Cigar Review: Bygone by Serino Cigars

Most of the time when we write a review we focus on the cigar, but I think some focus needs to be put on the factory that Serino has teamed with to produce some great cigars. Bygone & many other brands in their portfolio are made at La Corona Factory in Nicaragua. . If this name rings a bell, they partnered up with Hirochi Robaina to release his foray into the American market with HR 1845 in the early 2010s.

Today, Tony & Carson Serino a Father & Son team utilize the factory to create the often overlooked Serino Cigar Company. Over the last few years they have released  the Serino Royale which is available in three wrappers, Elenor Rose and Expat. All of these cigars are made at La Corona in Esteli, Nicaragua.

Today, we take a look at Bygone which was created by Carson Serino and the cigar is said to be a throwback to the past. The fermentation process utilized a slow and low method, the wood molds used to create the cigars were vintage, and all the tobacco was hand bunched. This allowed them to create a cigar that pays homage to the bygone days of the cigar industry.

Cigar Review: Bygone by Serino Cigars
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano Medio
Binder: Nicaragua Habano (Jalapa)
Filler: Condega, Piloto Cubano, Jalapa
Size:  5.5 x 48
Vitola: Corona Gorda

The Look: The 10 count box as well as the black and white cigar band are simple which all ties in perfectly to the brand name. In the hand the cigar is firm with no soft spots. The wrapper has a thin network of veins with no imperfections and a nice amount of oil present.

The Notes:  Before we fire this up the cold draw has hints of prunes and raisins with a touch of barnyard while the aroma showcases a subtle brown sugar and molasses.  Once the cigar is toasted and lit, notes of caramel, cinnamon and a touch of apple envelop the palate. It’s a combination of notes I have only come across once before and it takes me back to my youth with my Dad listening to baseball on the radio and a baked apple in the oven.

Around the halfway point things begin to change as notes of wheat and a lemon meringue begin to take over with a touch of sweet tea and cracked peppercorn on the finish.

As we conclude the 5.5 x 46 Bygone notes of leather develop and linger on the finish with a spicy mouth feel and retrohale that brings us out of the past into reality.

The Finish: I am always amazed when a cigar so vibrantly triggers a memory and this cigar does exactly that. The cigar definitely invoked memories of Bygone days for me, and it was a welcomed trip down memory lane. While I gravitate to the cigars the Serino Cigar Company portfolio mentioned at the beginning of this review, the Bygone is definite something worth visiting like the memories attached to it.

Score: 91
Price: $9.90 / $99.00 (10 Count Box)