Arandoza Cigars Blue Label
Monday, October 22nd, 2012Thanks to Robert at Arandoza Cigars, for sending me a couple samples of the Blue Label. Arandoza is a new boutique cigar company. The blue label is made in Estelli, Nicaragua, at a factory owned by Erik Espinosa. All name dropping aside, does the Blue Label deliver where it counts? Let’s find out.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder & Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Robusto 5 x 52
Price: $6.00 MSRP
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The dark wrapper was virtually flawless, with only a few small veins. Sniffing the wrapper, I detected mild pepper and earth. The foot had the same aroma, along with woodiness. Overall, the cigar was firmly, and consistently packed. The draw had slight resistance, and an earthy flavor.
The ash was a little flaky, and held for about an inch. The burn required one correction.
Flavor:
The first third opened up with a nice peppery blast. It didn’t burn my face off, but it had potential. Earthiness was up next, along with espresso. The smoke was plentiful, and it had a dry feel.
Pepper calmed down a bit in the second third. This allowed earthiness and espresso to stand out more. Each flavor was equal in strength, and separated from each other. Towards the end of this third, there were subtle nutty notes.
The last third kept the same flavors, but they combined nicely. Pepper calmed down even more, but kept it’s zing. This led to a rich, clingy aftertaste.
Conclusion:
This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. It certainly isn’t for the beginner though. Perhaps what made it stand out was it’s bold, simple flavors. There was nothing bad to report really. But, if you prefer milder, subtle cigars, this may not be for you. As for me, I liked it.
