It’s Memorial Day weekend and that means it is time to honor our fallen soldiers,the men and women and their families, who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms we enjoy in our great country. So as you read this take a moment of silence to reflect….
Memorial Day is also the official start of the summer as the nights are getting longer, the sun is getting hotter,and the flowers are in bloom. I figured this would be a good time to sample and review a sun grown cigar, and as I looked through the humidor, the bright red band of the Bobalu Sun Grown easily caught my eye. It has rested there for a few months and it was time to turn it to ash. I had one earlier in the year, but it was just not ready to be smoked – aging certainly helps.
The Bobalu Sun Grown was created to celebrate the Austin, Texas company’s 15 year anniversary wich was 5 years ago, and as I understand it is one of their best sellers. If you want to read more about the company checkout the Stogie Press article – An Interview with Bobalu Cigars Jeff Lipton – Yea he built it!
Background on the Bobalu Sun Grown
The blend is described as:
- Wrapper – Nicaraguan Habano
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan including aged Nicaraguan ligero
The Bobalu Sun Grown is offered in 4 vitolas and come packaged in 20-count boxes or to save a few bucks, 20-count bundles
- Robusto – 5 x 54 (MSRP $6.50, Bundle of 20 : $87.00, Box of 20 : $92.00)
- Toro Grande – 7 x 54 (MSRP $7.50, Bundle of 20 : $93.00, Box of 20 : $98.00)
- Torpedo – 6.5 x 54 (MSRP $7.95, Bundle of 20 : $95.00, Box of 20 : $100.00 )
- Gordo – 6 x 60 (MSRP $8.95, Bundle of 20 : $109.00)
You can find these for sale directly on the Bobalu Cigars website.
Pre-Light Examination
The Bobalu Sun Grown is an absolutely gorgeous cigar to look at, with its smooth and shiny ,medium brown Habano wrapper that is all but free of veins. It has a solid feel to it and looking at the foot you can see the tight packing. It is neatly finished with a triple cap. As far as aromas go, the Bobalu Sun Grown provides a sweet barn yard hay note on the foot and a fermented leaf sweetness along the barrel.
The band is simple, red gloss with white print that includes the Bobalu logo and the words “Sun Grown” across the bottom.
The cap is easily sliced. The cold draw has a medium level of restriction providing some enticing flavor notes of sweetness, earth and pepper with a hint of leather on the lips.
For this review I sampled the Bobalu Sun Grown Toro Grande which I received from the company.
Cigar Review Notes
Bobalu Sun Grown
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- Very smooth smoke to start
- Fruit and cedar notes enter earlier
- Burn is perfect to start
- Sweet sugary aroma
- Sweetness moves onto tongue
- Solid smoke volume that is creamy and thick
- Salt and pepper ash rests on thin char line
- Syrupy and woody notes fill out the early profile
- A light cinnamon note enters that lingers gently on the palate
- Sweetness is building and wrapping the cinnamon well near the start of the second third
- Wrapper develops a slight oiling above the char line
- Black pepper makes a short appearance
- Sweet cedar continues through second third
- The aroma evolved and is now wafting an enticing sweet nut
- Spice enters in the final third that adds to the smoking pleasure
- Pepper builds on the lips at the finish
- Medium Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 20 minutes to the nub!
Overall, the Bobalu Sun Grown was a pleasant cigar to smoke, easy on the palate but with delicious sweetness and complex flavor transitions. The burn was trouble-free throughout the experience. This is a cigar that any enthusiast would enjoy and at about $5.00 by the bundle this is no brainer! Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.
Bobalu Sun Grown