I just got done with my first morning cigar session. I normally wake up early every morning (blasted work) and the weekends are no different. I let my wife sleep in and I take care of the animals. This means I am up about 2 hours before she is. She doesn’t like cigar smoke at all (bless her heart for not giving me a hard time about this hobby). I did a little thinking and decided that I should try a morning cigar and then I can be done before she wakes. I call this a win-win situation ;-)
My first thought was to go with a 5 Vegas Gold. I got it from cigar.com this week in their 5 for $5 sample pack and am very excited to try it. In the end though, I decided to give it a few more days to rest from the long trip it made from the east cost. I went with a Thompson Tusker Robusto that I got with the first online sample pack I bought. I hadn’t found the jungle yet and so I didn’t know about their “marketing tactics”. On a side note, Thompson has not called me once yet and the sticks came packaged well and were in great condition. This one has been sitting in my humi for a few weeks now.
I like to journal while I smoke, so I will sum up my notes into a little review of this stick. Remember, I am noob at this. The construction was decent. I didn’t find any soft spots but there was a small tear in the wrapper. I might have done this while moving it so I am not worried about it. The initial cold draw was good but did not have much flavor. It lit well and had a sweet and creamy taste at first. In fact, that was the same flavors I got for most of the first and second third of the cigar. There was a woodsy taste as well. Towards the end of the second third, I got a distinctive flavor of peanuts… salted. It was only for a few puffed but I was excited to taste something so distinct.
I removed the band going into the last 3rd, and found the body going more to a medium then it had been. Maybe more like a stronger mild, if there is such a thing. Got a bit of bitterness on my lips too and I think I got this “Nic Zing” in the back of my throat that other reviewers have said. After looking at the profile of the cigar, this would be the Nicaraguan filler of the blend. I got this for a little bit and then it went away. I ended up taking this cigar down to the nub before it got too hot to puff on. The ash was ok. It only held on for about half an inch before it fell off on its own.
I paired this with my morning coffee. Since it is summer (and I live in Arizona), I drink iced coffee in the morning with cream. It was, as coffee seems to always be with a cigar, very good.
I do not think I am qualified to give a rating of a cigar yet. On top of that, I have only had one of these, so I might have gotten a really good one that does not reflect the entire brand. Would I try this one again? Yes. I found it to be a nice mild to medium cigar, perfect for the morning palate. Looking at Thompson’s website, these go for about 2 bucks a stick. I am sure many gorillas out there can recommend other good sticks around that price point. I might not buy a box of these in the future but would pick up a 5’er or two, if the opportunity arises.
When I first got into cigars a couple of months ago, I really never thought I would enjoy a cigar in the morning. It just didn’t sound good as a morning thing. Boy was I wrong. I was able to do my Bible study, have a cup (or three) of coffee and spend some time with God and all the great things He has given us. It really doesn’t get better then relaxing outside, dogs at my feet and a cigar in my hand. I think I might have found my new Saturday morning ritual!
The aftermath:
~Acalla
08-23-2008, 02:00 PM
Morning Cigar - Thompson Tusker Robusto Review
