Robert Wright, the man behind Pura Soul is someone I have known since I lived in Brooklyn, NY. When I was partners in The Humidor, he was our local rep. He would eventually wind up with Christian Eiroa where he would partner up with him on the release of this smoke.
One of my favorite memories of Robert Wright was at Country Club Cigars watching him play the saxophone at an event. I was surprised at his musical prowess and how he brought the room to a stop with the smooth sounds of Jazz. This cigar is a homage to that genre of music.
The Pura Soul is made at Fabirica Unidas, home of Edgar Hoil, Asylum and of course, CLE.
Cigar: Pura Soul
Size: Toro (6 x 50)
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Distributed By: Frabrica Unidas
The Look: Even though the S logo looks a little musical, I am surprised that the band wasn’t more of a musical statement. It’s colors of brown and gold get a little lost on the cigar which features a mahogany color brown wrapper. There are a few veins present and while the cigar isn’t glistening with oils there is something attractive about it. It is well rolled, with no soft spots and it feels a little light in the hand. But as we know looks are usually deceiving.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Pura Soul has a nice earthy component and what reminds me of oats. Perhaps I am just craving a bowl of Cheerios but the pre-light cold draw reminds me of just that. The foot of the cigar has a wonderful aroma of mocha and I eagerly bring a flame to it.
Once the cigar is lit, there is a nice woodsy note that shines with a touch of coffee and a slight sweetness. For a Nicaragua Puro there is very little spice present on the initial light. As we continue into the first third of the cigar some sweetness develops and the coffee note becomes more of a cocoa/mocha taste. There is a slight bit of spice developing that compliments the sweetness well.
In the second third of the cigar, once the ash drops the flavor begins to take on an espresso like note over continued wood. As the ash comes back and keeps the cigar cool the sweetness develops and the cocoa note shines again. As the second third of the cigar comes to a close there is a slight spice through the nose.
In the last third of the Pura Soul the note becomes a definitive coffee with a mix of nuts and a touch of leather. It was a medium bodied smoke until this point where I now label it as medium-full.
The Burn: The Pura Soul lit up very easily and evenly, with a nice draw from the first pull. The cigar develops a white ash that didn’t fall into the second third of the cigar. Through out the first third of the cigar the burn was razor-sharp and the ash took on a marble like appearance. When there ash does drop there is a nice cone effect in this well constructed smoke. The second third of the cigar continues to burn exceptionally well with a solid ash. The cigar remained cool to the touch, burned great and never needed a touch up through the point where I put it down.
The Finish: There are two smokes here, as strange as that seems. If you have a tendency to ash your cigar, don’t when you smoke this. The longer the ash, the sweeter the cigar. By having as ash remain, the cigar burns cooler, and when it burns at a lower temperature the can change the perception of the cigar. I really like the yin and yang going on between bitter coffee notes and sweet mocha. That experience alone makes this a worthy cigar.
Score: 90
Price: $8.20
Pura Soul
Pura Soul
Pura Soul
