Vitola: Corona Gorda- 5.625” x 46 ring gauge
- ~$9
- Samples provided by Cubariqueño Cigar Company
Background
Today I continue my look at the Protocol line from Cubariqueño Cigar Company with a look at their original release: Protocol Blue. This line debuted all the way back in 2015 and was designed to pay tribute to the law enforcement backgrounds of the brand principles, Juan Cancel and Bill Ives. They worked with Erik Espinosa’s La Zona factory for their new venture and that is where the brand lives still.
Protocol Blue uses Nicaraguan fillers from Jalapa and Estelí, a Nicaraguan Habano binder, and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.
Our old friend, Jon Siddle, reviewed this a couple years back here on Leaf Enthusiast. This review sample is the third time I’ve smoked this blend and all of those were supplied by Cubariqueño Cigar Company.
Prelight
So first off…love the color scheme of the banding on these. Blue was my favorite color before I was a Dodgers fan and this “slightly darker than Royal” shade is beautiful. Cool, modern look to the logo and die cut of the band, without seeming to try too hard to be “different.”
The wrapper leaf was the color of milk chocolate with a nice amount of oiliness to the touch and a little lumpiness with the veins. The aroma from it was strong earthiness with a touch of anise. The foot had the same with the addition of some cedar in the mix.
After clipping the head, I got a very good cold draw. The cold flavors were of wet earth and wood, semi-sweet chocolate and black pepper.
Flavor
I fired up the foot of the cigar and got initial flavors of dry cedar, unsweetened cocoa powder, earth, and black pepper. The retrohale was nutty and had a stronger pepper component. The finish had a slight sweetness to it that was a nice balance to the other, more savory, notes.
As I got into the second third, the pepper mellowed out to almost nothing, leaving behind a sweeter chocolate note, a more prevalent earthiness, and hints of roasted nuts. The cedar was a tertiary note and pepper was just barely hanging on during the finish.
During the last third, I got a resurgence of pepper spice, up to a low “red pepper flake” level, along with semisweet chocolate and earth.
Construction
I had a great draw, very even burn line, and solid ash.
Value
Very good cigar and very fair price tag, adds up to a solid value.
Conclusions
The Protocol Blue was a really good way for this company to start their catalog. It showcases some of the best of Nicaraguan tobacco without getting overly spicy along the way. There was plenty of complexity to keep my interest piqued and I enjoyed it from end to end.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
