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Unlit Impressions

Smelling strongly of hay and honey, along with some cedar and mixed wood shavings/sawdust, the light, presumably shade-grown wrapper on the Clásico comes tightly fitted to the cigar's innards. Oily to an extent, and smooth enough to the touch, the only obvious miscue found on the figurado up for review was a slight bit of color difference between the barrel and the scrap leaf used to form that signature perfecto foot.

Additionally, due to the lack of real estate on the foot, I skipped my usual sniffing procedure on that end of the cigar and cut straight to cold pull impressions, which were pleasant.

Medium in depth, these unlit tobacco flavors provide servings of soil, salted nuts, and a touch of sweet honey the deeper you draw. The only wildcard to be detected is a liberal sprinkling of paprika, which does deliver a touch of spiced heat and that chalky dryness we all recognize.

The only other unlit impression worth mentioning is the cigar band, which seems one size too large for the stubby perfecto. Pixelated, yet easily recognizable and legible, I feel the the copy on the band is bold enough that it can be easily read by anyone standing nearby. As for details, there are some tobacco-growing related images sprinkled about, but like much of the band, they seem pixelated and sort of just blend into the background.

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Initial Smoke

Spicy and light, cinnamon is the first cigar flavor profile to touch the tongue. After that subsides I find honey oats to be a fitting follow-up, as together they form that granola bar taste many cigar smokers savor. While undeniably creamy in texture, the smoke is light in body, and as flavors form a medium level of potency their presence grows sweeter and more floral.

1st Half

Smooth retrohales combine creamy cashew butter with an equally creamy food product that reminds me of my great auntie: Cream of wheat breakfast cereal. Like this mushy old-school breakfast food, sweetness is subtle yet notable, and while the finish is rather short, it leaves the palate feeling simultaneously satisfied and refreshed.

With little to no spiciness or heat to be found, the mild side of this premium cigar blend makes its moves more in a lateral sense than a vertical one. Flowing fluidly from the food flavors detected moments prior to an outdoorsy cedar and soil taste, the backend of the first half of this figurado is a clean sweep of milder tastes and textures. 

2nd Half

A return to the taste of cinnamon and the spice heat that this dried tree bark provides the palate puts the center of the cigar on a more mild-medium pace. Simple yet extremely clean, the cedar and soil that have built join this baking spice and are then coated with a light crust of caramelized walnuts. 

Darker, far more mixed tree nut heavy, and heaving with promise, flavors of allspice and cinnamon snuggle up to milder sprinkles of nutmeg and vanilla. The spiciness of the cigar may have bumped up a bit, but the darker, nuttier tastes and larger servings of Honduran soil work hard to make it seem not so intense. Retrohales, while still undeniably smooth, have gotten very floral and effervescent; which helps turn the smoke flowing forth from the cigar into something that tastes and feels a fair deal lighter than it actually is.

Parting Puffs

Creamy to a level that warrants a medium-bodied rating, parting puffs attempt a daring last-minute Hail Mary pass. It starts with a spike in honey sweetness that is rather sudden, and floral notes making a jump from the nostrils to the tongue. But after a minute or two the blend fumbles the ball and things go salty, spicy, hot, and sharp, forcing me to call it quits.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Draw and burn were both very good on this figurado vitola both times, with the combustion rate being slow and save for parting puffs, very low temp. Although the ash did gradually grow flakey the further down it went, I did not need to crack open the torch a single time with either stick, and the ash that built was good when it came to color consistency and carbon ring lines.

Final Thoughts 

I would happily smoke this cigar again. Especially early in the morning with a cup of coffee or tea while digging in the garden. It may not be a mind-meltingly unique spin of the flavor wheel, but the Raices Cubanas Clásico certainly delivers some very consistent, enjoyable cigar flavor profiles I can get behind.

The nuttiness and creaminess are both top performers, followed by the balanced delivery of cinnamon throughout much of the cigar. Sweet flavors of honey and caramel also kept the taste buds appeased, as just enough Honduran soil smoothed over any sharpness with a little bit of ground cover. The floral notes on the nose, and then later upon the tongue were also fantastic, and the construction and combustion of the figurado itself was borderline top-notch.  

As I mentioned earlier on, this is a cigar that prefers smooth lateral moves over sudden vertical shifts. It is also mild enough to keep fans of lighter-bodied, low-strength cigars in their safe zone, while still producing just enough depth and delicious tastes and textures to keep stronger cigar smokers smiling. 

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