Initial Thoughts:
It's not every day you get to experience a first edition. Whether it be a book (like Exit Strategy), a music album, or a cigar, first editions are special. And today's cigar is just such a first edition, the Rodriguez Cigars Cigar Club Exclusive La Familia Toro.
As soon as I removed the cigar from the cellophane, I noticed a nice, oily sheen on the wrapper leaf. The aroma of the cigar was wonderful.
On the cold draw, which was a little bit tight, I tasted lots of cedar and other wood. When I gave the La Familia Toro a squeeze, I noticed that it was very hard about an inch from the foot, and that might be causing the tight draw. But, maybe we'll burn through it.
CigarScore:
Brand: Rodriguez Cigars
Line: Exclusives / CigarClub
Size: 6 x 50
Cut: V-Cut
Light: Torch
Price: $10.00 – CigarClub.com
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Natural
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero x3
Smoke Time: 87 minutes
After the first third, the terrible draw opened up and the cigar became much more enjoyable. Additionally, through the middle of the cigar, the flavors were earthy, spicy, and leathery.
Final Thoughts
If you like full-on, in-your-face, bold cigars, you might like this Rodriguez Cigars Cigar Club Exclusive La Familia Toro. There is nothing meek, demure, or passive about this intense cigar.
My main complaint about this La Familia Toro was the absolutely terrible draw from the first third. This cigar should have never gotten out of the factory, and I'm surprise it passed a draw test.
Regarding the flavors, they were pretty good once I could start to taste them. However, this is definitely an “after steak and potatoes” kind of cigar; you'll want to eat something substantial before you smoke this. A breakfast cigar this is not. The flavors were earthy and leathery. And, for a cigar with a triple ligero filler, the flavors were quite smooth.
So, despite a tight draw for the first half, this cigar ended up pretty well with strong but not overly-peppery flavors. The Rodriguez Cigars Cigar Club Exclusive La Familia Toro earns a CigarScore 4.
