Cigar Review: Smoking Jacket Favoritos

Vitola: Favoritos
Size: 6” x 46 ring gauge
Price: $7.60 
Purchased at Silo Cigars

Background

This is my third trip to the well for a review about the Smoking Jacket line of cigars. Three different sizes that I’ve picked out and three different blends. “But,” you ask, “isn’t every vitola in any line of cigars a different blend?” Yes…to some extent, every vitola starts off with a basic blend, then it has to be tweaked a bit to give the best smoking experience for that size. But generally that means a little more of this, a little less of that, not entirely different leaves. The Robusto Imperial I reviewed in December had some Peruvian filler and a Brazilian wrapper, while the Short Robusto had some “Kelner Family Reserve” in the filler and a 9-year-aged Dominican wrapper. This Favoritos vitola (roughly a Corona Gorda) uses 60% Dominican, 20% Nicaraguan and 20% USA Broadleaf fillers, wrapped up in a 9-year-old Dominican leaf. I’m assuming the same type of Dominican wrapper for this and the Short Robusto, and I’m even willing to say the same or similar Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, but the addition of Broadleaf is the unique feature of this blend. Are we talking Connecticut or Pennsylvania Broadleaf here? It’s not stated, although the Toro Magno vitola uses “20% Pennsylvanian” tobacco, so I’m left wondering if this is the same leaf…Pennsylvania Broadleaf, in other words. If anyone can fill in those blanks, the comments section below is open.

As with the other Smoking Jacket cigars, I purchased one of the Favoritos size at Silo Cigars for this review.

Prelight

I have to say that I really love this size and have ever since the CAO La Traviata Favorito vitola (very close to the same size, if not exactly the same). Corona Gorda (roughly what this is) is pretty much my 3rd or 4th favorite vitola in all of tobacciana (Corona is #1, Lancero and Robusto are right up there usually, too…it all depends on how I’m feeling this week). Other than that, I could just copy and paste the prelight section of my review on Tuesday in here…it’s pretty much the same wrapper leaf, down to the cap being slightly unevenly cut and looking like it was applied in a hurry. If that is the worst thing I can bring up in prelight we’re good. (Yes, the band is the exact same as the others, but I had that rant the other day.)

Again, a wrapper the shade of a Caramel Latte with an aroma of wet earth and hay. The foot was different, though, with more of an earthiness and a little less cedar aroma. My Xikar straight cut provided a very good draw that had flavors of hay and dried fruit, along with more subtle notes of bread, cedar, and earth.

Flavor

After I achieved full ignition of the Smoking Jacket Favoritos, I initially tasted wood and an underlying sweetness that was hard to pin down, but was nice nonetheless. The retrohale had a medium level of red pepper spice and an even nuttiness. After I got through the first few minutes, I noted the palate flavor to be more earthy than woody and the sweetness was resolving into more of a dark chocolate note. As I finished the first third and moved into the second, the cigar took on more earthiness with notes of black coffee and still some sweet hay from the Dominican leaf.

Late in the second third, more cedar flavor came to the forefront. During the last third, the red pepper started increasing on the nose and palate, while there seemed to be some citrus elements, too.

Construction

As with the others in this series, construction on the Smoking Jacket Favoritos was excellent. The draw was perfect throughout. The ash was solid for over half an inch. The burn line was even enough to not fuss over.

Value

I like the price of this vitola, finding it odd that it costs so much less than the Short Robusto even though it must contain a similar amount of tobacco.

Conclusions

Of the three Smoking Jacket variations I have been able to try so far, this is my favorite (any coincidence that it’s called “Favoritos”? I think not!). The size and blend makeup really hit right on in a way that the other two did not for my palate. As always, everyone is an individual (“Yes!” they said en masse, “We’re all individuals!”) and your results may vary. This line of cigars is unique in the way they are put together, and while I wish they had put more details to that effect on the packaging, the smoking results are honestly very good to great. Give them a try when you get a chance.

By-The-Numbers

Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

This article originally appeared on Tiki Bar Online.