Digging the Sound of This Cigar? You Might Also Like...

Caldwell Cigar Co. "Just the Tip"

Chateau Diadem "Certitude"

Crux "Limitada 2023 Edition"

Initial Smoke

Medium in spice and spiciness, the pinched foot opens with the tastes of leather and salt, before gradually flowing outward to the 58 ring-gauge section of the tobacco-built tulip. Retros hit hard with spicy cedar and the resin this evergreen vegetation provides, making the smoke feel extra-oil almost right away. Smoke aromatics are sweet and sultry, with caramelized sugars and a touch of soil adding depth to a blend that has already surpassed medium in body, flavor, and strength.

1st Half

Ricola cough drop tastes, and the sweetness they rely upon forms quickly in the first third, and together with the sappy cedar and strong leather notes work the tongue over with bold flavors. Raisin bread is back, and this time it is even sweeter and chewier, with retrohales relying heavily upon sun-grown habano profiles to bring you both spice and tannins. The texture of the smoke is near-perfect, with the oiliness of the stuff making for fantastic smoke ring material.

As retrohales grow spicier, sweeter, and cinnamon strong, the tongue detects a drier, fiery sensation that brings back thoughts of those dried chili peppers that were detected pre-light. But the oiliness of the smoke smooths things over nicely, and before long it's back to raisin bread with melted butter and those winning dark habano top notes. Just don't believe what the Casa de Sueños website tells you, because this blend is a few rungs above medium for sure.

2nd Half

Still medicinal in a pleasant way, and more star anise strong than anything else, the gradual slope to the barrel begins to transform into an even rounder, fuller smoking experience. The transitions being detected have more to do with increases in spiciness, oiliness, and the intensity of the sappy cedar and leather, more than the introduction of new tastes for much of the second third. So it's more of a build-up than a shift in a fresh direction.

Eventually, a hit of bitter cocoa baking powder arrives, and it is soon joined by some soil, which is neither chalky nor overly dank either. Fresh potting soil with some limestone added to the mix comes to mind, and it adds some pleasing depth to the overall cigar flavor profile. There's also a smack of bitterness to be found, which is a touch unpleasant at first, but soon melds with the leather and cedar to form a balance. Retrohales are still very rich and spicy, and the textures of the smoke continue to be as rich and oily as ever, making them a real standout in the final third.

Parting Puffs

Ungodly amounts of leather of the heavily oiled variety, followed by the return of those Ricola cough drops, make the slimmest section of the barrel an even bigger presence. There's a heavy amount of dry oak that comes and goes, and the sharp peppercorn spiciness within the smoke leaves the tongue and lips tingling after each exhale. This is far more full than medium, and a touch harsh, so it's best not to push your luck here for fear of getting burnt.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Despite featuring a fantastic build quality, two of the three salomons I have smoked in this blend have struggled to burn correctly. This is especially true in the first and second third, where large corrections were required, and the burn walked all over the damn place. However, these touch-ups didn't seem to influence flavor whatsoever, and the outstanding texture of the smoke and a splendid draw helped distract me from these issues. The cigar does tend to get hot as the barrel slopes downward in the final third, but this is not uncommon with this type of vitola. So there definitely are some pros and cons here, with both offsetting one another.

Final Thoughts

It's rare for me to not recommend a figurado over a parejo, but in this case, I would say sticking with the more pedestrian of the two cigar vitolas is the safest bet. The burn concerns and sharpness in the final sections of the stick were too prominent to be ignored, and I feel that a classic robusto, for instance, would simply burn better and remain cleaner.

Regarding the overall cigar flavor profile of the cigar, this is one of those blends that tends to build and revisit tastes rather than introduce new ones, and for the most part, it works. It's definitely an oily, leather-heavy smoke, and its cedar-strong sides can be overstated in areas, but they also can be quite tasty thanks to their continuous build-up. I also found the draw and the smoke produced to be top performers, and the sheer act of taking a deep puff of the cigar was immensely pleasurable.

Aromatics were also a strong suit for the El Soñador, as was the magnitude felt from the potency of the blend. Although there may have been some imbalanced moments, the cigar managed to get back on track quickly, and for the most part, I found myself looking forward to each following puff.

This leaves us with a cigar that is far richer and more intense than advertised, and one that has a lot of after-dinner smoking attributes that make a potent habano so appealing. Now, as for me, I think I'll keep looking for my next figurado option, because I still think angular cigars truly are where it is at. Even when the occasional stick leaves me wanting...

Overall Balance & Repeatability