Last week while visiting JM Cigars in Exton I was wandering around in the humidor when I came across a box of Sosa cigars. Not having tried one before, I decided to pick up a couple. I have heard good things about the Sosa line and looked forward to sampling one.

After about a week in the cooler I decided it was about time to try one of my newly acquired Sosa cigars. This particular cigar was a Brevas (5.50 x 43). This cigar is made in Santiago, Dominican Republic with an Ecuadorian grown Sumatra Seed wrapper and Dominican binder and fillers.

While inspecting, I found this cigar to have what I like to call a coarse wrap. I use that term when it is very easy to see the seam of the wrapper leaf spiral down the length of the cigar. When lightly pinched, I found the cigar to be firm with some spring to it. After I finished inspecting the cigar, I reached for my plug cutter and got to work.

While piercing the cap I found it to be thick and tough to cut. After a little extra effort I cut through the cap and began to check the draw. My first impression was a little concerning due to how free the draw felt. I moved forward and began the toasting and lighting process. With little effort the cigar was completely lit and producing smoke.

The first puff resulted in a loose draw that produced a fair amount of smoke. The body was Medium and the Finish was fairly smooth and short. The base flavor was nutty with a sweet aftertaste that was really enjoyable. The burn started off a little erratic but was not concerning at this point.

As I smoked deeper into the first third of the cigar, things seemed to settle in. The body was a little mellower putting it into the Mild to Medium range. The finish continued to stay fairly smooth and short on the palate, while the base flavor remained nutty but was now picking up a sort of mildly salty flavor. The aftertaste the smoke produced was the most appealing part for me. It left me tasting a faint nutty flavor with an added sweetness that I was really enjoying. The burn remained erratic and the ash was incredibly loose, with small pieces of ash falling into my lap every time I brought the cigar up to my lips.

As I approached the midpoint of this stick, the base flavor remained predominately nutty with a slight build to medium body. The salty tones disappeared and once again I was left with a sweet flavor on my lips after each puff. The finish was still short and slowly becoming smoother, making for a fairly enjoyable smoke.

During the final third of this smoke, the ash was becoming even weaker than before. It seemed as though I had to consistently tap the cigar into the ashtray after each and every puff to try and keep the ashes contained to just the ashtray. The draw stayed a little loose for my taste and the burn remained a little erratic.

The base flavor remained consistent throughout the remainder of the stick. While the base flavor was not bad, it was just terribly consistent and lacked some of the depth that I have come to really enjoy in a good cigar. The finish remained short and smooth and the body never built up past the Medium spectrum. The burn rate seemed to pick up a little as I smoked down through the stick which I found kind of odd. This was the same experience I had with the Rocky Patel Vintage 1999.

Overall I was not overly impressed by the Sosa. Between the terribly loose ash, erratic burn and loose draw, I found it difficult to simply sit back and really enjoy the smoke. While I did not find the cigar to have much variation in flavor, I really enjoyed the sweet and mild nutty aftertaste as well as the mild and attractive room aroma.

I wouldn’t hesitate to pick one up on occasion, but this cigar will not become a staple in my humidor.