DBL Habano El Rey V

This may be the most unique cigar I have ever smoked. I would not be surprised to learn if Sweet Baby Ray's sponsored this creation! I have never smelled such an intense BBQ sauce aroma off the body. It was almost intoxicating. Made me crave some ribs with a tangy BBQ sauce - and I'm typically a mustard-based BBQ sauce guy.

I was extremely surprised at the lack of flavor in the cigar. I am wondering if the olfactory senses were so overwhelmed by the body aroma that it adversely affected my ability to taste anything else.This did take away from the overall experience as I always look forward to picking up nuances and shifts in the smoking experience - so that was disappointing. The draw was a bit snug on each. Both cigars burned along a razor-thin line from start to finish, and the ash was a gorgeous dark gray. I was stacking dimes through and through!

If you are a BBQ fan I would try to seek one out. It may be a good smoke while you wait out those hours for your smoker to do its thing? But unfortunately this cigar won't find a home in my humidor.

Both review cigars were smoked in a setting with a temperature between 80-85°F. One in the evening at about 60% humidity, and the second at 70% humidity in the morning.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano / Binder: Dominican / Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan

Vitola: Lonsdale / Size: 6×44

Factory: Dominican Big Leaguer Cigars Factory / Country of Origin: Dominican Republic 

Sweet mesquite BBQ, campfire, potpourri, very intensely aromatic

Similar notes - campfire, mesquite BBQ sauce. The body is so aromatic that it may have overpowered anything else on the foot.

Similar charred wood, mesquite BBQ flavors

No pepper or zing whatsoever. Flavors are quite bland and muted. I am hoping this is extremely aged as that would explain it, but I have my doubts. Very light intensity due to this. There is a hint of the same BBQ flavors on the retro and deep in the back of the mouth. Smoke output is moderate and, again, produces the familiar smoky BBQ aroma. Smoke body is creamy smooth.

A tiny bit of zing is recognizable now on the retro, but flavors and smoking experience remains consistent. No notable transition, other than the introduction of molasses - likely a small shift in the BBQ sauce flavoring.

Minor peppery zing is still there, as are the same flavors as mentioned previously. I am now picking up a hint of brown sugar as well. Other than that, nothing to note.

The reviewing process at Cigar Public ensures that each cigar is reviewed blindly. This cigar was sent without any bands and without any information about the cigar. Cigar Public does not attempt to influence or alter any scores given by any of our reviewers.