Today’s cigar was represented when it was first release by Paul Giacalone in the Northeast. If the name is familiar to you; he was also the owner of Gloucester Street Cigars which is well-known in cigar geek circles for the Tatuaje Pork Tenderloin.
Debuting in 2002, One Off is made by Nestor Plasencia for Italian cigar lover Andrea Molinari. The tobacco was from first generation Cuban seed from Robaina. Paul was at the taping of The Cigar Authority on Saturday when he gifted me with the cigar from his personal collection and then David asked if I was going to review it; so without further adieu.
Cigar Review: One Off
Size: 6 1/8 x 52 (Piramides)
Wrapper: Honduras
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Source: Paul Giacalone
The Look (8/10): The cellr that the cigar was in had a bronze hue to it; it was so old and as someone who remembers when the cigars first came out I instantly knew the cigar when it was gifted to me. I had carried these at The Humidor in Brooklyn, NY way back in the day. The chestnut-brown wrapper had some thin and medium-sized veins but was rolled to perfection. In the hand the cigar remains heavy with no soft spots. The peach colored band has a peace simple which gives the cigar a hippie like feel to it.
The Notes (31/35): The cold draw takes me back to an old-time cigar shoppe with notes of tobacco and an underlying sweetness that reminds me of dry pastry. The foot of the cigar is similar to that of the cold draw with a slight pepper that almost makes me sneeze. In fact the cold draw of the cigar reminds me of Felipe Gregorio back when FG was making some good cigars.
Once the cigar is lit there is a dominant cedar note that isn’t over powering. As we work into the cigar around a half inch in there is some subtle licorice notes and earth. As the first third come to a close the licorice becomes dominant especially on the retrohale.
The second third of the One Off feels like a glass of Sambuca to start all the way up to the half way point when the cigar begins to take on notes of toast and wood with a touch of vanilla as the second third comes to a close.
The last third of the cigar begins to pick up some elements of leather but the Sambuca of the last third begins to emerge again with a wood finish.
The Burn (34/35): The combustion line of the One Off was a tad thicker than I expected it to be, however that is the only know on a cigar that burns to perfection and remained lit throughout the entire experience. The draw was icons and the medium gray ash held for one-third increments.
The Finish (17/20): With the cigar being close to 13 years old the potency of the flavors has begun to fade away. While the cigar is enjoyable I find it is past its peak and not as enjoyable as when it first came out. The cigar however does come across smoother, milder, and more balanced but one has to struggle to find the definition of the flavors.
Score: 90
Price: $16.00
Bullet Points
- Seeing the One Off when it was gifted to me on Saturday was like opening a gift on Christmas Morning. When these cigar first came out, I remember they were crazy expensive but enjoyable.
- It’s funny how dated the band seems 13 years later.
- One Off made one of these awesome personal ashtrays that I wish some company would remake as its was a pretty cool promotional item.
- The One Off still made by Cuban Crafters isn’t the same as the One Off back in its heyday.
- I’m trying to get my hands on a One Off +53 Super R; If anyone has one send us a message via Contact Us.
- While I know getting one of these will be difficult I reviewed this more along the lines for my personal records than anything else.
- I paired the cigar with Dunkin Donuts coffee
- Smoking time was just under 3 hours, and the cigar never went out.
One Off
One Off Foot
One Off Burn
