Ortsac San Andres Toro Cigar Review

Ortsac San Andres is an extension of the original Ortsac 1962 that was one of the top lines for Cigar Agency back in the day. Since Cigar Agency, Victor Vitale has moved on to Tortuga, but one can never forget their roots.

According to Two Guys Smoke Shop, ORTSAC (Castro spelled backwards), is a cigar that directly targets old Cuban Cigars. It’s mission is to dispel the old myth that Cubans are the best cigars, which we at The Cigar Authority truly feel they are not.

Cigar: ORTSAC San Andres
Size: Toro (6 x 56)
Wrapper: San Andres
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Full

The Look: The ORTSAC San Andres has a red and yellow shield on it. On the side it denotes ORTSAC 1962 which dates back to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The second band denotes San Andres with colors of white and gold that provide an excellent contrast to the cigar itself. The wrapper itself is dark and oily with a lot of tooth to it. There are a few veins present but trying to find the seam of the roll is virtually impossible. The cigar is well packed with a nice weight to it.

The Notes: The aroma off the foot of the cigar is warm and inviting with a subtle sweetness. After a couple of inhales the nose of the cigar is that of honey, yellow cake and subtle black cherry notes. Using a straight cut to clip the cap, prior to lighting it up we perform the cold draw of the cigar which helps open up the palate some. This serves up some notes of honey and yellow cake which are similar to that of the nose.

After toasting the foot of the cigar which is important to create an even light especially when the wrapper is so light I am surprise by how smooth and flavorful the cigar is. The initial notes of the cigar are that of black cherry, cedar and a touch of earth. On the initial puffs there was a slight honey on the finish that quickly dissipated.

The second third of the cigar transition into notes of dark roasted coffee with some subtle black cherry notes that are especially noticeable on the finish. There is also a touch of vanilla and honey that is more visible after the cigar is removed from ones mouth. On the retrohale the vanilla is present along with a finish that reminded me of Johnnie Walker Gold.

The last third of the ORTSAC San Andres continues with notes of coffee with a slightly leather component. Through the nose the cigar continues to serve up a finish that makes me long for a glass of Johnny Walker Gold.

The Burn: The slow burning San Andres ORTSAC burns a little bit jagged; however it never gave the impression of needing to be touched up. The combustion line is thin and reveals a medium gray ash that is firm and holds for the first half of the cigar which remained lit through the smoking experience.

The Finish: I was extremely impressed by the finish of the cigar during the last two-thirds of the cigar. While not your typical San Andres experience the cigar was enjoyable but became exponentially more so on the retrohale. Enough so that, I grabbed a few more to put in my humidor and smoke again in the future especially with the glass of Johnnie Walker Gold.

Score: 90
Price: $7.49 / $126.99 @ Two Guys Smoke Shop

 

Random Notes

• Over the last couple of years San Andres has been used in a lot of cigars, and this one might be amongst the top to utilize the tobacco.
• The cigar lacks that typical mineral zing that is synonymous with San Andres and that has me ecstatic.
• In addition to ORTSAC spelling Castro backwards, it is also the alleged code name of the military plan that was drawn up to overthrow Castro.
• In the second third of the cigar the retrohale enhances the cigar to epic proportions.
• I paired the cigar with coffee (milk and sugar)
• Smoking time was 1 hour 47 minutes.