Today I would like to offer a review of one of a few samples I recently received from Sinistro Cigars, the Sinistro Habana Viejo Scala LE. You may be most familiar with Sinistro as the maker of the Last Cowboy and the Mr. White, Mr. Red, and Mr. Black cigars.
The Sinistro Habana Viejo line is expressed in six different vitolas and are manufactured at the La Aurora Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic.
- Corona (6 x 42)
- Lancero (7 x 40)
- Fat Robusto (4 x 58)
- Ambassador (5.5 x 38/60)
- Scala LE (5.5 x 38/60)
- Salomon (6.5 x 50/60)
The blend of the Sinistro Habana Viejo is described by the company as:
- Wrapper – 8-year aged Cuban-seed Nicaraguan Habano
- Binder – 10-year aged HVA (Habana Vuelta Arriba)
- Filler – Aged Dominican & Nicaraguan long-fillers
It should also be noted:
- The Salomón has a San Andres Maduro wrapper at the head and foot of the cigar.
- The Scala LE has a San Andres Maduro leaf wrapped around the cigar
For this review, I sampled the Habana Viejo Scala LE which has an MSRP of $16.00.
Pre-Light Examination
The Habana Viejo Scala LE will not be winning any beauty contest, but as I have always stated, looks can be deceiving when it come to cigars. With that said, the Scala LE, is a fun looking vitola with its dark brown, marbled, and oily wrapper. There are some significant veins running through the wrapper and it is finished with and long shaggy foot and a simple cap.The cigar is solid to the touch.
When I turned on my aroma sensor, I was not able to place the scent I was getting off the barrel but the foot had quite a pungent spice note to it.
Once I sliced the cap with a straight cut, the cold draw was a tad more open than I normally like and offered a growing pepper note as I cold puffed it.
Igniting the Scala LE was easy, as the shaggy foot took right to the flame, and delivered initial peppery spice notes through a extreme volume of smoke. Follow along as I break down the Sinistro Cigars Habana Viejo Scala LE and turn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Full volume of peppery smoke especially on the retro-hale
- Once the burn gets to the wrapper – early notes are rather harsh
- Light grey ash on a wavy thick char line
- A charcoal note early on – I powered through it
- Need to puff more frequently to stay lit
- Wavy burn continues
- Slight wood notes enter
- Earthy notes build in the background
- Burn started to canoe – needs touch-up
- Cinnamon notes finally work into profile near the thickest part of vitola
- Sweet aroma midway
- Toast and pepper find their way in
- Strength is medium full
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 20 minutes
Overall, the Sinistro Cigars Habana Viejo Scala LE was a cigar that gave me significant burn issues through the journey. The flavor started out on the harsh side and morphed into a charcoal note that I powered through. It did give me some sweetness and cinnamon once it got to the thickest part of the vitola but that faded back after an inch or so of burn. I have enjoyed other cigars from Sinistro but the flavors and burn were just not working on this. I rate this a 81.
Point Deductions: (-1) Jagged Burn; (-1) Touch-up; (-1) Flat Burn Cone; (-1) Harsh Start; (-3) Charcoal Notes early; (-4) Canoed; (-2) Not Recommended
