Made at Rocky Patel’s TAVICUSA factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, the Year of the Snake is presented in a toro size. In celebration of the Chinese zodiac and continuing the legacy started with last year’s release, the Year of the Snake is an opulent, artfully crafted cigar that pays homage to the serpent’s symbolism of transformation, elegance, and mystery. The blend features a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan Broadleaf binder, with Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers rounding out the core.
The wrapper is a dark chocolate brown with a relatively smooth surface and a fine sandpaper-like toothiness. The cigar feels firm and densely packed in the hand, giving the impression of careful construction and well-aged tobacco.
Smooth, smooth, smooth right from the start. Cream, cocoa, raisin, vanilla cream, and cedar lead the way, followed by hints of leather. A pure maple syrup and cola-like caramel sweetness develops alongside touches of hay and freshly cracked Vietnamese black peppercorn. Notes of charred steak emerge, complemented by nuts dusted with jalapeño salt and a subtle cayenne pepper spice.
Cream, cocoa, dark chocolate, maple syrup, and nutty flavors continue, maintaining a rich and balanced profile. Orange cream and amaretto-like floral notes add complexity, while white pepper begins to pick up toward the end of the third.
Sweet tobacco takes center stage as the profile shifts toward burnt ends BBQ flavors, earthiness, coffee, and deeper amaretto notes. Cinnamon and pepper spice ramp up significantly, pushing the strength forward and delivering a bold, face-forward finish.
A very enjoyable cigar from beginning to end, offering layers of flavor and a consistently engaging experience. The draw is perfect, smoke output is robust, and the cigar showcases impressive complexity. Burn and construction are excellent overall, though a few STARS have mentioned the occasional need for minor touch-ups. This is a great recommendation for smokers who enjoy—or want to explore—a fuller-strength cigar. The tobacco tastes exceptionally well-aged, delivering smoothness that lasts the entire smoke. This is truly a smoker’s smoke.
Overall Score: 90.80 out of 100
Overall Strength Score: 6.78 out of 10
This blind review (Cigar #29-D) was conducted by the Cigar Review Team comprising of: Sam Frishman, JB Smith, Rick Galletta, Rob Brown, Bret Curry, Mike Conklin, George Hillman, James Elliott, Eusebio Garre, & King Sweet Daddy
