their comments are below.

Pre-Smoke Comments

David Dehls (Renaissance Man): Cigar #162 is a Lonsdale, measuring 6.5x42. The wrapper is between Claro and Colorado Claro in color and is moderately oily with some veins. The overall appearance is rough. Sample #1 was very uneven with soft spots and "lumpy" areas. Pre-light aroma is predominantly tobacco with hints of cedar and is pleasant and well balanced. The draw is firm, but not too tight. On Sample #1, the burn was very uneven through the first two inches but it evened out by the halfway point. Ash color was dark gray and somewhat flaky.

J Kyle Sweeney (Aahzz): These were not good-looking cigars. Both showed prominent veins, and the wrappers had a mottled, uneven color, and a slightly lumpy appearance. They felt good, though, with no overly hard or soft spots. Pre-light aroma was dark, earthy, and subtle. Draw was perfect, not too hot nor too difficult. Burn, on the other hand, was a definite issue. The first burned unevenly throughout, requiring several touch-ups. The second developed a runner early, then burned reasonably.

Kenneth Kilbourn (cgarman): The samples were a medium tannish color. The wrappers were smooth with small veins evident and a nice oily sheen. I was a bit worried as I rolled the samples between my fingers. They appeared to have a very loose roll with plenty of soft spots. The feel was not spongy, but not the firm box-pressed roll I have become used to. I do have to say that with that aside, the cigars looked very good. I clipped the cap, the pre-light draw was loose as expected, but not loose enough to be a problem.

Mark Samuels (Smokin Sam): Cigar 162 appears to be a Conn. Shade wrapped lonsdale measuring approx. 6.5 by 42. The cigars arrived in good condition and had nice looking construction. The wrappers were fairly thin and mostly smooth with a small amount of veins. They were typical of shade in that they were fairly dry with very little shein. The first cigar had some funny colored filler leafs that were kind of grey in appearance. The second cigar had a more typical rich brown filler.

Mike McCarty (smoke1): Both samples spent at least two weeks resting in my humidor which registered 67% RH. This lonsdale sized cigar is about 6.75x42. The Colorado colored wrapper was very smooth with small veins but with a few dark brown blotches and several green spots. Cap was well constructed, very even and clean. Both samples had a several slight soft spots, but were generally bunched quite well. This cigar had a nice cedary smell to it. After being cut the draw on one was very free, but the other was quite tight.

Ron Jaffray (raj): Cigar was a lonsdale size, light Connecticut wrapper, somewhat veiny, and a little soft in spots. Aroma was pleasant. Appearance was nothing to get excited about.

William Stewart (unklebill): This is a light tan natural wrapped lonsdale, with very little pre-light aroma and a firm pre-light draw. The roll on the samples was very firm, somewhat veiny and not too easy on the eyes. It was a bit wrinkled with a few small spots on one, and but a bit of plume, which was encouraging.

Smoke Comments

David Dehls (Renaissance Man): The first two inches of Sample #1 were one dimensional with little or no strength, body and flavor and a bitter, somewhat acrid, aftertaste. It then began to open up, and through the last half became medium in strength, body and flavor with some pepper and wood on the finish along with an earthy quality. Sample #2 was a completely different experience: medium to medium-full in strength, body and flavor with lots of pepper and wood and a luscious earthy finish.

J Kyle Sweeney (Aahzz): It began with some promise - a bit of sweetness, and a faint tang. After about an inch, any sweetness or tang left completely, replaced by a dank earthiness, slightly grassy. Occasionally a bit of an edge would sneak in, but in general this was a mild, flat, and uninteresting cigar. In the final third, a mild spiciness and slight cedar note crept in, but it was too little, too late. Hints of bitterness appeared throughout, never strong enough to be offensive.

Kenneth Kilbourn (cgarman): Both cigars lit without any problems. It was here that I was pleasantly surprised. The initial draw was actually quite spicey. There was a slight burn to the tongue, but nothing really noticeable. The nose test gave it a good solid buzz, almost to the point of making my eyes water. The burn was a bit wobbly in places, most likely due to the soft roll of these samples. The easy draw, produced plenty of grayish-blue smoke. I was actually quite surprised that these cigars did not burn hotter, especially with the soft roll. The ash was a light gray to white, which hung on for dear life, till I tapped it off at about 1 " inches. The flavor is really what impressed me the most. The samples started off very light on the taste buds. As the smoke progressed, the flavors started to build. By the bottom third, there was leather and a slight caramel-like flavor. It was the spice that really got me. What started with just a hint of pepper, finished with a bang. The spiciness just kept on building on me. It never really got overpowering, but the body got a lot heavier and deeper towards the end. I smoked both these samples down to the nub. Even then, the burn stayed on my fingers and never really got to my tongue. In all, a very delightful hour or so wasted... not really, but I was watching Indy, so that was two hours I'll never get back.

