I must admit, Leaf by Oscar make a quality cigar, but the tobacco leaf wrapper makes me angry at times. First, the packaging feels a bit gimmicky; I mean, it works for them I guess but I always make a mess trying to un-package this cigar. I have also damaged a few sticks trying to get the dried leaf off. Case in point, if you look at the picture on the right you may notice that I damaged the foot of the cigar slightly.
Anyway, I digress. Perhaps I started this review off on the wrong foot, but I do think it needs to be said. Once the leaf packaging is off, you notice that this cigar is the traditional robusto size at 5" x 50. These cigars are also offered in toro, lancero, and gordo sizes.
The Ecuadorian grown Sumatra wrapper is a light tan hue. The banding is made of what looks like and feels like burlap. The binder and filler tobacco come from Honduras which is also the same country where this cigar is manufactured.
You can buy these in singles at most brick and mortar cigar shops but the online retailers mostly on offer them in packs of 20, which is the same method I came to putting these into my tupperdor. A 20 pack usually cost around $160 USD which comes down to $8 a stick which is reasonable but definitely does not put this into a "daily" smoker grouping for most smokers.
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Length: 5"
Ring Gauge: 50
Size: Robusto
The Smoke: I already talked about the packaging above. Once I got over the fact i damaged the cigar slightly I move to beginning my smoking session. The robusto cigar's cap came off with ease using my straight cutter. The cigar's unlit aroma has some inviting floral notes to it. After toasting and lighting, this cigar had some white and black pepper along with faint oak while also having a slight citrus profile. The smoke was light while the body of the cigar was medium. The body and flavor profiles felt evenly delivered during all phases of the cigar. The construction of the cigar held up well while it also had a nice draw to the smoke and it also had an even burn rate during the 50-minute smoking session.
While the smoke was decent, anymore my opinion of these cigars is that a 20 pack is overkill. I think there are many better $8 sticks out there so buying 20 does not seem like a wise investment. Having said that, if I were at a B&M and able to pick up one or two at a time, that would be a better option. Perhaps the online retailers while be able to move to that model in the future for the Leaf by Oscar branding.
The Score: Buy a Pack of 5
Size: Robusto
The Smoke: I already talked about the packaging above. Once I got over the fact i damaged the cigar slightly I move to beginning my smoking session. The robusto cigar's cap came off with ease using my straight cutter. The cigar's unlit aroma has some inviting floral notes to it. After toasting and lighting, this cigar had some white and black pepper along with faint oak while also having a slight citrus profile. The smoke was light while the body of the cigar was medium. The body and flavor profiles felt evenly delivered during all phases of the cigar. The construction of the cigar held up well while it also had a nice draw to the smoke and it also had an even burn rate during the 50-minute smoking session.
While the smoke was decent, anymore my opinion of these cigars is that a 20 pack is overkill. I think there are many better $8 sticks out there so buying 20 does not seem like a wise investment. Having said that, if I were at a B&M and able to pick up one or two at a time, that would be a better option. Perhaps the online retailers while be able to move to that model in the future for the Leaf by Oscar branding.
The Score: Buy a Pack of 5
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