El Cedro 14k

Enter El Cedro Cigars! The new kid on the block and a company founded to pay homage to men and women who serve in America’s Armed Forces. With a mission statement like that, these guys deserve further investigation from the Dojo. The El Cedro 14k caught my eye via social media, so I did some digging and got my hands on a few sticks. The 5.25 x 50 robusto is the vitola that I have based this review on.

The El Cedro features a massive cedar tree logo on the band and the color of the Dominican wrapper accents the white and gold label perfectly, with it’s warm, creamy-tan hue. This cigar would be a Dominican puro if not for a bit of Nicaraguan filler that’s added to the blend. So let’s cut, toast, and light this tasty morsel and see how she handles.

A near perfect draw was the first thing I noticed with the cigar, along with a blast of cedar and earthy hay. The smoke is dry, yet filled with satisfying flavor. I am enjoying the large amounts of chalky thick smoke that is coming from each draw.

As the name El Cedro might imply, this cigar’s main note is cedar. It’s as if I walked into a wood-working shop the moment they were crafting spanish cedar shelves for a walk-in humidor. I’m not sure if I can remember smoking a cigar that so accurately matched it’s flavor profile to it’s branding.

Along with the cedar, I am beginning to pick up a warm roasted almond flavor and the savory flavor of the tobacco on my tongue is very intriguing. Full flavor but only medium strength is the story of the El Cedro, which makes for a great early afternoon smoke. Past the halfway mark I begin to pick up a bit of subtle sweet caramel after the initial blast of cedar. The dry flavors have now shifted to a slight sweetness, but the main note is still cedar and wood.

The construction is marvelous and never once have I had to fuss with the performance of this stick. While I wouldn’t consider this cigar wildly complex, the flavors it features (cedar and roasted nuts) are excellent.

Would I smoke this cigar again?

Possibly, after more testing, this blend seems to lose its luster (even with age), making for a somewhat forgettable smoke.

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