Xikar HC Habano Colorado Robusto (5x50)

I'm a big fan of the Xikar accessories, especially the cutters. I have a Xikar MTX multi-tool that I consider to be one of the best cigar accessory purchases I have ever purchased. My friend ,and fellow BOTL, Brad sent me a few of the Xikar sticks to try out. With the pride and craftsmanship that Xikar puts into their accessories I was very excited to get my hands on some of their cigars. It was a hard decision on which to try first but in the end the Habano Colorado drew the shortest straw and was sentenced to die by fire. The Xikar HC Habano Colorado is a collaboration between Xikar and Jesus Fuego. The Dark Habano wrapper is from Jalapa in Nicaragua with a binder from Estil and a filler blend Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. The wrapper is dark and oily with only small veins and offers the scent of rich tobacco and cocoa. The body is rock solid and well packed with no soft spots or flaws that I can find. The foot offered up an aroma of rich cocoa with a mild hint of sweetness. I, of course, used my trusty Xikar MTX to clip the triple cap and found draw to be just a tad firm with notes of molasses and cocoa. Unfortunately at the time of this review I found myself without a Xikar lighter to toast the foot. I did use a single flame torch to toast the foot and get things started with no problems.

The initial third opens with some notes of rich coffee and a mild peppery spice, especially noted on the retrohale. There is a very pleasant sweetness to the retrohale that lingers on the palate for the finish. As I go into the second third some molasses notes emerge as the coffee takes on more of an espresso flavor. The peppery spice has calmed a touch as a few notes of black licorice pop in and out. The smoke took on a creaminess in the second third as the spice faded. The final third brought some graham notes and nutty peanut flavors. The espresso notes have faded into the background and a earthy spice joins the profile. The earthy spice just seems to hang out in the background, but really adds a lot to what's going on. The aroma of the resting smoke is pleasant with a woody, nutty aroma. Being my first Xikar cigar, I am well pleased. I can't wait to try the other offerings in the HC series. The construction on this stick was excellent and held ash to over an inch at a time. The price point on these is around 7-8 bucks per stick and well worth that. You an find more information on Xikar at www.xikar.com and find them on twitter at http://twitter.com/XikarInc. Thanks again to my friend Brad Bortz at Cigarstix.com for sending me these sticks.