Tradecraft Cigars continues to develop its portfolio of premium handmade cigars with blends that offer distinctive flavor experiences. One such offering is the Vitruvian, a cigar designed to deliver a more complex interpretation of the traditional Connecticut-wrapped smoking experience. The cigar is finished with a simple cap.
The Vitruvian was blended by Wiber Ventura and is produced at Tabacalera William Ventura in the Dominican Republic. The blend combines an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and a selection of Dominican, Ecuadorian, and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos.
For today’s review, I sampled the Tradecraft Cigars Vitruvian Toro, a 6 x 50 vitola that delivered a medium-strength smoking experience highlighted by evolving sweetness, fruit, citrus, and an increasingly savory spice profile.
Cigar Specifications
- Brand: Tradecraft Cigars
- Cigar: Vitruvian
- Vitola: Toro
- Size: 6 x 50
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
- Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
- Filler: Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua
- Blender: Wiber Ventura
- Factory: Tabacalera William Ventura
- Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
- Box Count: 12
- Reported MSRP: $14.50 per cigar
- Strength: Medium
- Smoking Time: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Pre-Light Examination
The Tradecraft Cigars Vitruvian Toro is presented in a smooth, golden-tan wrapper that exhibits a very mild toothiness to the touch. The leaf is practically veinless, giving the cigar a clean and refined appearance. The barrel feels firmly packed with no noticeable soft spots.
The Vitruvian Toro features an ornate emerald-green and white band highlighted by a central medallion depicting Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man.
The word “VITRUVIAN” arches above the image, while intricate floral scrollwork, decorative medallions, and geometric borders extend across the band. The Tradecraft name appears on the right side, completing an elegant, Renaissance-inspired presentation.
Running the barrel along the nose, I detected little to no discernible aroma. The foot, however, offered a pleasant combination of buttery and floral-like notes, providing an inviting introduction to the blend.
I sliced the cap and proceeded with a few cold-draw puffs. The draw was smooth, offering just the right amount of restriction. There was an enticing tactile sweetness on the wrapper that added to the experience, while a peppery spice note slowly developed with each successive puff.
Overall, the pre-light examination revealed a well-constructed cigar with subtle but intriguing aromatic qualities and a promising combination of sweetness and spice.
The Smoking Journey
First Third
The Vitruvian Toro opened with a subtle fruit note on the palate, accompanied by a mildly spicy retrohale. A pleasant chocolate-like aroma wafted from the foot, adding another dimension to the early experience. The cigar began developing a light gray ash resting on a medium-thick char line that remained even and well-behaved. The ash exhibited an attractive stacking-dimes formation as the burn progressed.
After approximately an inch of burn, a gentle sweetness began to develop, complementing the initial fruit and spice. The sweetness was not overpowering but instead provided a pleasant balance to the profile. As the first third progressed, the flavor profile settled into an enjoyable combination of sweet and savory notes. Neither component dominated, allowing the flavors to work together harmoniously.
The opening third was a pleasant introduction to the blend, offering enough flavor development to keep the palate engaged without becoming overly aggressive.
Second Third
Moving into the second third, the ash fell in a solid chunk, revealing a decent and well-centered burn cone. The flavor profile began to evolve with the introduction of a distinctive fruity nougat note. This added a confectionery quality to the experience, building on the sweetness established earlier in the smoking journey.
As the second third progressed, spice notes began swirling back into the mix. Joining the spice was a mouthwatering citrus component that brought a refreshing brightness to the profile.The combination of citrus and spice carried the experience toward the midway point. The citrus provided a lively contrast to the richer savory qualities beginning to develop.
Deeper into the second third, the profile became increasingly savory. The earlier sweetness and fruity nougat notes began taking a back seat as the spice continued to build. By the end of the second third, the spice had made quite a resurgence, becoming the predominant flavor in the profile.
This was perhaps the most noticeable transition in the smoking experience, as the Vitruvian moved from its sweeter opening characteristics into a decidedly more savory and spice-forward presentation.
Final Third
Entering the final third, the cigar introduced a touch of bitterness to the profile. The finish represented a departure from the sweeter fruit, nougat, and citrus characteristics that defined the earlier portions of the journey.
Although the bitterness detracted somewhat from the overall balance, I would not describe it as overwhelming.
The Vitruvian Toro finished at a solid medium strength, with a total smoking time of 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Overall Assessment
The Tradecraft Cigars Vitruvian Toro delivered a satisfying medium-strength smoking experience with a number of interesting flavor transitions. The opening third offered a pleasant combination of subtle fruit, chocolate-like aroma, sweetness, and savory notes. Moving into the second third, the addition of fruity nougat and mouthwatering citrus provided an enjoyable dimension to the profile.
The cigar became increasingly savory as the journey progressed, with spice eventually taking center stage toward the end of the second third. While the slight bitterness in the final third detracted somewhat from the overall balance, the cigar’s flavor development and dependable construction made for an enjoyable experience. The Vitruvian demonstrates that a Connecticut-wrapped cigar can offer more than a traditional creamy and mellow profile. In this case, the blend provided a journey that moved from sweetness and fruit toward citrus, savory notes, and pronounced spice.
At its reported price point, the Vitruvian Toro is worth considering for enthusiasts who enjoy Connecticut-wrapped cigars with a little more complexity and character. This is a cigar I would certainly consider revisiting, especially for those occasions when I am looking for a Connecticut-wrapped blend with more flavor development than the traditional mellow offering.
