Blind Cigar Review: Leccia | White 552 Robusto

This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Robusto

Length: 5″

Ring Gauge: 52

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: African Sun Grown (Cameroon)

Binder: Ecuador

Filler: Nicaragua

Factory: Unknown

Blender: Sam Leccia

Number of reviewers: 5 —– Ron (shuckins) Will (Dubv23) Jason (bigslowrock) Emmett (rhetorik) Derek (StogieNinja)

Price: $8.00

Purchased by Blind Man’s Puff

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 91

“Great looking cigar! Nice, smooth, chocolate brown wrapper.” –Ron (shuckins)

Aroma: 93

“Primarily barnyard with hay and mild tobacco” –Derek (StogieNinja)

Construction: 94

“This cigar felt good, looked good and had all the signs of good quality. The seams were tight and nearly invisible. It felt firm, gave just a little, but showed no soft spots. There was a neatly applied double cap that topped it all off. ” –Will (Dubv23)

First Third

Flavor: 88

Strength: Medium

Body/Complexity: Medium

“This third is dominated by a woodiness of both oak and cedar. I’m also picking up notes of toasted nuts and kind of a burnt sugar/caramel flavor but no sweetness associated with it.” –Jason (bigslowrock)

“Fantastic flavors to start, I can tell this smoke is going to be up my alley. I’m getting notes of oak, nuts and a little hint of sweetness I can’t quite put my finger on.” –Emmett (rhetorik)

Second Third

Flavor: 87

Strength: Medium

Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“Wood continues to dominate the flavor profile in the cigar. During this third, the cigar also throws in a bit of toffee and coffee notes as a I progress.” –Jason (bigslowrock)

“The pepper is gone, and the flavor is primarily wood, light baking spices and sweet tobacco. The smoke is just a little creamy and mildly sweet. Some nuttiness in the retrohale mixes with the baking spices. It’s still enjoyable, but still not terribly interesting. ” –Derek (StogieNinja)

Final Third

Flavor: 87

Strength: Medium

Body/Complexity: Medium

“Hints of cocoa made their way through to intertwine with the leather and spice. The earthiness was not as prevalent as it was before. I feel the flavors have taken on a medicinal quality that was highly reminiscent of a particular nasal spray. I was not a fan of this and could have done without” –Will (Dubv23)

“This third has turned more earthy with a kind of graphite finish. Not as pleasant as the previous thirds. The mineral taste mellowed out towards the nub and finished with some nice notes of leather and wood. All in all a great experience.” –Emmett (rhetorik)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 94

“Fantastic draw, smooth with lot’s of smoke.” –Ron (shuckins)

Burn: 91

“Great burn throughout. Burn line never wavered and consistently put out a healthy dose of smoke.”-Derek (StogieNinja)

Overall Strength: Medium

Overall Body/Complexity: Medium

Overall Experience: 87

“Overall I loved this cigar, it’s definitely something new that I’ve never had before and I want more. While the final third was a little rough and unbalanced I feel that time will take care of that given how good the first two thirds were. The noticeable flavor shifts and classic flavor profiles are enough to put the cigar at the top of the ones I’ve reviewed recently.” –Emmett (rhetorik)

“This cigar looked inviting and showed promise with the first two thirds. The flavors were not extremely complex and never really stood out from one another but they did deliver a flavorful array of spices, leather, and earth. There wasn’t enough balance in the flavor to really wow me and the cigar turned for the worse toward the end. Maybe with a little rest this cigar would have delivered a better closing experience. Give it a shot though, this could be for you.” –Will (Dubv23)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 82

Total Score: 89 (Good)

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To view the complete scores and notes, click here

Blind Cigar Review: Leccia | White 552 Robusto