Stogie Reviews: Toraño Single Region Serie Jalapa Robusto

Last month, Charlie Toraño announced some big changes, not the least of which were renaming his company the “Toraño Family Cigar Company” and exercising his option to retake distribution from a deal with CAO. “It belongs in the family,” he told us in an interview.

He also told us about three new blends that have since been introduced at the IPCPR Trade Show: Master, a bundle line called Brigade, and Single Region. The latter, a tobacconist-only release, brings a vintner’s approach to cigars. “Each Serie will feature a blend that is created entirely from tobaccos grown on one carefully selected finca in one particular region,” reads a Toraño press release. “The blend’s flavor and aroma will reflect the influence of the region’s soil, weather, and topography.”

Charlie Toraño chose the Serie Jalapa as the first Single Region debut. It features tobacco from the El Estero Farm in Jalapa, Nicaragua—a small plot of sandy, red clay that’s naturally irrigated by a stream. The unique location grows “some of the finest and most aromatic tobacco in the world,” according to Toraño.

Three Serie Jalapa vitolas are in production (Churchill, Robusto, and Toro Grande) with price tags that range from $6.50-6.95 apiece. All are handmade at the Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras.

Measuring five inches with a 52 ring gauge, the Robusto is a clean, reddish cigar with a neat cap, a moderate cold draw, and a well-packed cross section of tobacco at the foot. It looks and feels more expensive than it is, even with its understated double bands.

After establishing an even light, the Single Region’s sweet pre-light aroma transitions into a taste of tea, leather, and toffee. It’s medium-bodied with remarkable balance for a cigar with such a homogeneous lineage. I expected something more monotonous, even though the tobaccos were cultivated in different years from El Estero.

As the cigar progresses, two characteristics stand out. One, the physical properties are just about perfect. The burn line remains even absent any maintenance, the draw is smooth with moderate resistance, and the gray ash is sturdy. Two, the flavor adds a creamy, nutty element that rounds out the profile nicely. The only drawback is a subtle stale taste that creeps in and out towards the finale.

But don’t let that singular flaw deter you from purchasing the Single Region Serie Jalapa. This is a tremendous smoke, especially for the price. I predict it will win over many cigar enthusiasts in the months to come, and I award the Robusto four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys