CW Review: Habano Primero Pyramid
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
Doug Wheeler: Nice construction. Nice wrapper.
Douglas Smith: These cigars had a nice appearance and color. They had a mild aroma and were nicely wrapped This is my first experience with a torpedo.
Drew J. Wade: I thought the cigar was a bit skinny for a torpedo. The wrapper was dusty looking, and mottled in some areas. It looked like a typical Indonesian wrappers, with no richness and a bitter taste. All the wrappers were a little rough in texture. One was loosely wrapped and another was veiny. However, the bunch was firm and well constructed. I will confess that stick smoked evenly -- with no problems. The ash was gray and slightly flaky, less-than-firm structure. The cigar's aroma is faint to harsh. The highlight of this cigar was its draw. It drew perfectly with a good volume of smoke.
J. E. Thompson: This was a good looking torpedo style cigar with a smooth texture and solid feel. It reminded me of a Cuban Montecristo No. 2 in appearance.
James Hudson: These cigars were about 50 ring at the foot and 46 ring where the label would be so there is a pleasant, enjoyable taper to these cigars. Except some small (1-1.5mm) tan colored spots in the wrapper of one cigar, the three samples could have been clones. Uniform natural color, identical shape, and silky smooth wrappers with very fine veining made for a luxurious experience. The bunch was firm and had a nice spiral filler showing at the foot. A well made cigar with a tangy tobacco aroma.
Matthew White: Cigar #43 had an overall good color wrapper, with no tears. The pre-smoke aroma of the cigar was very nice. The tip cut easily, it lit well, though draw was a little tight. Good taste from the start. Burnt even and stayed lit.
Mike Biscello: A beautiful brown torpedo, firm and lightly veined, that burned evenly and yielded a solid gray ash. This cigar had an easy draw and produced a good volume of rich smoke, with a pleasant aroma. I experienced no problems.
Paul DiPierro: I received the cigars in good condition. The color was a medium brown. The wrappers had a nice oily sheen to them. There were a few minor lines in the wrappers. They felt like they were not rolled too tightly. The pre-smoke aroma was mildly sweet.
Smoke Comments
Doug Wheeler: Slight tightness in draw. Good burn. I enjoyed it.
Douglas Smith: Nice draw with a somewhat mild taste & very even burn.
Drew J. Wade: The taste of the cigar was rather one-dimensional. It's overriding flavor is woody with hints of herbal. One stick tasted like chlorine. There were no problems with harshness or bite.
J. E. Thompson: It started out on the bland side and didn't improve from that stage very much at all. A few of the people around me (I was at a beachside restaurant deck) remarked that the cigar had a good aroma. This was a mild to medium torpedo that developed a little bitterness toward the end. It had a woody taste throughout but not much character.
James Hudson: An excellent smoking cigar. Lights well, burns evenly with a 1.5-2 inch light-gray to white ash. The first cigar I smoked to 2.5" in just over an hour. I cut off the charred end to leave a 2 inch stub and blew any residual smoke out. The next day I lit up the leavings and found the cigar to be just as pleasant as the previous day. I smoked the other cigars as usual and found them all to have a good draw, perfectly balanced, and a medium strength, body and flavor.
Matthew White: Very mild smoke, nice flavor that doesn't overwhelm. It has an earthy or woody taste, with a light burning of the tongue. Towards the foot, it started having a bitter taste sooner than I thought it should. It left my mouth and throat very dry. Burnt for about 45 min., with a poor finish.
Mike Biscello: The flavor was of a medium body and strength, smooth and creamy, with tones of wood and grass. There was a subtle sweetness and no burn or bitterness.
Paul DiPierro: All three cigars smoked rather well. One of them started to unwrap in the middle, otherwise they all seemed to be well made. The draw was very good on all three cigars. They all burned evenly down to the end. The ash held on for almost 3 inches on all three cigars and was nice light gray to white color. The aroma while I was smoking was nice, light and sweet smelling. I tasted a little bitterness but no burning in the back of the mouth or throat. I think this cigar is in the mild to medium flavor category with very little aftertaste.
Summary Comments
Doug Wheeler: I like the cigar. I would buy one. Curious to know what kind it is. Thanks.
Douglas Smith: I enjoyed these cigars for their even smooth draw and mild taste. Overall a nice cigar.
Drew J. Wade: This cigar is definitely middle of the road. It wasn't offensive, but it wasn't particularly noteworthy. It's a mild cigar with lackluster character. On your scale of "dog rocket" to outstanding, I rate it an overwhelming fair.
J. E. Thompson: This was a decent smoke for a beginner to experiment with. For the veteran smoker I think there is something lacking as far as complexity of taste is concerned. Would I recommend this cigar, probably not. JMO.
James Hudson: Overall, this was a very distinguished cigar - can't wait to find out the brand. A medium to full bodied smoke with complex character. I would recommend this cigar to anyone who enjoys a rich, elegant smoking experience.
Matthew White: Overall I felt it was an average smoke. It lit and burnt well. Taste was good until towards the finish, leaving both mouth and throat dry. Tip cut and stayed together well with little or no tobacco in the mouth. Had a mostly even burn - wouldn't spend more than $2.00 or so.
Mike Biscello: Not as strong as my favorite Partagas #1, but I enjoy a good torpedo, and this fits the bill. All in all, this was a satisfying smoke. I'd buy these cigars.
Paul DiPierro: All in all I think this is a very good cigar, one I will buy again. I like the torpedo design of this cigar which is probably my favorite style so far. I have had only one Macanudo or Fuentes cigars so far and I would grade this one better than both of those. It is also better than those I have purchased so far for my humidor.
Scores
| Reviewer | Appearance (0-5) | Burn (0-5) | Draw (0-5) | Aroma (0-5) | Flavor (0-10) | Taste (0-10) | Overall (0-10) | Total (0-50) |
| Doug Wheeler | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 41.0 |
| Douglas Smith | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 39.0 |
| Drew J. Wade | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 29.0 |
| J. E. Thompson | 5.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 30.0 |
| James Hudson | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 45.0 |
| Matthew White | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 38.0 |
| Mike Biscello | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 39.5 |
| Paul DiPierro | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 38.0 |
| Averages | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 7.3 | 37.6 |
| To achieve the final score below, we throw
out the high and low total scores then average the remaining scores. For more information see the link for Review Methods below. | ||||||||
Review Results
Final Score: 37.6 out of 50
4 Stars - Excellent
This review included more newbies than usual; normally we get a good mix of "seasoned" smokers and those new to the hobby. The reviewers with 2 years or less of cigar smoking, as a group, enjoyed the cigar, while the reviews from the seasoned smokers were mixed. The final score of 37.6 puts this cigar in the Cigar Weekly Top 10. Quite a difference from the Habano Primero Robusto we reviewed earlier this year which scored 33.5, or 3 1/2 stars. This cigar received high scores in almost every category; especially in appearance, burn and flavor. The aged Indonesian wrapper has a toothiness reminiscent of Cameroon. Although one reviewer didn't care for the shape, I found the cigar to be well made with a firm bunch and the shape seemed well balanced and easy to hold and smoke.