Stogie Reviews: Savinelli Special Selection 2005 Robusto
9 Jun 2009
If you’re into ashes, and I know some of you are, you won’t find a whiter one than that produced by the Savinelli Special Selection 2005. If you’re not into ashes, and I know most of you aren’t, you’ll find a fine, peppery cigar at a reasonable price .
Rolled by the Olivia Family in Nicaragua for the Italian pipe maker, this cigar sports a rich Habano wrapper grown in Ecuador with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos.
At five and a half inches, it’s a bit longer than most robustos; the ring gauge is 50. There’s also a Toro and a Torpedo.
The cigar kicks off with pepper, which begins to fade about halfway through before picking up again near the end. I enjoyed a little coffee and a fair amount of wood flavors as well, particularly when the pepper was in the background.
There’s enough kick to keep lovers of strong cigars interested, while the balance and changes make it interesting for those who want something with a little variety.
Several reviews have focused praise on the Torpedo, including Cigar Aficionado, which ranked it among its top 25 this year. I’ve smoked only one of those vitolas and found it equally good. The Robusto retails for $6.50 a stick. The Toro is $6.75 and the Torpedo runs $7.
I’d recommend you pick up a Savinelli Special Selection if you’re looking for a cigar with a little kick and pepper that’s not compiled along the lines of Pepin’s recipe. I give it four stogies out of five.
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photo credit: Savinelli USA
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Interesting write up. Does this at all taste like pipe tobacco?
Nope. Nothing at all like pipe tobacco. I'm certainly not expert, but I don't believe there's much, if any, pipe tobacco grown in Latin America.
Speaking of pipes, I seem to recall that Savinelli was Bing Crosby's favorite maker. I've never had the pleasure of smoking either a pipe or a cigar from them though. Might have to track one of these down now.