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Initial Smoke

It may all begin with sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, but that old-school white pepper and Spanish cedar swirl sure does stand out on retrohale and the finish. Hardwood tastes and strong tannin notes are everywhere, and shield the tongue from the unexpectedly potent, spicier sides of the smoke. 

1st Half

Body already slipping into medium mode, the first third opens with a dialing back on pepper spice, and a renewed interest in vanilla whipped cream-covered French toast. Round and refined on the palate, and increasingly focused on making retrohales as cedar-like as possible, it's all on point and aimed in the right direction. 

As the creaminess up front gets balanced by an increase in dry wood top notes, and not just via retrohale or on the finish, the slightest sliver of citrus peel appears. Difficult to determine in origin, this mixture can be best described as a hybridized tanginess, where tangerine and lemon join forces. This pithy byproduct of the fermentation process turns the tasting table into a full-spread affair thanks to the addition of toasted hazelnuts and a far sweeter, milkier body and finish.

2nd Half

In the middle of this fatty 56-gauge robusto, aromatics overflow into a cascade of culinary delights on retrohale. As the citrus and egg notes mix with the baking spices and French toast, they form a custard tart taste and smell that is outright outstanding. Hardwood and cedar aromatics and tastes somehow manage to hold on, though, and together, breakfast is served inside the woodworking shop.

And while much of the final third follows the same framework as what was set in the second third, and much of the first for that matter, the move toward a more nutty, medium sun-grown tobacco cigar flavor profile cannot be missed. It isn't as much of a transition as it is a resurgence, and the tree nut notes led by hazelnuts and almonds really do the last major section of the cigar justice.

Parting Puffs

Dry, nutty, and growing a bit sharp on the tongue, burning your way through that gold diamond is a solid B-grade smoking experience. While retrohales continue to rule, with the return of custard pie crust being a pleasant surprise, the overall dryness of the smoke itself, punches of white pepper, and the sharpness being tasted and felt prevent the blend from landing a solid finish.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Although my review cigar looked and felt fantastic and eventually opened up to the point where it provided a medium-grade level of smoke flow within every draw, it struggled when it came to keeping a clean ash. Flaky in form and jagged in burn, the overall combustion of the cigar was a bit of a disappointment for me, especially in the second half, when the need for a sweeping touch of the torch to keep the whole thing tasting and burning right became apparent.

These issues were not exclusive to my review cigar either, as several other cigars in the same size bearing the Cavalier Genève White Series name struggled when it came to burn. This is quickly becoming the primary concern I have with their blends, as it seems to be a roll of the dice as to what sort of burn you are going to get each time. Having smoked through nearly a dozen different blends and vitolas from this Honduran boutique brand within the past year or so, I can say that about a third of them have struggled with burn issues, while the rest have been nothing short of tobacco combustion perfection.

Final Thoughts

Let's ignore the annoying burn issues for now and put the rest of the entire smoking experience under a magnifying glass for a moment, shall we? The White Series from Cavalier Genève not only looks, smells, and tastes outstanding, but it also provides a delicious alternative to traditional Connecticut shade-grown breakfast cigar options. I don't know about you, but citrus custard served with French toast and a fatty cup of creamy, hazelnut-fortified whole milk certainly sounds like brunch to me.

Cedar and spice cigar seekers will also admire how this premium cigar blend builds in character as it burns, and will likely revel in the toasty wood tannin notes that those hardwood smells and tastes throughout. 

So yes, if it weren't for this boutique cigar blend's combustion hangups, it would have scored higher. But it also seemed a little too comfortable resting on its laurels at times, too, with similarities between the second and final third being the most apparent repetitive moments. The flavors and aromatics were pleasant, but there seemed to be a prolonged stall that made me feel like the cigar wasn't going anywhere, and I found myself losing interest for a moment there. 

Luckily, it all bounces back in the end, and I continue to find myself lighting up the Cavalier Genève White Series every so often. Just to relive those breakfast cigar sections all over again and opt for something other than a Connecticut shade smoke.

Overall Balance & Repeatability