Rauchvergnügen #42 is the debut cigar by the German company Rauchvergnügen. The Rauchvergnügen brand was created by Oliver Nickels, Jan-Klaas Mahler, and Joachim “Joe” Sadowski. Rauchvergnügen is described as the “first German Engineered Cigar”. The company describes its product as being driven by technology and design combined with traditional cigar-making methods. To produce its cigar, Rauchvergnügen turns to a factory called InterCigar SA located in Tamboril, Dominican Republic. InterCigar is run by Maurice Koks and is primarily known for its private label work. Today, we take a closer look at Rauchvergnügen in the #42 (Robusto) size. Overall, I found this to be a nice debut for this new brand.

The company talks a little by what it means by a German Engineered cigar:

Rauchvergnügen creates cigars in the same way we Germans engineer the best technology in the world. German-engineered for its taste. Controlled and tested over its full development and manufacturing cycle. Perfected following German engineering standards. The result is ultimate precision in aroma, taste, and smoking performance. We create cigars that are exciting, precise and satisfying down to the smallest details.”

Rauchvergnügen is German for “Smoke Pleasure”. For its first release, the Rauchvergnügen brand has taken a slow and methodical approach for introducing its cigar to the market. For most of 2015, the brand solicited feedback on both the blend and packaging from consumers and retailers. In 2016, the final blend was put into production. The company made a decision to start out with a limited release in one size – a 4 3/4 x 54 Robusto called #42. The cigars are initially being sold in two-cigar slipcases with a total production of 1,000 numbered slipcases. Plans are to offer Rauchvergnügen in traditional boxes and more sizes in the future. As for the #42 name, Rauchvergnügen says it is the number of cubic centimeters of the cigar.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Rauchvergnügen #42 and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile

The Rauchvergnügen is a multi-national blend with tobaccos from four countries.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Hybrid
Binder: Dominican Criollo 98
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano, Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania (U.S.)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (InterCigar S.A)

Vitolas Available

The Rauchvergnügen #42 is currently being offered in one size – 4 3/4 x 54 Robusto. As mentioned, more sizes are planned in the future.

Appearance

The Ecuadorian wrapper of the Rauchvergnügen #42 has a medium brown color. Depending on how the light hits it, the wrapper may give off a cinnamon colored tint to it. Upon closer examination, there is a slight darker marbling to it. There is also some oil on the surface of the wrapper. While the surface of the cigar is relatively smooth, there are some visible veins and thin visible wrapper

The band is blue in color with white font. The band is very modern looking and represents a label seen on engineering / design/ lab projects. In large font is the text RAUCHVERGNÜGEN. Just below it is the text “GERMAN ENGINEERED CIGARS”. The lower left of the band has the text 42 CM³. The right side of the band has the company’s Twitter handle. Just below that is the text “German engineered for its taste. Pure tobacco of the highest quality perfected in a cigar following German Engineering standards” and just below that are signatures of the three principles of the Rauchvergnügen brand.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

As I normally do, I selected a straight cut to remove the cap of the Rauchvergnügen #42. Once the cap was removed, I moved on to the pre-light draw. The dry draw delivered a mix of natural tobacco, floral, and a bing cherry note. Overall I considered this to be a very good pre-light draw. At this point I was ready to light up the Rauchvergnügen #42 and await what the smoking phase would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The start to the Rauchvergnügen #42 delivered a mix of natural tobacco, white pepper, and bing cherry notes. Early on I found the natural tobacco notes became primary early on. The natural tobacco notes also had creamy component to it. I also picked up some nut flavors in the forefront. Meanwhile the white pepper and cherry notes were secondary. As for the retro-hale, I also picked up the pepper notes, but they were not overpowering.

During the second third, there was a baker’s spice that mixed in with the natural tobacco notes. I still found there was a creamy component. Meanwhile the nut and white pepper notes were now secondary. The cherry notes diminished significantly during this stage.

The last third of the Rauchvergnügen #42 saw the white pepper and baker’s spice move to the forefront. The natural tobacco notes were still present, but lost some of the creaminess. Most of the nut and cherry notes had now dissipated. There was some harshness at the end of this cigar. This is the way the cigar experience of the Rauchvergnügen #42 came to a close. On each of the three cigars I smoked of the Rauchvergnügen #42; the resulting nub was soft to the touch and slightly warm in temperature.

Burn and Draw

From a burn standpoint, the Rauchvergnügen #42 performed well. Early on I didn’t find this cigar needed an excessive amount of touch-ups, but as the cigar progressed, it required more touch-ups than I preferred. The resulting ash had a light gray color. Early on, I found the ash firm, but as the cigar experience progressed I found the ash did get looser.

Meanwhile, the burn rate was ideal. For the most part the burn temperature was ideal, but I did find in the final third the burn temperature seemed on the warmer side. I believe the warmer burn at the end resulted in some of the harsher notes.

The draw of the Rauchvergnügen #42 was ideal. It was not too tight, not too loose. This was a low maintenance cigar to derive flavors from. I did find I had to ease up on the draw toward the end as the cigar did burn warmer than I preferred.

Strength and Body

Overall I found the Rauchvergnügen #42 to fall right in the middle of the spectrum when it came to strength and body – namely a solid medium. I found this level of strength and body meshed very nicely with the flavors being delivered. Both attributes balanced each other very nice with neither overshadowing the other.

Final Thoughts

I liked the marketing and branding of the Rauchvergnügen #42. While some can call it gimmicky, I’ve seen cigars that are a lot more gimmicky. The Rauchvergnügen brand also deserves praise for delivering press information on this cigar – something sorely lacking today with many cigar brands. While this may not seem like a big deal to many, it provides important background context of the cigar being reviewed.

In the end it is the performance of the cigar that is scored. Flavor-wise, this cigar delivers quite well – especially during the first two thirds. It’s also something different than many of the cookie cutter cigars on the market. While the warmer burn at the end was less enjoyable, I still found this to be a cigar where the pluses outweighed the minuses. The Rauchvergnügen #42 is a cigar I’d recommend to a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, it’s one I would smoke again – and it has enough going to keep multiples in my humidor by picking up a fiver.

Summary

Burn: Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Good
Assessment: 3.0-The Fiver
Score: 88

References

News: German Engineered Rauchvergnügen Brand Launches with #42
Price: € 9.80 ($11.00 U.S.)
Source: Cigars Provided by Manufacturer
Stogie Geeks Podcast: n/a
Stogie Feed: Episode 190
Brand Reference: Rauchvergnügen