Cigar Review: Herederos de Robaina Robusto

Last summer, Emilio Cigars entered into an agreement with American Caribbean Tobacco to distribute their Herederos de Robaina cigars in the U.S. Those cigars started to hit retailer shelves in September.

Since, there have been a number of reviews published about Herederos de Robaina. But they all suffer from the same deficiency that plagues the article you’re currently reading: Not much is known about this cigar. Gary Griffith of Emilio has not disclosed the makeup of the blend, so I don’t have anything to share with you about the origins of the wrapper, binder, or filler.

What I know for sure is this cigar is made in Estelí, and it’s available in four standard sizes, including the five-inch Robusto I’m sampling for this review (the others being Churchill, Toro, and Torpedo).

I can guess the name of the blend is a nod to Alejandro Robaina, a roving ambassador for Cuban cigars who passed away three years ago. Robaina is remembered as Cuba’s foremost producer of top wrapper leaves and for being the voice of small tobacco growers in Pinar del Río. He refused Castro’s request to join a government cooperative and, choosing to remain family-owned and independent, he consistently outperformed state-owned tobacco plantations.

The Herederos de Robaina Robusto retails for about $8 and is sold in boxes of 10 or 20. It features a clean, milk chocolate-colored wrapper with thin veins. The foot exhibits a moderately loose packing of tobacco with pre-light notes of cocoa and earth. A punch cut to the head is all that’s needed to free up an easy draw.

That easy draw results in voluminous smoke production once the cigar is lit. The accompanying flavor is short, salty, and biting, characterized predominantly by dry wood and clove. This is balanced by some cream and a slight sweetness on the finish. While not much changes from light to nub, attentive smokers may notice flavors like pepper, oak, and white chocolate.

Aside from the wonderful draw and great smoke production, construction leaves a little to be desired. The white ash is flaky and sandy, with bits of ash likely to scatter at any time. And the burn line requires a few touch-ups to stay even.

Distribution of the Herederos de Robaina brand, according to the Emilio Cigars website, is restricted to a handful of shops spread across seven states (Florida, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey). I would imagine Griffith is currently working to expand this. If you find Herederos de Robaina in your local shop, pick up a Robusto or two. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, and I also don’t think you’ll be wowed. That’s ultimately why this cigar earns three stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys