Back in June of this year, Espinosa Premium Cigars announced the Espinosa Ten Years. It is a cigar to celebrate the company’s Ten Years in the premium cigar industry. Blended by Hector Alfonso and hand crafted at the San Lotano factory in Estelí Nicaragua, it is expressed in a single (6 x 52) Toro and presented in a 20-count box.
In the press release, Hector noted:
“Erik isn’t big about his industry milestones, but me and Erik Jr. are, so we wanted to make yet another special cigar, to celebrate the company’s 10th year in the industry.”
The Bro himself, Erik Espinosa noted:
“It is hard to believe that it has already been 10 years! We have come such a long way from where we first started; in a little 800 square foot warehouse, without a single cigar to sell, but here we are. I am very proud of what my team and I have been able to accomplish.”
The blend for the Espinosa Ten Years is described as a Nicaraguan puro:
- Wrapper – Hybrid Habano
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan
This special cigar has an MSRP set at $13.00/cigar and 1,500 boxes were made. I picked up some of these at my local Brick and Mortar – Executive Cigar Shop and Lounge in Melbourne, Florida for this review.
Pre-Light Examination
The Espinosa Cigars – Ten Years sports a smooth medium brown wrapper that exhibits a decent sheen. There are some noticeable veins running through the wrapper and the wrapper has a some marbling in it. The cigar is firmly packed and well rolled and seems solid to the touch. A simple cap finishes the construction.
A single band adorns the Ten Years. It uses a red, black, white and gold motif declaring it as an Espinosa product boldly in white on a red background along with the celebratory “TEN YEATS” denoted below. Added swirls add to the attractiveness of the band. This cigar definitely popped on the shelf at my local shop.
Running the Espinosa Cigars – Ten Years along the nose, I picked up a mild spice on the barrel while the foot exuded a pungent sweetness joined with a vanilla chocolate note that had my intrigued to fire it up.
Before lighting it up, I opened the cap perfectly with my CigarMedics Baller cutter and gave it some cold draw puffs. I found the draw to be spot with restriction and offering a fine pepper note with added notes of earth and tanginess.
Using y single flame torch, I warmed the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first puffs of peppery smoke to start the journey. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Smooth black pepper start (no heavy bite and just a mild burn)
- Bit of cocoa swirls into the profile
- Solid white ash forms on top of a medium thick char line
- Cocoa is joined with a gentle spice nuance near the end of the first third
- Cedar notes join the mix
- Ash dropped in a solid chunk revealing a slightly off centered burn cone
- Mild bitter note forms
- Woody aroma wafts off the foot
- Continued cocoa powder nuances and cedar
- Peppery spice down to the final
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 minutes
Final Analysis
The Espinosa Cigars – Ten Years was a decent cigar that offered a medium body of flavor that was never over the top and smooth draws throughout the journey. It started with a smooth peppery start with no bite and quickly added cocoa nuances that stayed with the profile through most of the burn. It did have a mild bitter note midway that lasted for a few puffs but this was more characteristic of the cocoa powder nuance that evolved. It is the nuances that make this a fun experience. This is certainly worth grabbing a fiver of. I rate this a 92.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy Burn; (-1) Slightly Off-centered Burn Cone
