Cigar Weekly

Published Monday, December 7, 2009
Compiled by Doug McGuire (Mad Dawg)

This long-overdue review was both interesting and challenging. The interesting part was working with a cigar about which I had heard absolutely nothing until a package showed up at my house and I began communicating with a representative of the manufacturer. Isabela Cigar Company is a small operation in Miami, hand-crafting cigars in limited quantities under the supervision of Vicente Ortiz. From the Isabela web site:

Handcrafted in Miami by legendary Cuban Master Vicente Ortiz, Isabela Cigars are produced in small batches for extremely limited distribution. Vicente Ortiz utilizes tobaccos from several countries, in various grades, to create the blend, flavor and personality that gives Isabela its' unique identity. All tobaccos are aged for a minimum of one year before they are released, and the Isabelas come in four sizes and two colors, natural and medium grade.

John Piette, the Midwest Representative for Isabela Cigar Company, graciously supplied the cigars for this review, and provided the accompanying photos and some other key information about the cigars. That’s where the challenging part of the review came into play.

I generally smoke at least two of the cigars we review for Cigar Weekly ratings. When I smoked the first of the Isabelas I set aside for my own tasting, the first impression I got – well before lighting it – was sweetness: the cap tasted as if it had been dipped in simple syrup. When I asked Mr. Piette about this, he responded:

The "sweetened cap" is due to sugar-based glue used by the majority of pre-Castro rollers to seal the end of the cigars, harkening back to the "old ways". The Isabela Serpentine is the only cigar in the line that is not finished with the sugar-based sealant!!

I felt from the outset that this first impression would likely not be well-received by most cigar smokers these days, including our panelists. That feeling turned out to be accurate.

Pre-Smoke Comments

TommyBB: This one was interesting on first view. It had a somewhat rough shade wrapper, with prominent veining and somewhat rough belicoso cap. It seemed to me that the wrapper leaf was almost too small similar to tight jeans. It appeared, almost, to be stretched to fit. The band must have been applied quite snugly, as well, because there was evidence of tearing when the Reviews’ Editor went to remove it. The cap and wrapper leaf were sweet as sugar, and quite noticeable as soon as my lips hit the cigar to test the pre-light draw.

ronin: A very lumpy, veiny wrapped cigar. Wrapper was poorly applied. Cigar was very loosely rolled.

johnleeiii: Definitely sweetened tip, but its too sweet….. I was a bit worried that it was going to be like smoking rose petals (thankfully it was not). Smacks of a “beginner’s” cigar…..

Augie754: This cigar was a large torp with a decent shape and nice cap. The wrapper was a tan color and smooth, but looked almost like paper. There were a few veins with wrinkles around them, but the coloring was consistent. This was an average looking cigar at best.

The cigar felt firm in my fingers, but it felt light. After the initial cut the draw was about right and post light the draw continued to be nice but on the loose side with plenty of smoke. The burn wasn’t exactly straight, but wasn’t of any concern either and no touch ups were required. However, it did seem to burn a bit fast. The light gray ash held on well, but it felt somewhat soft. There was also some residue left by the band’s glue and a bit of wrapper missing, too much glue from the application of the band is a pet peeve of mine.

AnejoMofo: A lack of obvious blemishes or repairs offsets the slightly rough appearance of this cigar. Quick work is made of the well executed triple cap by my Xikar Xi, revealing an acceptably easy draw. A loose and slightly lumpy bunch detracts from some of the aesthetic appeal of this torpedo while the sweetened cap causes me to wonder if the manufacturer is trying to hide something. The pre-light draw is entirely unremarkable. Looks like we'll have to smoke this one to find out more.

Smoke Comments

TommyBB: I have The Archies running through my head as I write….”Honey honey, sugar sugar….” This cigar had some potential. But that sugar sweetness was so overbearing, it was hard to tell. Thankfully, there was no bitterness or much of a burnt, charred taste on the finish. It seems that the entire wrapper leaf was glazed, almost. As soon as I clipped the head it was noticeable. Interestingly, it lasted the entire length of the cigar without abating. Now I like sweets, and were I a younger smoker, I might really have enjoyed this. There were aspects of the second sample that almost tasted like pipe tobacco, even on the finish.

ronin: Very uneven burn. Cigar had a metallic, almost sour taste. Required numerous touchups to keep some semblance of an even burn.

johnleeiii: - 1st 3rd – Sweet tip is really overpowering everything else. Has a very vegetable undertone (laugh now, it was celery), underneath a tobacco straight forwardness.

