Dapper Cigar Co’s El Borracho is Ian Reith’s modern spin on the classic cigar composition made famous by Padron years ago: a Mexican San Andres wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. El Borracho was released this year at IPCPR and is named after the Drunk in a Mexican card game.
You can read more about El Borracho and Dapper Cigar Co in our Small Batch Interview.
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Jalapa Habano Rosado
Filler: Nicaraguan
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 50)
Factory: NACSA
Production: Regular Production
Purchase Link: El Borracho
Dapper El Borracho REVIEW from California
Summary: Wrapper looks like my khaki pants did every day after playing basketball in middle school. Draw is on the tighter side.
First few puffs are giving me oak and bread sticks. MEATY CREAM (no "phrasing" intended) which is similar to what I tasted in Chogui's Heartbreaker (definitely in my top 5 of 2017). Now I'm getting a perfect amount of truffle in the mix. And black licorice! I'm an inch down and this stick is already giving me more distinct flavors than girls I've kissed in the last year.
Starting the second third. The flavors are rustic yet colorful, like the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel. Picking up some date (the fruit, not a babe). Tastes like butter dripping off of a sizzling steak.
Final third and I'm bummed it's almost over. Getting a little rough towards the end but I'll let it slide.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: If you like this, you probably enjoy splitting a fifth with your closest buds on your best friend's wedding day.
Pairing Suggestion: The sweetness of an aged rum + this cigar would make me feel some type of way.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Box purchase.
Dapper El Borracho REVIEW from Wisconsin
Summary: The box press on this cigar isn't quite square; it tilts a little to one side, making it look a bit more like a parallelogram if I put it on a flat surface. Lighting it up, it starts with nuts. Peanuts and hazelnuts accompany a generic tobacco flavor. Then it gets interesting: it becomes a smooth, creamy smoke with notes of cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, and gingerbread. The cocoa flavor is very strong. It has a long finish of cocoa, nuts, a very light pepper, and a lot of sweetness.
The cigar continues along, picking up cereal grain, baking spices, and mint at times. The first half is really dominated by cocoa, so much so that I hold a suspicion of a light infusion that I'm having a hard time shaking.
Past the halfway mark, the sweetness drops off dramatically. Nuts and coffee jump to the front, and are joined by campfire, chocolate, and more bitterness than I was hoping for. It still has a long finish, now of coffee, earth, light pepper, and a smaller amount of sweetness.
Draw is a tad on the loose side, but not out of line with a box pressed cigar. Burn needs no touch-ups, mostly staying straight. Smoke is ample.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Cocoa
Pairing Suggestion: Coffee would be good. I bet a marshmallow and graham cracker snack would be good too.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: If the friend likes chocolatey and cocoa flavors, pick up a bunch! If not, single.
Dapper El Borracho REVIEW from Oregon
Summary: This box-pressed cigar has a slightly tight draw. Also near the foot of the cigar it appears that the wrapper has a big chunk missing out of it. There are some light floral notes at the start of the cigar. It is producing an average amount of smoke and the burn line, while sharp, is a little bit jagged. I am also getting some citrus notes in the profile and white pepper in the retrohale. About 1/2 inch into the cigar, a faint sweetness appears at the very beginning of the profile. There is also what I will call some generic wood flavors floating around in the profile as well.
I will say the construction appears to be very good as the ash is solid, light gray and appears to be holding tightly.
At the 1/3 mark I am still getting a few floral notes but I am also getting some sweeter notes that remind me of caramel. There's also still a very light amount of white pepper in the retro hale.
Towards the last third of the cigar I started to experience some dark cherry notes and what I will call hot chocolate. It wasn't a really strong chocolate note but it was noticeable. The wood flavors I am picking up change back-and-forth between a white cedar and the slightly bitter profile that typically comes with oak. I have needed to apply zero burn corrections to the cigar and the burn line remains razor-sharp although just a little wavy.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: If you like this cigar then you probably like refinishing antique furniture.
Pairing Suggestion: I think this cigar would pair well with tea. I'm thinking a piping hot cup of a lighter tea with some floral notes and possibly even a really dark iced tea.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: I would buy a five pack of this cigar before I committed to a box.
Participants in this blind review were completely unaware of the cigar they were evaluating until all submissions were received and processed. Each participant was asked to answer a summary paragraph, an if/than statement, a pairing suggestion, and a purchase suggestion. Cigars were provided by Small Batch with only the expectations of candid responses. All pictures, information, and formatting were completed by a Coordinator outside of the reviewing process.
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