This morning I looked over at my co-worker Ed and I asked him what should I review today. His answer was that he had smoked the Vallejuelo Medio Tiempo Robusto yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. That’s how a decision was made today on what I should fire up on The Cigar Authority.
Cigar Review: Vallejuelo Medio Tiempo
Wrapper: San Andres
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Cuban Seed Piloto Cubano, Criollo ’98 and Corojo (Dominican Republic, Nicaragua)
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Size: Robusto
The Look: Packaged in numbered boxes that are black, there is an abundance of color from the logo of the cigar which uses colors of red, chiffon yellow, green and gold. The colors make up the band of the cigar that showcases the brand name Vallejuelo and the line, Medio Tiempo. The San Andres wrapper has a dark chestnut color to it, with a toothy feel under the fingers. It’s firmly rolled with a nicely packed foot and a decent amount of oils.
The Notes: Once the cigar is cut, there is a hint of black pepper on the cold draw with a taste that had a pepperoni like quality to it. The foot of the cigar is abundantly sweet with notes of molasses and just enough pepper to tingle the nostrils. Once the cigar is lit the first pull reminds me of the edges of a grilled steak and I thought to myself how I couldn’t wait for grill season to arrive.
Smoking the first third of the Vallejuele Medio Tiempo, there is a minty note that slowly develops. In addition there is a black pepper like spice that exists along side a grilled steak note. The latter two components reminded me of a peppercorn encrusted filet mignon. The retrohale has some spice to it along with a subtle brown sugar sweetness.
The second third of the cigar continues to offer up notes of grilled steak. Around the halfway point of the cigar it changes up dramatically with touches of caramel, cocoa and cedar. The retrohale of the cigar has a well-defined nuttiness and everything comes together in the incredible aroma of the cigar.
As the cigar comes to a close the cocoa notes continue but remain an afterthough as the nuttiness shines on the palate, with a cedar finish. The retrohale is spicy, but there is a sweetness on the aroma once the spice passes that is reminiscent of brown sugar. .
The Finish: What really impressed me here was how the cigar kept building in complexity and flavor. It’s a bargain at $59.99 a box and a bigger bargain at two for $99.99. The only thing working against the cigar is the lack of name recognition because it is definitely box worthy. Actually, its worthy of two boxes.
Score: 94
Price: $8.39 (each) / $59.99 (a Box) / $99.99 (2 boxes)
Vallejuelo Medio Tiempo Robusto
Vallejuelo Medio Tiempo Robusto Foot
Vallejuelo Medio Tiempo Robusto Burn
