Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size. Today we look at the Kristoff Vengeance Robusto. This is a cigar line we previously assessed in the Toro size back in November 2018 .

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Charles Fairmorn
Robusto Extra: 5 x 50

The Kristoff Vengeance is the resurrection of a brand going back to the early days of Kristoff founder Glen Case’s days of cigar making. At the time Vengeance was released, Case’s company was known as Exclusive Brands. As the Kristoff-named brands became a bigger part of Case’s portfolio, a decision was made to rebrand the company Kristoff Cigars. In 2011, another decision was made to rebrand Vengeance under the Kristoff name as the Kristoff GC Signature Series – where it remains a part of the portfolio this day. Fast forward to 2018, Case has reintroduced the Vengeance name – this time branded as the Kristoff Vengeance and featuring a different blend. Today we take a closer look at the Kristoff Vengeance in the Robusto size.

Over the years, Glen Case has worked with many different cigar wrappers. One wrapper Case had not released a cigar with was a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. With the resurrected Kristoff Vengeance, it would mark Case’s first Connecticut Broadleaf release (the original Vengeance/Kristoff GC Signature Series features a Brazilian Maduro wrapper). The remainder of the blend utilizes an Indonesian binder over a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. The Robusto size is a classic 5 x 50 size – finished with a pig-tail cap and covered footer. Production is handled at Kristoff’s long-time manufacturing partner, the Charles Fairmorn factory in the Dominican Republic.

The Kristoff Vengeance Robusto is one of four sizes offered in the line (the others being a Toro, 6 x 60, and a Perfecto). Each of the four sizes come in 20-count boxes featuring Kristoff’s signature rustic/rough-cut loose with loose tobacco packed inside.

The Kristoff Vengeance Robusto delivered a mix of mocha, earth, red pepper, raw honey, and lemon citrus sweetness. Early on the mocha notes moved into the forefront. The mocha is a term I use to describe a fusion of coffee and chocolate notes. As the cigar moved into the second half, the mocha notes morphed into more of a black coffee note, shedding the chocolate notes. The lemon citrus morphed into more of a lemon rind note imparting a little bitterness – which actually helped round out the profile a bit. The coffee notes held in to the last third. The pepper notes closed in on the forefront while the honey notes diminished greatly.

The strength and body of the Kristoff Vengeance Robusto started out medium and increased in intensity moving into medium to full territory for both attributes in the second half. The strength and body countered each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

My experience with the Kristoff Vengeance in the Toro size earlier this year was extremely positive. A few months ago, I smoked the Robusto and it affirmed my philosophy that “size matters”. The Robusto delivered flavor notes that were very much in the wheelhouse of the Toro, but I found the Robusto to deliver these flavors with more robustness. The result was a cigar that demonstrates some of the finest work by Glen Case to date. The Kristoff Vengeance Robusto is a cigar I would recommend to an experienced cigar enthusiast, but if a novice wants to move to something medium plus, this is a very good cigar to do so. As for myself, it’s a cigar that I’d smoke again. It’s not only one I’d recommend a box purchase, but one to challenge Chuck Norris for.

Summary

Key Flavors: Coffee, Mocha, Pepper, Raw Honey, Lemon
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Body: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good