Dear Loyal Readers: I apologize for the rough review schedule the past few weeks here on Leaf Enthusiast. I have been battling a variety of things, including weather, lack of new review candidates, and just too much work. These conditions seem to be clearing up a bit now, though and I will enjoy bringing you more cigar and pairing experiences in the near future. – dmj
- Vitola: Robusto
- 5” x 50 ring gauge
- ~$10.49
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
Last week I took a look at Nanaiya by Atsiniki Cigars; today I’m looking at the other cigar from their initial release: Imaiya. One of the important factors in the Atsiniki company is the name itself, which means “storyteller.” Charles Robinson loves to tell stories about the cigars, the blender, and his family. I encourage you to check out their website for some of the tales…and seek him out at events for even better ones.
One of the parts of the website that I found intriguing was the section on “Origins.” The blenders—Arsenio Ramos and Eladio Pichardo—are of Cuban extraction, bringing with them the traditions they learned there. The tobaccos are mostly Nicaraguan, which is also where the cigars are rolled. Charles himself is Choctaw Indian based in Franklin, Tennessee. The cigars honor these roots and are meant as “an opportunity to enjoy the moment. To reconnect with yourself, or discover common ground between friends old and new.”
Imaiya is available in only a Robusto size. It uses a Habano wrapper (though country of origin is not stated). Also not stated is the origin of the filler and binder, although since this is a product of the Aganorsa factory, it’s likely it’s either mostly or completely Nicaraguan filler and binder.
I’ve had a couple of these before this review sample, all of which I purchased at Burns Tobacconist.
Prelight
The band of the Imaiya is pretty much the same as that for Nanaiya, except for the geometric designs around the arms and back of the band being gold instead of turquoise. So this one has a black background with turquoise, gold and silver foil artwork and accents. The wrapper leaf was a milk chocolate brown color with a bit of darker mottling, a few noticeable veins and a nice oiliness to the touch. It had a light earthy aroma along with a touch of woodiness. The foot was a stronger earth aroma with some coffee and cocoa powder notes.
The cold draw was good after clipping and I got some sweetness and grassiness mostly on the prelight flavors.
Flavor
The initial flavors after lighting the Imaiya were of cedar and grass. Subsequent puffs brought out more earthiness and a light coffee flavor on the palate, while the retrohale was light and nutty with just a touch of pepper. The first third continued on like that with lots of grassy and woody flavor. Toward the end of it, there was a little citrus in the mix, as well.
The second third continued with a mellow mix off citrus, cedar and hay, with maybe just a tiny pepper spark coming through from time to time on the palate. The nose was still nutty with a slightly larger peppery burn. Coffee notes had all but disappeared, but there was still some earth on the finish.
The last third saw some sweetness come into the mix and more pepper grow in influence on the palate. The main flavor note there was cedar, with the hay receding into the background.
Construction
The draw was very good, the burn line was even enough and the ash was rock solid.
Value
The price tag on this one is a little higher than I would expect compared to the Nanaiya, but still within a fair range for a “boutique” brand and its inherent small production runs.
Conclusions
The Atsiniki Imaiya is a nice cigar showing a very woody flavor profile and a bit of a lighter side of Nicaraguan tobacco. It was medium-bodied without a great deal of pepper spice until close to the end. I enjoyed it, but I like the Nanaiya better. I would be very curious about this blend in a different size, though, and hope that a broader range of vitolas is something in the works for the future of Atsiniki Cigars.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
