I decided to sit on the back deck under a moonlit, starry night, to enjoy one of the newest creations from Kyle Gellis and Warped cigars last evening. Warped Cigars has made some real waves in the cigar market and this year seems to be just as epic as last. Kyle has once again created a blend that firmly positions Warped Cigars as one of the best Boutique cigar manufacturers out there. I am talking about their latest introduction – the Corto. This cigar will be regularly produced until next years IPCPR when it will be retired and a new vitola of the blend is introduced. In case you were wondering about the name “Corto” it means short. The introduction vitola is named the Corto X50; a 4.5 x 50 soft box pressed, petite robusto, which highlights a silky smooth, slightly oily, dark brown wrapper encasing a well packed filler and binder. It is a Nicaraguan Puro made at the Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. (TABSA) in Estelí, Nicaragua. Since Corto means short, I do wonder what the future vitola sizes will be. Can we have a short Presidente? I guess we will leave that to the creative mind of Kyle and his team.
I received a an early sample of the Corto X50 from Kyle at this years IPCPR and I really appreciate it. It was so new that they did not have the bands for it yet. So instead of the artist band that is on the now released and shipping cigars I got the simple white and black one. Of course that does not have any impact on the flavor or construction of the cigar and it had a good 3 months to rest in my humidor before sampling it. Warped has announced this week that the Corto X50 will now be shipping to retailers.
So lets break this Corto X50 specimen down a bit.
First the blend; well that is simple – it is made from 100% Aganorsa leaf.
The Wrapper is gorgeous, smooth and practically vein-less with a glistening sheen to it.
The pre-light aroma serves up sweetness and touch of earth with a sprinkle of spice.
It is finished with a well applied triple cap that slices off easily to exhibit the dense packing of the cigar.
Once toasted up , the Corto X50 took no time to deliver a full volume of spicy and peppery smoke that hits the back of the throat and awakens the nasals. The pepper fades nicely to background after a half-inch and as I sit on the deck with only the dim lighting the wrapper shines like the full moon in the night sky.
The spicy blend is showing its face at this point, evident in flavor and aroma along with a sweet undertone that compliments the spice. There is a well-formed medium grey ash that rests atop a sharp char line. The burn is perfect and the draw flawless.
The flavors mellow after about an inch of burn delivering exquisite smoke and flavor. As much as I am enjoying the flavor it is the aroma at this point that gets my attention, as the Corto x50 starts to exhaust a delectable sweet, maple, roasted nut aroma. The spice continues and there is a hint of fruit coming in that blends well with the nut.
Taking it to the half way point, the Corto X50 shifts into a new gear as the strength begins to ramp up and I slow down the puff rate. The ash is still solid and tight showing no signs of falling or fracturing.
Further into the second third, the fruit note becomes more prominent while the smoke is so smooth that I find it hard not to ingest some now and then. It is that good!
Just as I was enjoying the mellow flavors of this fine cigar, the Corto X50 hits me one more time with that early pepper and awakens the nasals – just in case they were taking a siesta. At this stage it shifts into overdrive on strength. I would firmly declare this a “full strength” cigar now. What is nice is how the spicy fruit lingers on my palate after each puff here at the final third. The aroma has shifted to primarily a nut as the early maple faded away.
I want to smoke more of the Corto X50 but I have but a sliver of the nub to go, which is now offering up a final hint of cedar. Sadly, I bid farewell to a new-found friend. I will find you again.
Warped Corto X50
Overall the Warped Corto X50 is a must try for those with experienced palates and those that enjoy full body and strength cigars. If you are new to such experiences, I suggest you eat a meal before experiencing it. Although I did not pair this with any beverage other than water, I would think an Islay scotch would be a nice pairing if you like the boldness to come through or a Highland Malt if you want to compliment the fruit and nut flavors. I will have to get a few more of these to add to my aging collection.
Great job Kyle and the Warped team, keep up the great work. You made our top 25 last year and it looks good again for this year.
~Boston Jimmie
Yea Look at that ASH!!!!
Nice! I can’t wait to try it, and I also love the Aganorsa leaf. Great review, brother.
It was a phenomenal cigar only complaint is that it was to short “Corto”.
I thought it was pretty good but Warped has done much better with a number of other blends. My experience was different.