Vitola: Toro
Size 6” x 50 ring gauge
Price: ~ $7.50
It figures that I’d be the one who would find a cigar that is late to the party. I probably should have reviewed this sometime in the last year and a half after it was first introduced, but I don’t always like to show up when the party kicks off. I’ve been called “fashionably late” more times than I probably care to count, and this cigar is right there with me. And since Webster’s definition of “suave” is : “behaving in a relaxed, confident, and pleasant way in social situations”, it might just be fitting. Let’s see how relaxed and confident this thing really is.
Emilio head Gary Griffith decided to use an Ecuardorian Connecticut shade wrapper for this project, while using Nicaraguan binders and fillers. The band is in typical Emilio; simple and without too much fanfare. The toffee wrapper had small veins and no visible defects safe for a minor tear that I caused when removing the cello wrapper. Initial notes were of cedar and a bit of hay. After clipping, I felt that the cold draw was so airy. It wasn’t just easy, it almost felt like there was hardly any filler. It was that airy. So I had my reservations about how this would smoke, but on I must continue. And on I did.
Torching the foot and into the first bit and I was greeted with more of the cedar that I noted in the pre-light, followed by a bit of a nutty taste. I thought this actually would have been a bit sweeter than it was, but it did have a hint of a Werther’s Original? Is that possible? Just a hint. Surrounded by lots of smoke. Yeah, a little disc of goodness.
Now into the mid-section and very little changes. Still woody and nutty. Still a bit sweet. Toss some hay and a bit of cream into the mix, but there’s not much of an evolution here; just enough to make it a more complex cigar than previously perceived.
Heading into the home stretch, the profile changed. The creamy and sweet flavors from earlier backed away with pepper and bitter chocolate taking their place. Smoke was ever present and never did it go out. The burn at times was uneven but not for long and not something about which to be concerned.
I believe that the Emilio AF Suave is great for beginners, for those who enjoy a smoke with their morning coffee, or for those who just want something a bit light like on a hot Summer afternoon. It is a great mild/medium body cigar with a decent level of complexity that doesn’t become overbearing. The stick was loose on the draw but I think for this stick it worked, and it worked better than I thought it would. Leave it to Gary to tweak and use these little nuances to make a tasty treat. For the price, I think it’s about where it needs to be, so I think it’s a pretty good smoke at a good value.
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8/10
