Initial Thoughts:
Another gift from a fellow cigar smoker, the Espinosa Red River Valley Toro is a cigar made exclusively for the Texas and Oklahoma cigar markets.
The 6 x 50 toro has a dark Mexican San Andres wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler tobacco. After cutting the end, the draw is perfectly loose. The initial draw has dark notes with hints of spice and a faint whiff of cupcakes.
CigarScore:
Brand: Espinosa Cigars
Line: Red River Valley
Size: 6 x 50
Cut: Guillotine
Light: Torch
Price: $9.50
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Time: 67 minutes
About an inch into the cigar, right after I took the photo above, the cigar went out and I had to relight it. The draw continues to be perfect and the spicey cupcake flavors are very present. Very interesting.
Final Thoughts:
In the final third of the Espinosa Red River Valley Toro, the burn evened up. However, for the first two-thirds, the burn was a serious problem. And there seemed to be hollow spots (see below). And the wrapper cracked at least once.
But, the flavors were pretty good on this cigar and I was able to smoke it down to the nub. Although this cigar is about three years old (I believe this was a 2017 release), I can't get over the construction problems. That said, a buddy smoking the same cigar had no problems. My version of the Espinosa Red River Valley Toro earns a CigarScore 2.
