Smoke
Country of origin: Nicaragua
Color: Maduro
Length: 5"
Ring gauge: 50
Wrapper: Sun-grown Brazilian Arapiraca
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí & Pueblo Nuevo)
Rating*: ★★★★
Sip
Syndicate 58/6 12 Year Scotch Whisky
Country: Scotland
Age: 12 years
Style: Blended (18 single malt and 4 single grain whiskies)
Cask: Single cask (4-year aged Oloroso Sherry casks imported from the Spanish region of Andalucia)
Strength: 80 proof
Produced/bottled by: The Syndicate 58/6 Limited
The Toraño Family Cigar Company, acquired in September 2014 by General Cigar Company, has quite an extensive portfolio; however, the Exodus 1959 50 Years box-pressed Robusto is the one line that stays in my regular rotation. I've been smoking this cigar for a few years now and have posted many social media posts showcasing my affinity to this particular blend and I've paired this smoke with coffee, cappuccino, and numerous spirits. However, for this review, I've chosen to share my notes of its pairing with the Syndicate 58/6 12 Year Scotch Whisky.
The Exodus 1959 50 Years Robusto is a beautiful box-pressed dark maduro with a silky smooth, slightly oily wrapper, which has minimal veins and barely visible seams. The cigar is adorned with an ornate bronze and black band and a bronze secondary band embossed with "50 Years" to distinguish itself from the Gold and SIlver Editions. There is a heavy barnyard aroma from the foot. Cold draw provides some cocoa and leather. The cigar lights very easily and burns evenly - in fact, every single Exodus 1959 50 Years I've smoke have burned consistently and evenly with no need for touch-ups or relights.
The Exodus 1950 50 Years Robusto is a full-bodied, medium strengthed cigar. The smoke has a nice buttery texture and is extraordinarily flavorful. The first third provides very earthy, heavy tobacco flavor with some spice and black pepper, which is not overpowering on retrohale.
Flavors transition very nicely into the second third, during which the earthiness is complimented with some sweetness and some nice floral notes are introduced. The spiciness and black pepper diminish a bit. It wasn't until the final third until some cocoa and leather notes from the cold draw become evident, and the spice and pepper become almost non-existent. This is a very robust, slow-burning cigar that I've smoked repeatedly down to a nub. Total burn time about 1 hour, 10-15 minutes.
The Syndicate 58/6 12 Year blended scotch whisky pairs very nicely with the Exodus 1959 50 Years Robusto. This particular blend has been a three year-in-a-row Gold Medal winner of the Scotch Whisky - Deluxe Blend category of the International Wine & Spirits Competition: 2013 Gold Medal Award; 2014 Gold Outstanding Medal Award; and 2015 Gold Medal Award. As I generally do with whisky, I enjoyed it neat with just about 3 drops of distilled water. Very nice slow and thick legs are displayed upon swirling. The whisky has a gorgeous amber gold color, and The nose is quite fruity, with elements of oak and mild mulling spice. The whisky is very smooth, yet rich, with floral and oaky notes. In addition, there just a bit of caramel sweetness and the fruitiness of dates. The flavors are very complimentary with the flavor notes of the Exodus 1959 50 Years Robusto, which is one of my go-to cigars - the pairing which gives way to a long, powerful oaky and cinnamon-like spicy finish.
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*Cigar rating legend:
★★★★★ Excellent/Outstanding
★★★★ Very Good
★★★ Good
★★ Fair
★ Poor