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.
Bob on Dog Watch said it well… part of how a cigar is rated should be determined by the amount of work while smoking it… I can’t stand cigars that are too needy and need re-lights or have a flaky ash/loose ash.
BTW… these are rolled by Fuente employees in his Factory No.4 in Santiago, DR. This factory also rolls the Bauza and Montesino lines which generally experience the same burn issues. Fuente apparently use the Entubado method of rolling which generally work quite well but my guess is Factory 4 has the most inexperienced rollers because these cigars are very very inconsistent. I smoked a Montesino the other night that was worse than a second and it’s been aged for 22 months at the proper temp and humidity.
Cigar Family Guy,
I thought that I read somewhere that Sosa was rolled in one of the Fuente factories. Thanks for the additional information.
Also, The Montesino No. 2 Maduros that you recommended have been resting the humidor for a couple weeks now. I think I am going to light one up either today or tomorrow.
I have seen these in my B&M and will have to try one….
I am smoking one right now,
I am getting the same loose draw, and nutty/sweet flavors.
The burn is a little wavy but I must say that the ash is not as bad as it seemed on yours. I am only into the first third, but the ash is solid and holding on past the inch and a half point.
Nice, mild to medium smoke, and my neighbor has just commented on it’s nice sweet aroma.
Thanks for the review, even tho it was over2 and a half years ago!
cheers
I had the pleasure of a Sosa Cigar this past weekend and found it to be a very good cigar for the value. The stick I had was a Natural Churchill and had none of the loose ash issues described in this review, although the review is dated at this point. The draw on the cigar was very nice and consistent, the ash sold and held past the inch marker. The flavors were very nice and it was a smooth smoke.
Overall I would absolutely recommend this cigar. At $6.50 it was a value buy and an enjoyable smoke.
Dude, you’ve been reading too much Cigar Aficionado. Is it a decent smoke or not? Nutty? Peppery? Fuck me, dude. I’ve been reading that shit for decades and it tells me nothing. Full-bodied? Full-flavored? Which? Loose draw? What’s that? You’d prefer to suck a golf ball through a garden hose? Loose ash? Who the fuck cares if it tastes good and burns well? Just tell me what kind of cigars you like and if it is like any of them. Is it in the league of a CAO Brasilia? An Oliva V? Perdomo Lot 23? Or is it like the overpriced crap put out by Gurkha and Rocky Patel these days?
Although this a REAL late response the OP did describe the nuances of the cigar. He iterated that the cigar had a nutty flavor, an erratic burn and a lose ash which he describe the cigar as being a cigar of labor to which he further stated that he was disappointed because of these issues none of which he cared for. He wasn’t doing a comparison test of the Sosa to another cigar.
I am curious to see if any of the new A. J. Fernandaz versions are out since they acquired the Sosa brand in December. Or are all of the B&Ms and online vendors are still eliminating the Fuente versions?