Cigar Weekly

Yumuri cigars are the product of a medium-sized factory in the small Dominican town of Navarette, rather than in Santiago, the cigar capital of the DR. The factory's owners are Cuban, and they grow their own tobacco on 300 acres.

The Yumuri Colorado-Maduro wrapper is that color because they used Cuban "Corojo" seed planted in the company's Dominican Republic tobacco plantation. The original name "Corojo' (pronounced ko-RO-ho) - and the original tobacco - comes from a Cuban farm that grows African palm trees. The fruit of this palm tree (looks like little coconuts) are pressed for palm oil used in cooking, cosmetics, etc. The Spanish word for this tree is corojo and the farm is called "Finca de Corojo" (Farm of African Palms).

Maduro leaf is generally fermented longer and at higher temperatures to get the dark color. Not this tobacco; it is sun-grown and cured, and the reddish chocolate color is attained totally naturally.

The Yumuri Colorado combines this Cuban-seed wrapper with Cuban-seed Dominican Olor (with a fair amount of ligero and seco for power), plus a Dominican Olor binder. All are 2-3 years old. The tobaccos used in this cigar are completely grown in the Dominican Republic, making this cigar a Dominican puro.

Cigar Weekly reviews are blind taste tests conducted by our readers. Reviewers are sent three samples with all identifying marks removed. Reviewers are chosen randomly from the list of everyone that has signed the Cigar Weekly Guest Book. Their comments are below.

Pre-Smoke Comments

Andy Kerman (ChicagoHemi-ak2000): Cigar # 146 is a well-made Churchill with a slightly veiny Maduro wrapper. It had a pungent musky pre-light aroma that indicated a full-bodied smoke. The bunch was firm and even, a well-made round cap, a good slightly firm draw, and an even burn. Typical white ash held for about an inch or so before I flicked it off. A slight burn in the throat was noted.

Brett Turley (WV Smokin): These were very dark brown maduro wrapped churchills. Construction seemed to be pretty good, but they both seemed a little soft with some slight veining. The caps of both samples were very good. I thought both had great potential as the pre-smoke aroma was very nice. Both samples lit easily and burned very even. The only problem I had was they both wanted to go out a lot. The draw on these cigars were perfect.

Brian Combs (BrianCombs): Good pre-light draw and mild pre-light flavor. Nice bunching, except the foot is soft. Pre-light aroma had a slight honeyed sweetened. Initial flavor was mild, but fairly rich, with a good flavor of aged tobacco. The sweetness of the aroma does not come through, but a slight pepperiness floats underneath.

Buddy Blackmon (puffman): This dark, leathery-looking Churchill featured a "toothy", slightly veiny wrapper. The construction on both samples was very good with well-done caps, and only a couple of minor soft spots in one of the samples. While this cigar seemed solid, it had a noticeable lack of heft in the feel. For me, there was no hint of a pre-light aroma. Excellent draw! Both samples produced ample amounts of pleasant smoke. This cigar looks like an Aristoff Black Brazilian maduro.

George Reis (DigitalGuy): This Churchill had a rough texture and a dark brown wrapper, but was very well constructed with a firm bunch and no soft spots. The pre-light aroma wasn't pleasant to my taste, and I didn't expect to like the cigar. I was surprised at the very even burn of both samples, nice ash and perfect draw. I had no problems with the burn or draw on either sample.

Scott Goossen (goose): This cigar looks good. Very dark wrapper. It's very firm from head to foot with no soft spots. Pre-light draw was perfect.

Vince Tinajero (Bad Karma): These cigars measure roughly 6 7/8 x 48 Churchill size. The wrappers were dark brown and very veiny. The cigars were not the nicest looking and I was concerned how they would burn with all the veins in the wrapper.

Smoke Comments

Andy Kerman (ChicagoHemi-ak2000): Contrary to what the pre-light aroma indicated, this cigar started off mild with a slight hint of spice. Midway through, the taste became slightly bitter and metallic. It was odd as this taste came and went a few times throughout the body of the cigar. Once past the midway point, the bitterness was mostly gone and the flavor developed into a more mild-medium body with a hint of leather and a bit more spice at the end. A short finish.

Brett Turley (WV Smokin): These were a little disappointing in the flavor department. I was expecting something a little more full bodied. While these were not bad tasting, they just didn't do much for me. They had a somewhat "herbal" quality about them, not what I expected from the aroma.

Brian Combs (BrianCombs): If I had to guess, I'd say that this is a non-ISOM HdM (not that I'm ever right at guessing these things). I don't think it's a particular cigar I've had before, however.

Buddy Blackmon (puffman): This cigar started out rather mild, but quickly got to the punch with one very noticeable flavor: pepper! About halfway down, the body of this cigar picked up with some spicy, slightly earthy flavors, along with a hint of caramel-like sweetness. Some smokers may be turned off by the predominance of pepper that tends to overwhelm the otherwise balanced flavors. The finish had a bit of a bite. These taste like Aristoffs! The burn was darn near perfect, with a firm mottled black/gray ash.

George Reis (DigitalGuy): Although the cigar was a bit one-dimensional, not developing much flavor (or change in flavor) until the last couple inches, the taste was pleasant. It was a mild to medium taste with mild spiciness and some sweetness with a slight vegetal and metallic taste at the end. The cigar didn't excite me, but it was a pleasant smoke. The second sample left a metallic aftertaste, however (the first didn't, or not enough to note).

Scott Goossen (goose): This cigar burned evenly, but never developed a long ash. I expected it to be full of flavor and smoke, but I was disappointed. The flavor that did develop seemed mild and one dimensional.

Vince Tinajero (Bad Karma): The cigars lit very easily and had an easy draw producing ample amounts of smoke. The ash was a dark grey and on both samples the ash appeared very different than others I have smoked. The ash was firm although it looked as if the outer portion was powdery it also looked ugly with the veins protruding out of the ash. I have only seen this on one other cigar that I have smoked.

Summary Comments

Andy Kerman (ChicagoHemi): This was a well-made cigar with a common (Dominican?) Maduro flavor. The bitterness/harshness encountered during the body of the smoke marred what could otherwise have been a mild and pleasant smoke.

Brett Turley (WV Smokin): While I didn't enjoy these cigars much, I would imagine many other people would. If I didn't have to keep relighting them, the flavors might have been better. With this in mind, I would be willing to give these another chance. Overall not a bad cigar, just not my cup of tea.

Brian Combs (BrianCombs): Nice cigar, if the price is right.

Buddy Blackmon (puffman): I liked smoking these cigars. They were well-made, and had a enough flavor to hold my interest for a mild-to-medium smoke. And, they burned like a dream. Some may not care for the pepperiness, but it is one of the things I liked about them. These cigars won't "rock your world", but they are certainly worth having for the times you want a mild-medium maduro with a little spicy kick to it. Call me crazy, but is this an Aristoff?

George Reis (DigitalGuy): Not a bad cigar, but not a great one either. I didn't want to like it because of the prelight aroma and roughness, so was pleasantly surprised at the mild to medium agreeable flavor. However, it didn't develop much, and left a slightly disagreeable metallic aftertaste. It may improve with some aging.

Scott Goossen (goose): I didn't enjoy this cigar. It was too mild for my tastes.

Vince Tinajero (Bad Karma): This cigar was one dimensional and was on the mild to medium side. Although they are not ones that I would buy on a regular basis they would be ok as a golf course cigar. These cigar reminded me of the Bahia Gold Maduro robusto that I received in a sampler pack.

Scores

Review Results
Final Score: 30.6 out of 50

3 1/2 Stars -- Above Average

 

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