In honor of Miguel Schoedel being hired as the National Sales manager of Roberto P. Duran we decided to review the Roberto P. Duran cigar. Let’s face it you hear the name and the first thing you wonder, is the boxer in the cigar business. The answer is no, that this Roberto Duran has a history in the tobacco industry that dates back to 1928 in Cuba.
I first smoked the Azan Burgandy at an event in Miami earlier this year which carryiesthe name of the founder, Domingo Azan and today’s cigar carries the name of the current owner.
Cigar: Roberto Duran
Size: Rio Toa (5 x 52)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua & Other Latin America Tobaccos (As per the Official Website)
Strength: Mild-Medium
The Look: The website says the cigar should have a Colorado color wrapper but the one sent to us for review looks more a shade grown leaf with a straw like color to it. The roll of the cigar is porous with a few veins that are noticeable and under the fingers the wrapper feels coarse. The band of the cigar features Robert P. Duran Premium Cigars in a shield with the colors of the Dallas Cowboys. The cigar which is asymmetrical is well packed with no soft spots.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Roberto P. Duran is grassy with a slight peanut note and a sweetness that reminds me of milk chocolate while the nose of the cigar serves up some of the sweetness and peanuts. Once the cigar is lit, the complexity is evident from the first puff. There is a wonderful cream note with a hit of chocolate and coffee. As we progress into the first third of the cigar the sweetness continues to develop into a delicious vanilla note reminiscent of Breyers Ice Cream.
In the second third of the Roberto P. Duran the creaminess of the cigar continues taking on a note reminiscent of Lindt Lindor Stracciatella chocolates with a hint of oak on the finish.
In the last third of the cigar, the Roberto P. Duran traditions away from the sweetness and the cigar moves more toward medium bodied with notes of earth and oak with a peanut like finish.
The Burn: The Robert P. Duran had a bit of a wonky burn around the half way point, that I did need to touch up ever so slightly. After the user correction the cigar burned perfect to the end. The light color as we very weak and very flaky, and held for a little more than a half once at a time. There was ample smoke production and the draw was a little looser then I would like.
The Finish: Is Roberto Duran the next big thing in the industry, there are some arguments to be made pro and con. The cigars themselves are have a fresh take on the Nicaragua experience and lack the pepper spice that has become synonymous with the country which is a huge pro in my eyes. The negative is the lack of anyone until the addition of Schoedel that spoke English. At the trade show, Two Guys Smoke Shop told TheCigarAuthority.com placing an order at the booth was difficult due to lack of being able to communicate. With that said this is a nice follow-up to Azan.
Price: $10.00
Score: 90
Roberto P. Duran
Roberto P. Duran Foot
Roberto P. Duran Burn
