Tarazona 305

If you have read my web-site, you know that when it comes to boutique/indie cigar companies, I always try to look for something special that they bring for the table.  With the case of Tarazona Cigars, I was immediately intrigued by the fact that one of their cigars featured a Costa Rican maduro wrapper.   This cigar was called the Tarazona 305.   Not only was I pleased with this cigar, but there was a lot that impressed me about the company behind the cigar.

First up, when I read the Tarazona Cigars’ web-site, I learned that the company donates five dollars from each box of cigars sold to the Humane Society of Greater Miami to help rescue Pit Bulls and place them in happy homes.  The cigar industry never gets the credit for the giveback they are involved with, but this shows another example of how this industry steps up.  I’ve also had the privilege of meeting the owner Eddie Tarazona a couple of times.  It is his enthusiasm and passion for this industry that makes it so special.

Ultimately, it comes down to the cigar.   I could not recall having a Costa Rican maduro before, so this was going to be intriguing.  Let’sbreak down the cigar in more detail:

Blend Profile

In addition to the Costa Rican maduro, the Tarazona 305 is complemented by Nicaraguan binder and filler.

Vitolas Available

Currently, there are three vitolas available in the Tarazona 305:

Churchill: 7 x 50
Robusto: 5 x 50
Torpedo: 6 1/2 x 50

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

For this cigar experience, I smoked the Robusto.   The Costa Rican maduro wrapper was nothing short of stunning. It easily qualifies as one of the best-looking maduros I have seen.  I placed a straight cut into the cap and commenced with a pre-light draw.  The dry draw notes were classic maduro – featuring flavors of leather, some, chocolate, and some cedar sweetness.  I was extremely pleased with what the Tarazona 305 offered on the pre-light draw.   It was now time to fire up this cigar and see what it would bring to the table.

Flavor Profile

The Tarazona 305 treated me to what I categorize as a quick shot of pepper at the beginning.   There were also the classic notes of leather and chocolate that complemented the spice up front.  The pepper then subsides into more of a secondary note.

Still in the early part of the Tarazona 305, I soon began to detect several flavors up-front joining the leather and chocolate.  These flavors included nut, cherry, and an interesting floral quality that almost had some mint-like characteristics to it.   Eventually, it is the leather, and floral notes that moved to the front with the nuts and chocolate secondary.

In the second third, the floral notes morph into more of a classic citrus quality.   These citrus notes combined with the pepper and chocolate for most of the second half of the smoking experience.  The finish to the cigar had some spice to it, but it did not take away from the smoothness of the finish.   The finish to the Tarazona 305 was perfect – providing a cool, firm nub.

Burn and Draw

The Tarazona 305 is a very well-made cigar.  In terms of the attributes of burn and draw, it gets very high scores in my book.  The 305 burned razor-sharp, requiring very few touch-ups.  The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal from start to finish.   The draw was outstanding as well.   When a cigar draws as good as the 305 did, it makes the smoking experience a true joy.

Strength and Body

The Tarazona 305 falls into the category of being a medium-strength maduro.  While visually it looks like a stronger maduro, this isn’t going to be one that will overpower you.   This strength provides the perfect balance to the medium to full-bodied flavors provided by the Tarazona 305.  The medium to full-bodied notes have some nice depth to them making for one flavorful smoke.

Final Thoughts

There have been a lot of good indie/boutiques cigars that I’ve been able to sample, and I would definitely place the Tarazona 305 on that list.  I was also surprised by the complexity this cigar brought to the table. When I think maduro wrapper, I usually think Connecticut Broadleaf, San Andres Negro, and Brazilian Mata Fina.   While this is the first cigar I’ve had with a Costa Rican maduro, I’m inclined to think that this wrapper has the potential to compete with the big three I mentioned.  This would be a cigar I can recommend to both the novice and experienced cigar enthusiast.   I also would categorize this as a box-worthy purchase for myself.   I look forward to more good things from this company.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: High
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium to Full
Assessment: Memorable

Source: This samples were received at the 2011 IPCPR Trade Show.  These samples were initiated by Tarazona Cigars in order to provide feedback.   I am appreciative for the sample, but in no way does this influence this review.