2009 Vegas Robaina Familiar

Overall Score

4.5

Look & Feel

Construction

Aroma

Burn

Price

I had really been enjoying the Famosos lately and decided to try another vitola from the VR marka. I was drawn to the 42×5.5 size of the Familiar. The cigars arrived yesterday and I had the urge to try one ROTT. A few of the cigars had suffered some light cosmetic wrapper damage, I attribute this to how thin and fragile these wrappers appear to be. These are also some of the lightest wrappers I have seen on recent production Cubans (In my limited experience). After cutting the cap with my favorite Palio I took a predraw and was surprised to find how open the draw was.

First Third:
Started off with a super rich mouth feel that coated my palate, smooth & creamy on the retrohale, followed quickly by a high level of bold pepper and spice in the aftertaste. The spice was almost overwhelming, unlike any I had experienced from a Cuban however I was appreciating this change of pace. Burn was nice and consistent, putting out a massive amount of smoke. The draw had seemed to tighten up just a bit compared to how loose the predraw was, this was a good thing as it now has a perfect draw to suite my preference.

Second Third:
Well many reviews I found on this cigar claimed it to be very uncomplex, this worried me. As much as I enjoyed the change of pace spice I found in the first third, I was not looking forward to that taste throughout the rest of the cigar. Luckily this cigar had changed dramaticly entering into the second third. The complexity was amazing, and I knew I was going to enjoy this experience. The spice had faded completely. The mouth feel and cream had stayed and now a woody flavor had taken the stage. Every now and then, I picked up a wonderful dried fruit flavor I have only found in vintage Cubans. I paired this with a Bourbon but didn’t take a sip until well into the second half. It paired very well and still allowed the cigar to take center stage.

Final Third:
The spice is sneaking back in now. This cigar, for me, was very complex. It was also much stronger than I expected and I let it die without nubbing due to feeling the effects of the nicotene really starting to kick in.

Finale:
I really enjoyed this cigar. I would highly recomend it and would love to hear a more experienced BOTL’s opinion on it.
It was a great smoking experience and I look forward to smoking more of these. I wonder how it will change with a little rest after transport.