Navarre Robusto (France) Review

[ezthefix]

Navarre Robusto (France)
Posted by E.Z. in Cigar Reviews (Photos)

So after my little tour of the Navarre cigar factory in the tiny town of Navarrenx, I proceeded across the street to purchase a few of the jewels that had tantalized my imagination at the factory. It turns out that French law prohibits the sale or distribution of tobacco products except at local tobacconist shops... go figure, a cigar manufacturer isn't allowed to sell his own product, like a winery would. That said, France has never had a tobacco manufacturer before, so that is bound to change.

The excellent looking stick came in a truly French package—a very elegant cardboard box that made me feel like I was about to smoke a chocolate truffle. My feeling at this point is that it can't get any more French than that.

The cigar itself has a very interesting golden brown color. The wrapper is impeccable, as I would expect it to be, and the aroma is mildly buttery at this point with some cinnamon and nutmeg hints. I clipped the triple cap on the cigar and proceeded to give it a pre-light draw. I got an initial note of hay that moved more and more toward dried red chilly peppers—sort of like crushed pepper flakes, but without the piquant effect... a nice start.

On the light, the foot releases a slightly earthy aroma. The smoke is grassy with defining notes of red bell peppers. There is a good body to it as well. It gave the impression of strength, and I was reassured that I wasn't smoking a slacker. When solicited frequently, the stick is able to deliver black pepper and spicy notes too. The complexity of the cigar so far made a good impression.

At around the half way mark, the cigar takes on a darker, grilled, profile. I was pleased with the roasted notes and the graphite undertone. Increasing notes of grilled bell pepper hint slightly at the classic Ramon Allones Specially Selected. Toward the end I got a dose of coffee and sweet wood, which contributed to the smooth woody finish.

I can only speculate about how the cigar will do with aging. But seeing that it is a complex cigar with many nuances, I can only guess it will be great in six months to a year. Beyond that, we'll have to wait and see… hats off the Navarre so far!!

[carbonbased_al]

Pics? That was a great review btw, I feel hungry after that one.

[NCatron]

Never even heard of these guys. Any idea as to the availability outside of France?

[ezthefix]

I wrote a little follow up on this cigar, since I realize many wont have a clue of what I'm talking about. Basically it is a new cigar for 2006 made of 100% French grown tobacco. More here...

[BP22]

Originally Posted by ezthefix

I wrote a little follow up on this cigar, since I realize many wont have a clue of what I'm talking about. Basically it is a new cigar for 2006 made of 100% French grown tobacco. More here...

Very interesting...thanks EZ.

[whiteboard]

Anyone else smoke one of these? They appear to have distribution outside of France now.

The article referenced above on the original poster's site is a good read.

I'm intrigued...

[DudeGroovin]

Originally Posted by ezthefix

I wrote a little follow up on this cigar, since I realize many wont have a clue of what I'm talking about. Basically it is a new cigar for 2006 made of 100% French grown tobacco. More here...

100% French, which, in itself, seems also very French...
Nice review, thanks! I'll have to keep my eye out for these, although I'll wager they'll pack a hefty price tag stateside.

Dude

[Airborne RU]

I've searched high and low for these on the net and came up short, so I don't foresee any of these finding their way stateside.

The best bet that us yanks have in trying one of these would be to travel to Quebec.

Interesting though.

[omowasu]

Thanks for the review, it would be interesting to try a cigar with 100% French-grown tobacco and see how the European climate and conditions change the taste when compared to all of the central / south american locations. Ill keep my eye open for one of these!

[whiteboard]

Navarre is getting wider distribution although I do not believe they are available yet in the U.S.

The original review in this thread was posted 6 months ago. I revived the thread as I thought someone might now have had the opportunity to smoke one -- seeing as how they seem to have now made their way to Switzerland.