ATL Wise Blood Robusto Extra

At the Total Products Expo 2023, ATL Cigar Company would launch the ATL Wise Blood line. This became the company’s fifth regular production line. It was the first release by ATL Cigar Co. since the company forged a partnership with Luciano Cigars. Wise Blood was the name of the first novel by Georgia author Flannery O’Connor. Wise Blood tells the story of a Southern veteran in the mid-20th century, a man of deep faith who struggles to reconcile his convictions with his lived experience. According to ATL Cigar Co., the novel’s contradictions are reflected in a cigar blend that is balanced and sweet. Today, we dive deeper into the ATL Wise Blood in the Robusto Extra size.

The company is a venture formed by Leroy Lamar, Janelle Lamar, and Peter Gross. As the company’s name indicates, ATL Cigar Co pays homage to the culture and people of Atlanta. Initially, the company contracted with different factories to produce its cigars. Since the strategic alliance with Luciano Cigars was formed, production for all of the lines has come to the Luciano Cigars factory. Luciano Cigars is also handling distribution for ATL Cigar Co.

Let’s break down the ATL Wise Blood Robusto without further ado and see what this cigar brings to the table.

ATL Wise Blood Robusto Extra Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The ATL Wise Blood uses Ecuadorian tobaccos for the wrapper and binder. It uses Ecuadorian Habano Rosado HVA for the wrapper, and Ecuadorian Connecticut for the binder. The fillers are Nicaraguan tobaccos from the regions.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado HVA
Binder: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Luciano Cigars Factory

Vitolas Offered

ATL Wise Blood is offered in four sizes. Each is presented in 20-count boxes. The Robusto Extra size is essentially a classic Toro size.

Lonsdale: 6 1/2 x 42
Robusto Extra: 6 x 50
Robusto: 5 1/4 x 54
Gordito: 4 x 60

Appearance

The Ecuadorian Habano HVC Rosado wrapper of the Wise Blood Robusto Extra lives up to its name. This wrapper is quintessential Rosado – namely a medium brown color with a cinnamon-colored hue. One of the two cigars smoked for this assessment had some oils on the surface, while the other didn’t. The surface of the wrapper also had both visible veins and visible wrapper seams.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Prior to lighting up the Wise Blood Robusto Extra, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. Once the cap was released, it was time to commence with the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered notes of wood, slight notes of natural tobacco, and hints of cedar. It wasn’t the most exciting pre-light draw. Since the pre-light draw is not part of the numerical score and value rating, there is no loss of points here. At this point, it was time to toast the footer of the Wise Blood Robusto Extra and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Wise Blood Robusto Extra opened up with notes of wood, earth, natural tobacco, and mixed pepper. Early on, the wood and earth notes moved to the forefront. The cedar, natural tobacco, and pepper settled in the background. The natural tobacco imparted some sweetness into the overall flavor profile. Meanwhile, the retro-hale delivered additional layers of wood and pepper.

As the Wise Blood Robusto Extra moved into the second third, the wood notes took sole control as the primary note. The earth settled into the background with the cedar, natural tobacco, and pepper notes. The wood and pepper notes increased in intensity as the Wise Blood Robusto Extra entered the second half.

The final third saw the pepper and cedar notes close in on the wood notes in the forefront. Meanwhile, there still were notes of natural tobacco and, to a lesser extent, earth notes in the forefront. This is the way the Wise Blood Robusto Extra came to a close. The resulting nub was cool in temperature and soft to the touch.

Burn

Overall, the Wise Blood Robusto Extra was a well-constructed cigar, reflected in the burn score. The burn required minimal touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path and straight burn line. The resulting ash had a salt and pepper color scheme. This was an ash that was skewed toward the firmer side. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the ATL Wise Blood

Draw

The construction also helped the draw score nicely on the Wise Blood Robusto Extra. This was a cigar with a touch of resistance to it – which I like. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar from which to derive flavor.

Strength and Body

The Wise Blood Robusto Extra started out with medium strength and medium-bodied flavors. There was an increase in intensity for both the strength and body – although the body increased at a slightly greater pace. Ultimately, both attributes remained in the medium range of their respective spectrums.

As for strength versus body, the body maintained an edge throughout the entire smoking experience.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

I have always liked ATL Cigar Co’s packaging – especially its logo. In the case of the Wise Blood, I also like the white bands with black and red font. While packaging is also not scored, there are two points I want to make. First, the bands look too similar to the ATL’s Good Trouble line. I don’t see why the decision was made to make Wise Blood have a white band like Good Trouble. Second, the bands were quite challenging to remove.

Another note is that the Luciano Cigars logo is on this band. This logo is off to the side, but it does signify the alliance ATL Cigar Co has built with Luciano Cigars.

I do like the wooden boxes of the Wise Blood.

Packaging of the ATL Wise Blood (Photo Credit: Supplied by Luciano Cigars)

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

I usually am not a fan of wood-forward cigars in terms of flavor. The flavor of the ATL Wise Blood was on the woody side, but the spice and sweet notes kept things pleasant. The last third of this cigar was a little muddled, but otherwise, I liked the flavor profile of this cigar. It should be noted the construction of this cigar was quite impressive. In the end, a cigar with this flavor profile isn’t for everyone – so I’d recommend trying a sample first. My interest is piqued enough to check out some of the other sizes.

Summary

Key Flavors: Wood, Earth, Natural Tobacco, Cedar, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good