2017 Cigar of the Year Countdown: #19: Warped Maestro del Tiempo 5712

Note: The Cigar of the Year Countdown will not publish on Monday January 1st, 2018. There will still be regular daily content to enjoy on that day. The countdown resumes on Tuesday January 2nd.

“Kyle Gellis may not have a lot of 50+ ring gauge cigars in his portfolio, but he certainly knows how to deliver a very good one..”

Wrapper: Nicaragua Jalapa Corojo ’99 Clara
Filler: Nicaragua Criollo ’98 and Corojo ’99
Binder: Nicaragua
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A – TABSA)
5712 – 4 1/2 x 52
Price: $9.65
Review: Warped Maestro Del Tiempo 5712 (4/11/17)
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Brand): 3 (2014, 2015, 2017)

Coming in at #19 is the Warped Maestro del Tiempo 5712. Maestro del Tiempo is a line from Kyle Gellis and Warped Cigars produced out of Casa Fernandez’s TABSA factory. The name Maestro del Tiempo means “Master of Time”. It is a name that was appropriate for this project as it required some patience to make sure the blend would result in exactly what Warped Cigars was looking for.

Maestro del Tiempo is a Nicaraguan puro utilizing both Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98 tobaccos. The 5712 vitola is a petite gran robusto measuring 4 1/2 x 52. The blend is also available in a Lonsdale known as 5205. Both the 5712 and 5205 are regular production lines. There is a third limited production size which contains high priming medio tiempo, called the 610R, that measures 5 1/4 x 48. The 5712 size is one of two 52 ring gauge sizes in the Warped portfolio– which also happens to be the largest ring gauge currently offered by Warped Cigars

This is the third time in four years that Warped Cigars has landed on a Cigar Coop Countdown. This is the first Nicaraguan puro to land on the 2017 Countdown. It is also the first cigar out of the TABSA factory to land on the 2017 Countdown.

The Maestro del Tiempo 5712 is a complex smoke with a nice amount of flavor transitions and nuances. Along the way, there are notes of natural tobacco. earth, and cedar – as well as hints of fruit, cashew, and some red pepper. The second half of the 5712 saw a kick up in both cedar and red pepper spices.

I found this to be one of Warped Cigars’ bolder smokes. While the flavors pretty much stayed medium to full-bodied, the strength of this cigar was a different story. The strength started out medium, gradually increasing to medium to full in the second third, and full by the final third.

This is a cigar that had some considerable hype when it came out in 2016. It’s one that easily lived up to expectations, and its one that has earned its spot on this year’s Countdown.