Today’s review is a bit of an experiment, as we have often said a box pressed cigar changes things up. Well as luck would have it we just took delivery on a cigar called Vallejuelo Medio Tiempo that comes as a traditional round cigar, and the more modern box pressed stick. Both cigars feature exactly the same blend, and the cigar is distributed by the same company that distributes Serino Cigars.
The name comes from the fact the cigars uses a rare form of tobacco that doesn’t grow on every tobacco plant. Sometimes, if the grower is lucky above the ligero leaves, there are two small corona leaves that receive the most sunlight and nutrients that results in a spicy profile with an added kick. These rare leaves called Medio Tiempo are in the blend of the Vallejuello Medio Tiempo.
In the past some famous cigars have been said to include this rare tobacco leaf including the Chiba Behike BHK.
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 red pepper flake on the cold draw with a meat quality to it as well. Call me crazy, and I know you will but the cold draw reminds me of pepperoni. The foot of the cigar is abundantly sweet with notes of molasses but just enough pepper to cause a delayed sneeze. Once the cigar is lit the first note is meaty.
Smoking the first third of the Medio Tiempo, there is a subtle minty quality of the cigar that I am finding quite enjoyable. It’s not over-powering by any means and with works well next to the red pepper spice of the cigar that also had hints of slightly charred streak edges. The retrohale has some spice to it, albeit less than I expected which might not be fair, as I’ll get to that later in my closing notes.
The second third of the cigar continue to be meaty with a charred meat aspect to it, that I love. Just like the edges on a perfectly grilled steak. Around the halfway point of the cigar, things become more complex. Theres the introduction of a subtle caramel, mocha, cedar and nuts, especially once you retrohale the cigar.
The final third sees the mocha notes continue but remain an afterthough as the dominant profile is nutty, with a cedar finish. The retrohale is spicy, but there is a sweetness on the aroma once the spice passes.
The Finish: Being at the top of the plant, I expected the Medio Tiempo to make this a strong cigar. But in retrospect most cigars I’ve smoked that contain that leaf while having some added strength, it wasn’t as dominant as expected. So I figure my assumptions were misplaced. What really impressed me here was how the cigar kept building in complexity and flavor. If Vallejuello seems familiar to you, the original line was named best value cigar in a major publication earlier this decade. I don’t recall this cigar, but the price of this cigar makes it a no brainer.
Score: 92
Price: $7.59 (each) / $59.99 (a Box) / $99.99 (2 boxes)
Vallejuelo Medio Tiempo Robusto
Vallejuelo Medio Tiempo Robusto Foot
Vallejuelo Medio Tiempo Robusto Burn
