Cigar Review: Bandolero by United Cigar

Vitola: Bravos
Size: 5.25” x 52 ring gauge
Price ~$13 without the Humitube
Sample provided by United Cigar

Background

I received a care package of sorts from my old pal, Barry Stein, during the holiday season. You might remember Barry from his time in New York City (“Get a rope!”) and the blog he founded there, his move to Miami and tenure with Miami Cigar & Company, then his move back to New England (New Hampshire, to be specific) where he now works with 2 Guys Smoke Shop and their associated website, Cigar Authority. Turns out another part of his new job is marketing for United Cigar, which is distributing several different blends. This care package included 3 of Barry’s “personal favorite cigars” that United takes care of and I figured I would take the time to review them.

The first stick I decided to review is Bandolero, a blend I found that I had actually written about (and enjoyed) a long, long time ago when this blog was called the Tiki Bar. Yeah, I’ll admit it…I didn’t remember the Bandolero when it showed up and only discovered that I had smoked it before when I did a Google search. Unfortunately, that’s the way it is with a lot of sticks: you smoke them once, you might enjoy them, but since they aren’t right in front of you on a regular basis (either through social media or being stocked at your local cigar shop), you just kind of forget they existed.

This is what Barry’s letter said about Bandolero:

Between 1717 and 1817 the Spanish Crown prohibited cigar production in the Caribbean Islands. Meanwhile precious leaves continued to grow on the other side of the ocean and the “puro” cigar rolling that we know today could only be done at the Sevilla Royal factory. That absurd prerogative led to the raising of tobacco prices and the birth of the Bandolero, an intrepid figure hidden along mysterious roads with tobacco leaves and rolled in other countries.

He added that this cigar (as well as the others I’ll be looking at in this 3-part series) are “top secret blends” so apparently it is a matter of national security that we are not permitted to know what the blend make-up of the Bandolero is (that’s just a joke…it’s not really a national security issue…well, probably not…). United Cigar sent one sample of Bandolero so that’s what this review is being based on.

Prelight

One interesting thing about the cigars sent for these reviews is the packaging in which they came. Specifically, I’m referring to the “Humitube” that shipped with the cigars. Humitubes are very like regular “tubo” cigars that you might get anywhere in that they protect the cigar from damage in transit. Where they differ is that they are also useful as single-stick travel humidors. There is a sponge that fits in a sealed compartment in the base that holds distilled water or humidification solution and can be re-filled very easily. Also, the cap unscrewed to reveal a large-bore cigar punch. All the while the Humitube keeps the brand that came in it originally in your mind because it is printed on the bottom half of the tube, so it acts as a marketing tool, as well. It’s kinda genius, to be honest.

The cigar inside the tube had a band that was ornate without being over the top and a wrapper leaf the color of milk chocolate. It was smooth and fairly oily to the touch, with an aroma of clean earth mixed with cocoa powder and coffee. The foot had a less distinctive aroma of damp earth. The cold draw was very good and tasted of natural tobacco and earth.

Flavor

This Bandolero started off with a toasty note and more subtle creamy and earthy flavors. I got just a bit of black coffee bitterness and a hint of citrus. The retrohale was toasty, as well, with a slight sweetness in the mix and a dash of black pepper. As I continued through the first third, the coffee and toast notes backed off and the citrus increased to be on more equal footing with the earthiness. It started off in the medium-bodied range and didn’t move that needle through this segment of the smoke.

The second third was more citrusy and grassy, with the earthier notes diminishing a bit. I would have liked a bit more sweetness in the mix personally, but overall it was still enjoyable.

The last third continued the notes of grass, citrus and earth, along with a slight resurgence of pepper. Although a “top secret” blend, I would not be surprised to learn there was a significant amount of Dominican leaf in this blend based on the flavor profile.

Construction

The draw was just about perfect on the Bandolero. I had to make a couple minor touchups to the burn line, but nothing that was a big deal. The ash was solid throughout.

Value

I found the price tag of about $13 a little high for the experience it delivered. A solid smoke, but hard for me to justify a price above $10.

Conclusions

Bandolero is definitely a solid “good” smoking experience, but for me it didn’t quite rise to the level of the asking price. It rose to a medium-to-full body by the end and had a decent complexity, but lacked a certain something…maybe refinement or nuance…that I would expect in the so-called “super premium” segment of cigars. As with any cigar, though, tastes are subjective; if you gravitate toward this type of flavor profile, you might have a totally different outlook and find the price worthwhile.

By-The-Numbers

Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 8/10