Back in late September when I attended the Cigar Mike Atlanta Cigar Experience, I ran into Rob Robinson, the CEO of R & R Cigars based out of Miami, FL. Rob is a dapper man who loves his cigars as do us all. While we were chatting in the Davidoff lounge in Atlanta, he handed me one of his creations, a well constructed Barber Pole and said to give it a try. I promised I would check it out when I got home and today I would like to present my review of this cigar.
According to his company’s LinkedIn page:
“At R&R Cigars we strive to manufacture the best quality cigars in the market. With two generations of experience and knowledge our cigars are made with precise detail to the art of a hand- made cigar. We use top quality Cuban seed tobacco with Nicaraguan, wrappers and binder, thus making this blend one of distinction. They are 100% Hand-Made by Cuban Master Rollers in the heart of Miami, FL.“
Rob explained that the blend on the barber pole was 100% Nicaraguan:
- Wrapper – Habano/Maduro
- Binder – Nicaraguan
- Filler – Nicaraguan
The tobaccos used in the construction of the cigar are aged 3 years and they come packaged in 20-count boxes with an MSRP of $11.00/cigar.
Pre-Light Examination
The R&R Cigars Barber Pole Robusto is a beautifully constructed barber pole that offers a perfect contrast of leaf color and even spacing of wrapper leaf. Both the habano and maduro wrapper leaf were smooth to the touch with minimal veins and a light oily sheen. The cigar was solid in hand with no soft spots detected and it was finshed with a well applied double cap.
A single black, white and gold band adorns the cigar. The company’s logo is proudly presented in the center. It is not fancy but it does the job.
Running the cigar across the nasals I noted the some muted pungent and spice notes along the barrel along with damp forest notes off the foot.
Once I sliced the cap with my double blade cutter, straight across the shoulder, I proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs that I found to be spot with restriction while offering a fine array of pre-light notes including spicy cinnamon and just a touch of earth.
With the pre-light exam behind me, I reached for my double flame torch to warm the foot to an even orange glow and drew in a strong pepper burst on the first puff that hit both my palate and the nasals. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Pepper shot right off the initial light front end awaking the palate and nose
- Meaty notes join the mix as the pepper pulls back
- Hint of sweetness and a touch of cinnamon adds a pleasurable dimension to the early profile
- Solid light grey ash is forming on top of a medium thick slightly wavy char line
- Dark chocolate notes evolve deep in the second third
- Touch of spice as it twirls though the wrappers
- The solid long ash fell finally, revealing a well formed and centered burn cone
- Coffee notes blend in near the start of the final third
- Lingering spice takes you down to the nub
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 25 minutes
Final Analysis
I found the R&R Cigars Barber Pole Robusto to be a very pleasurable smoking experience. The journey started with rich peppery and meaty notes that gave way to a pleasurable natural sweetness and cinnamon spice that I thoroughly enjoyed as they lasted deep into the second third. Dark Chocolate teased the palate before giving way to spice notes and coffee nuances. This is a cigar any enthusiast would enjoy and is one I would enjoy any time of the day. The construction was excellent and the burn was great, including the long solid ash. This is a box worthy cigar and I rate it a 95.
Point Deductions: (-1) Mild Wave
Bonus Points: (+1) Extreme Ash; (+1) Buy A box
