Oscar Valladares, the man that may be best known for the Leaf by Oscar cigar, a brand that is owned by and was made popular by Island Jim Robinson, has branched out over the past few years and brought to market some new and interesting blends of his own. At the 2018 IPCPR, Oscar was showcasing a blend known as the Ciseron Edition at his Oscar Valladares Tobacco Co. booth.
The Ciseron Edition is a tribute to Honduran artist Elmer Ciseron Bautista who actually created the blend for this cigar, which the company described as:
- Wrapper – Sun Grown Ecuadorian
- Binder – Aged Nicaraguan
- Filler – Aged Nicaraguan
The Ciseron comes in a single 6 x 52 toro adorned with one of 5 different outer sleeves that are actually paintings by Elmer Ciseron Bautista that were commissioned by Oscar for this project.
The sleeves certainly brighten the shelf of any humidor and if you are careful removing the sleeve, maybe you can frame it and hang it on your wall. The outer sleeves identify each toro:
- Blue 1 Toro
- Red 2 Toro
- Green 3 Toro
- Purple 4 Toro
- Green/Blue 5 Toro
This is a unique concept in the cigar market, but then again so was the Leaf by Oscar. If you like this ciagr you may want to purchase one of each so you can collect the art sleeves of all 5. As mentioned, the blend is the same for each.
Pre-Light Examination
The Oscar Valladares Ciseron Edition is a triple capped, medium brown cigar that has a nice oily sheen to the wrapper. The cigar seems to be well packed and is solid to the touch along the barrel.
Of course to fully appreciate the look of the Ciseron, you have to remove the outer sleeve, which pulls off with a gentle tug. Under that beautiful painting, is the rest of the cigar which shows a wrapper that has a light marbling through it. The cigar is also further branded with a single black, red, and gold band that identifies the cigar as the Oscar Valladares Ciseron Edition.
From a pre-light aroma perspective, the Ciseron has a pleasant sweet fruit note off the foot but not much along the barrel.
I sliced the cap with my double blade Zikar cutter and proceeded to enjoy some cold draw puffs. I would say the draw was a tad more open than I prefer while it offered a light pepper on the lips, and with a few extra puffs, I started to pick up the sweet fruit notes I detected earlier during the aroma exam.
It was time to fire this one up as I settled down and did a little background research on Elmer Ciseron Bautista – the artist who created this blend and the art for the branding. I used double torch lighter to warm the foot to an even orange glow. The cigar took to the flame well and exhibited a crisp even burn from the first sweet and peppery puffs.
Cigar Review Notes
- Sweetness to start with some pepper on the nose
- A vanilla note enters to add to the sweetness
- Medium grey ash develops on a crisp medium char line
- Cedar notes enter after an inch plus
- Very smooth smoke after two inches of burn
- Still has a sweetness to it with a mild spice component developing
- A sweet nutty aroma engulfs the air around me
- Almond notes join the mix
- So far I would pin the strength at medium
- Ash finally fell, deep into the second third
If you carefully open the sleeve you will be able to read the history of Elmer Ciseron Bautista. Thanks Oscar!
- Flavor gets a bit muted and there is a slight squish in the barrel at this point
- The barrel starts to get hot to the touch
- Gentle and sweet woody notes start to enter near the end of the second third
- Flavor picks back up in the final with a graham cracker note and an earthy background
- Medium Strength
- Total Smoking time as 1 hour and 35 minutes
Overall, the Oscar Valladares Ciseron Edition was a fine cigar from this young and growing boutique cigar company. It had a pleasant array of flavors and aroma that were wrapped in a core sweetness. The burn was spot on with a long solid ash that fell just once throughout the journey. It did burn a bit hot to the touch nearing the final third and the barrel got a bit squishy deep in the second third. At a price of $9.50, and sites where you can find it discounted, this is a solid five pack purchase. I rate this a 94.
Point Deductions: (-1) Burns hot in final; (-1) Barrel got Squishy (-1) Medium Grey Ash
Bonus Points: Extreme Ash (+1)