- 2nd 3rd – Bitter flavor came rolling in, making me feel this is not an accomplished cigar, and maybe needs to sit for a longer time before being smoked (or sold).

- 3rd 3rd – Had to pitch this cigar – it became so bitter it was obscene, and the funny part is that I smoked this one very slowly and with undivided attention.

Augie754: As I took a pre light draw, I found there was a sweet taste, like it was heavily sweetened – never a good sign. After the first few puffs all I could taste was the sweetened end, it was too sweet to taste anything else. After about half way through the sweetness faded enough to get some light cedar flavors and a hint of spice – although some bitterness as well. After about an inch of non-sweet flavors the cigar became very harsh and continued this way until the end.

AnejoMofo: The first third of this torpedo produces some marginally satisfying character. Grassy, hay-like flavors persist through the medium bodied smoke. The sweetness of the cap simply cannot be escaped. The smoke seems to grab the saccharin flavor and drag it across the palate in an unpleasant and distracting way. As we enter into the second third, a bitterness emerges which only strengthens with each puff. I don't think it paranoid to assume offsetting this phenomenon was the intention of sweetening the cap. This sour, biting bitterness abates briefly as we enter the final third. Unfortunately, it returns with a vengeance only moments later and renders last two and a half inches of the cigar totally unsmokeable.

Summary Comments

TommyBB: I was quite surprised by this cigar. It was sweet, sweet, sweet, which overpowered what could have been a delicate, subtle filler blend. I had heard of cigars with a slightly sweetened cap to create a mild effect. But this was thoroughly sweet, touching the sides of the cigar to my lips revealed a wrapper leaf that had been sweetened. This was a new experience, and not one I was prepared for.

ronin: This cigar I could not finish. A very poorly made and sour/metallic tasting cigar.

johnleeiii: Yuck! I do not want to know who made this one.

Augie754: This cigar had ok construction, but the flavors were not good. This definitely wasn’t the cigar for me, maybe a cheap cigar for a newbie that just wants some artificial sweetness - it reminded me of long filler Swisher Sweet. I can’t see any seasoned smoker buying these, and I believe these are not made for a premium cigar market.

AnejoMofo: The saving grace of this cigar was the flawless burn and easy draw. The opening ten minutes of smoke were uninspiring but not disagreeable, showing some common vegetal flavors. In an unfortunate incidence of chemical warfare, the near-sickeningly sweet cap did battle with an absolutely vicious bitterness that ultimately resulted in premature death of this torpedo. While the cigar has some very serious drawbacks, I would hesitate to use the term “dog-rocket” willy-nilly. “Yardgar” is, perhaps, more appropriate. In my informal cigar continuum from “flagellate pain ritual” to “transcendental meditation”; this smoke bobs uncomfortably clinging to the “strenuous landscaping” buoy. Save it for the honey-do list.

Scores

Review Results

Final Score: 23 out of 50 – 3 Stars – Average

As did most of our reviewers, I found the sweetness on the cap caused by the use of a sugar-based sealant to be overwhelming, to the point where the rest of the impression created by the cigar was compromised before it was even lit. The use of sugar-based sealant may indeed have been the “old way” of doing things in Cuba, but that really doesn’t seem to translate well to today’s cigar smokers. The exception, of course, may be those who prefer sweetened cigars.

Isabela cigars are offered in the following sizes:

Robusto (5x52)

Belicoso Fino (5x54)

Torpedo (6.5x56)

Esplendido (7.25x54)

Lancero (size not given)

Serpentine (size not given)

Box prices (25/box) range from $98-$129. Information on ordering Isabela cigars is available on the Isabela Cigars web site: http://www.isabelacigarcompany.com/store/index.shtml

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