In 2015 the first of a series of changes that read like a novella, centered around the Hirochi Robaina brand. The week before the IPCPR show in New Orleans Robaina would leave Cubanacan and move to La Palina. During this turmoil, Cubanacan was said to have no factory and all their cigars were made by Tabacalera Los Charutos, S.A. which is the factory that produces the cigars that carry the Robaina name.
Hirochi however would never officially become part of La Palina as terms could not be reached and former VP of sales from Cubanacan Spencer Drake would form White Hat Tobacco earlier this year which will now handle US Distribution for the Robaina brand. This week we received some samples of the new blends to debut at IPCRP and today we take a look at one of those cigars.
The new Hirochi will be available in 4 sizes: Rothschild (5 x 48 – $10 MSRP); Robusto Gordo (5.5 X 56 – $11); Toro (6 X 52 – $12) and 109 (7.25 X 50 – Marble Head -$13)
Cigar Review: Hirochi
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: La Corona
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano Claro
Binder: Not Disclosed
Filler: Not Disclosed
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Vitola: Toro
Strength: Medium
Source: Samples via Spencer Drake / White Hat Tobacco
The Look: With HR once again being shipped and carried at Two Guys Smoke Shop where I work, the most recent shipment contained some tag alongs. There were new brands CR and San Luis Vegas, as well as a new Corona size of the HR. But the Claro wrapper of the Hirochi stood out above the others for me. The toro Habano Claro wrapper has some visible oils and has a few thin veins. The foot of the cigar is closed and the cigar firm with no soft spots in the roll.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Hirochi serves up notes of butterscotch with a hint of earth and toast. The aroma off the wrapper has a slight aroma of molasses albeit it very faint. Once the cigar is properly toasted with my Glock lighter the initial notes are pecans, white pepper and a subtle melted butter note.
Moving into the first third of the cigar there is a very distinct flavor that has my mouth-watering. There is the sweetness of maple and molasses with some notes of toast and black pepper that round things out. The finish is hints of wood and vanilla with an aroma that is incredibly enjoyable.
The second third of the Hirochi continues to have a lot going on but the aroma stands out above all else which is to be expected considering Hirochi Robaina’s Cuban roots. There is a sweetness and a spice that makes the cigar oh so nice (yes, its cliche, I admit). Through the nose the sweetness is enhanced and really brings out the aroma of this forthcoming release.
The final third of sees some significant spice develop on the palate that borders on red pepper while the retrohale it comes off more as black pepper. There is some subtle sweetness on the front end with notes of maple wood and a subtle butterscotch on the short finish.
The Burn: As a pre-release I tend not to put a lot of stick into how a cigar performs. Their cigar might still need some more aging but for the sake of sharing I will let you know the ash was flaky and held on for an inch or two at a time. The combustion line was slightly thick, and at one time I had to touch up the cigar. None of this will affect the score because it’s not an official release.
The Finish: When the HR came out last year it was a cigar that I loved and I am very happy to hear the distribution has been addressed and solved. While the HR was a stronger cigar, the flavor profile on the Hirochi is simply incredible and more full flavored while being medium in strength. This is a cigar to look for once it is released at IPCPR.
Score: 93
Price: $12.00
Hirochi
Hirochi Foot
Hirochi Burn
