It’s time for another Sessions review, as the barn needs some cleaning. It doesn’t sound like a fun task, but I enjoy it. Especially on beautiful days like today. I like to be moving all the time and I enjoy working around the farm. Turn on a podcast or some music, grab a cigar, and get to work! Today I grabbed a Dapper Desvalido Robusto. I have some experience with Dapper, but not a lot. This Desvalido is something I got last year in a Small Batch Cigar Cigar of the Month box (the $50 I believe). I smoked it then and I recall enjoying parts of it, but I haven’t smoked it since, and have since forgotten the majority of the profile. It has been on my “resmoke” list for awhile now, and I finally picked another up.
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Nicaragua American Cigars S.A.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado
Binder: U.S.A
Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa & Esteli), U.S.A Connecticut Broadleaf, & Undisclosed
Vitola: 5 x 50 Robusto
MSRP: $11.35 MSRP
Release Date: November 2020
Company Website: www.dappercigars.com
The presentation of this cigar has some things I like and others I don’t. For instance, I love the use of a solid color band with single color, thinline artwork. I think that is unique and simple. However, I don’t like the choice of blue and I also don’t really understand why there is a chicken on a cigar that’s name roughly translates to “underdog”. Anyways, the wrapper of the cigar is light compared to such a dark band, but it is very smooth and clean. The cigar is quite firm and densely packed. It smells of subtle cedar and spices. The cold draw is cherries and sawdust. First light brings on full bodied and flavored smoke with very Sumatran-esque flavor notes of baking spices and wood. There is a touch of cream in there and some tannins. Midway into the first third it is still full flavored, but medium bodies. The profile is dark fruits and oak on the draw, baking spices on the finish, and some pepper on the retrohale. The profile is very dark, but not in the typical earthy way. The performance has been perfect and the ash hangs on till the second third. Some creamy nuttiness is coming in to start the second third. Near the halfway point an oily meatiness and earth is coming in on the draw with some citrus on the retrohale. The midway point of the cigar turns back time to the first light flavors of baking spices, wood, and cream. This holds until the final third where the flavor takes on more citrus as well an unidentifiable bitter, mouth drying note. It isn’t a bad bitterness, and it was short-lived. Nearing the end of the cigar the main flavors are citrus, creamy vanilla, and baking spices. There is still some woodiness in there. The cigar came to an end at full flavor, full body, and medium strength at an hour and 10 minutes.
Overall this was an enjoyable cigar. It had a perfect draw, perfect performance, and showed some nice transitions in the overall profile and flavors. It was interesting how much of the first half had a very dark profile with the oak and dark fruits, but then brightened up in the second half with citrus fruits and cream. In both halves the overall profile did have a heaviness. This heaviness, at times, made the profile a bit muddled and actually, as I smoked, I remembered having this impression the first time I smoked it last year and may be why it took me so long to smoke another. I would smoke this cigar again in the right circumstances. I just don’t see myself personally purchasing multiples to have on hand. I would be interested to try this cigar in a different vitola to see how it compares to this experience.
Try the cigar yourself at Small Batch Cigars and let me know what you think! Use code “Whiskey” to get 10% off your entire order. Plus, sign up and begin earning 5% back in rewards points with each purchase.
Feel free to reach out to me with questions, concerns, criticisms, or just to talk at @guitarsandcigarsfarm on Instagram, or via email at trevor@whiskeyandwhitetails.com.