Tradecraft Cigars has built its portfolio around blends whose names and presentations draw inspiration from history, espionage, and military operations. The Azorian follows that theme, taking its name from Project Azorian, the highly secretive Cold War-era CIA effort to recover the sunken Soviet submarine K-129 from the Pacific Ocean.
The cigars were blended by Rob Blumenthal & Wiber Ventura and handcrafted at Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic. You can purcahse these at Luxury Cigar Club here.
The Azorian Robusto
- Size: 5 x 54
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano, 7th Priming
- Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
- Filler: Pennsylvania Ligero, Ecuadorian Habano 2000 Ligero, Corojo Ligero and Criollo ’98
- MSRP: $15.00
- Strength: Medium-Full
The blend is offered 3 different vitolas, each packaged in 12-count boxes:
- Robusto (5 x 54) – MSRP $15.00
- Toro (6 x 52) – MSRP $15.00
- Corona Gorda (5.5 x 46) – MSRP $14.40
For this review, I sampled 2 of the Azorian robustos which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
The Azorian Robusto presented as a nicely rolled cigar dressed in a milk-chocolate-brown wrapper. The leaf exhibited minimal veins and tight seams along the barrel, finished with a well-applied cap. A nice oily sheen added to the presentation, while the cigar felt firm and well packed from head to foot with no noticeable soft spots.
The Azorian is dressed with an attractive deep navy-blue band that gives the cigar a classic, almost nautical presentation. Intricate lighter-blue ornamental scrollwork runs across the band, framed by thin silver and cream accents.
At the center is an ornate medallion-style crest with “THE AZORIAN” prominently displayed in burgundy lettering across a cream banner. Beneath the name sits a colorful illustration of green tobacco leaves surrounded by small pink, yellow, and cream flowers, providing a striking contrast against the dark blue background. The right side carries the TRADECRAFT name in understated lettering alongside a small decorative emblem. Overall, it is an elegant presentation that catches the eye without becoming overly flashy.
Running the cigar across the nose, I picked up a mildly sweet fermented tobacco aroma along the barrel. The foot offered a similar fermented leaf character along with an added touch of peppery spice.
I sliced the cap cleanly across the shoulder using my Xikar dual-blade cutter and gave it a few cold-draw puffs. The draw had an excellent level of restriction and delivered notes of leather, sweet earth, and pepper, setting the stage for the journey ahead.
The Smoking Journey
The opening puffs delivered a decent white pepper blast that quickly awakened the palate. A mild natural sweetness joined the mix early in the burn, accompanied by an inviting nutty aroma wafting from the foot. A light grey ash developed above a medium-thick, somewhat wavy char line. There was also a touch of leather that could be detected tactilely from the wrapper, adding another dimension to the early experience.
The ash eventually fell in a decent chunk, revealing a flat but centered burn cone.
Moving into the second third, a developing fruit note began to emerge while the earlier nut character transitioned from the aroma onto the palate. At the same time, the opening pepper settled back considerably, becoming more of a mild spice undertone rather than a dominant component.
By the midway point, the retrohale had become quite smooth and introduced a pleasant cocoa note, adding some additional depth to the profile.
As the Azorian moved into the final third, the journey became noticeably bolder. The strength increased along with a growing earthy character, giving the cigar a heavier personality than it displayed through the first two thirds.
Deeper into the final third, a mild cream note entered the mix, providing a subtle smoothing quality against the increasing earth and strength. The cigar did begin to burn a tad hot through the final inch or so, which is where I ultimately brought the experience to a close.
The Tradecraft Cigars Azorian Robusto finished at medium-full in strength, with a total smoking time of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Final Analysis
The Tradecraft Cigars Azorian Robusto delivered an enjoyable flavor journey that demonstrated some nice transitions along the way. The opening white pepper quickly gave way to sweetness and nut before the profile expanded with fruit, cocoa, spice, and eventually a more assertive earthy character. I particularly enjoyed the middle portion of the cigar, where the fruit and nut notes worked together while the pepper settled into the background and the smooth retrohale brought cocoa into the mix.
Construction was generally solid. The draw maintained an excellent restriction, the ash held in respectable chunks, and the burn required no significant intervention. The somewhat wavy char line and heat that developed during the final inch were the primary performance blemishes.
At $15.00, the Azorian Robusto offers enough complexity and transition to warrant another look, especially for smokers who enjoy a Habano-forward profile that develops from pepper and sweetness into fruit, cocoa, earth, and spice.
This is one I would comfortably recommend picking up a five-pack of. The evolving middle portion was the highlight for me, while the increasingly earthy, stronger finish provided enough contrast to keep the 90-minute journey interesting through the final inch.