Mark Samuels (Smokin Sam): Upon lighting cigar # 1 it was somewhat dry and harsh tasting with mild to medium flavor. The strength was there as far as nicotine and it was fairly harsh. I don't know if this was due to it being young or the greyish filler leafs present in this specimen. Cigar # 2 wasn't as harsh and had a better flavor although mild to medium. This still isn't typical of what I would normally smoke. Both had light grey and firm ashes. I had trouble evaluating these because they are so different from what I would typically smoke.

Mike McCarty (smoke1): To create similar conditions, I smoked both samples in the evening after dinner on my patio, having abstained from cigars for 2 days beforehand both times. The first sample had some toastiness and nuttiness to the flavor at the beginning, but it never went anywhere. The draw was very easy and it burned fairly quickly, though not hot, and produced lots of smoke. The second sample had a tight draw which required use of the 3 puff method to get an adequate mouthful of smoke. It tasted somewhat bitter, vegetal, with a papery aftertaste. Both samples burned evenly, producing a long, firm, light grey ash, and the aroma was pleasant and slightly sweet.

Ron Jaffray (raj): Started off very mild and had burn problems in the beginning. Leveled off and burned OK after about 1/3 of the way. Held a decent light grey ash. At times the cigar seemed somewhat tasteless, and at other times it seem to have a rich, nutty flavor. It was just too inconsistent. The one thing I will say about this cigar, it had a fantastic draw with lots of thick smoke. I like that in a cigar.

William Stewart (unklebill): Once lit, the samples produced plenty of smoke, alleviating my fears of a plugged cigar. They started off mild with a hint of creaminess and cedar. However, they were overwhelmed by a tanginess, like mildew, that I did not enjoy at all. The first sample did not develop past this, and I kept wondering what I had done to deserve this kind of treatment from a cigar. The second sample was a bit more civil, but still started out with that accursed tang. If this were not a revue, I would have tacked it to a tree for target practice with my BB gun. Luckily, for the cigar, it came to its senses at the halfway point, turning into a straightforward mild cigar suitable for a smoke that you will not dwell on.

Summary Comments

David Dehls (Renaissance Man): This was almost like reviewing two different cigars. The construction problems noted in Sample #1 rendered it less than enjoyable and would preclude a positive recommendation. I enjoyed Sample #2 much more and would rate it as a good average to above average medium to medium-full bodied smoke. I primarily used my ratings from #2. The question is: Which cigar best represents the norm for this brand and size? I may have to get some more to evaluate further.

J Kyle Sweeney (Aahzz): I can't say this was an atrocious cigar, but it's certainly not one that I'd buy, nor could I recommend it. The flavor was one-dimensional and generally uninteresting. Mild is the definite word for this, to the point of being bland. In the interest of science, I smoked both samples to where the band would've been, but in another situation I'd have made it about halfway through and gone and gotten something else. In a word, it was a boring cigar.

Kenneth Kilbourn (cgarman): These cigars were a complete change of pace for me. Usually, I am a maduro, robusto sized cigar smoker. My first reaction, when I received the samples was; "When am I ever going to find the time to smoke that??" I gave it the 'ol college try though and was pleasantly surprised. What I thought was going to be a ho-hum run-of-the-mill smoke, turned out to be quite the opposite. I wouldn't go so far as to call the extraordinary, but they were definitely a do-over. If these babies are priced right, you can bet they will enter the regular rotation. I give them a solid four out of five.

Mark Samuels (Smokin Sam): I tried to like these but couldn't. Maybe if cigar # 1 had been more like # 2 I could have rated these higher. I would have thought I'd be able to recognize what you sent me but since I rarely smoke Conn. Shade wrapped lonsdales I have no clue. If someone was seeking a fairly strong Shade wrapped cigar this might be for them but it wasn't really for me. Thanks for the chance to participate!

Mike McCarty (smoke1): I was prepared to like this cigar when I initially saw it and the first sample was more agreeable than the second, but both lacked any richness or complexity. This is definitely a mild cigar for the beginner, a Macanudo wannabe. The first sample developed barely sufficient reward for the work to keep it burning down to about 1.5", but the second was tossed about half way down because the tightness of the draw ruined the flavor. If this cigar was cheap I might keep some to give to a mooch, but it would never make it into my rotation.

Ron Jaffray (raj): The cigar was OK, but I felt it was nothing to get excited about. A good grass cutting cigar? Maybe, but I don't think I would purchase them myself. Seems like I had something like this before...is it the old blend St. Luis Rey? Well, maybe not.

William Stewart (unklebill): I would peg this one as a Dominican. Overall this was a well-constructed, though not pretty, cigar. The draw and burn were perfect, but the flavor was lackluster at best and offensive at worst. I would not add this cigar to my inventory.

Scores

 Review Results
Final Score: 29.2 out of 50

3 Stars -- Average

One reviewer loved this cigar and the rest found it ho-hum. There were some construction problems and inconsistencies that prevented this cigar from achieving it's best. Surprisingly, most found the cigar to be mild, which differs from the information provided by the company. I think the biggest advantage of Bobalu is the company's ability to custom make your cigars and to watch them roll them by hand, either in person or through the web. I would suggest a sample pack to see if any of the company's 12 different lines appeals to you.

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