Velvet Cigars, The Tompkins
matthewjmichael
Posts: 41
Size: 6½x52, Torpedo
Wrapper: Maduro
Filler: Cuban-seed, Dominican Republic
Strength: Full
Price: 6-pack, $55.00; Box of 25, $185
Grade: 8.9
Velvet Cigars in New York City recently sent us a few samples of their full-bodied house blend, The Tompkins. Each of their three cigar lines is named for locations in New York Citys East Village; the Tompkins is named for Tompkins Square Park.
Appearance, 1.8:
I was first drawn to the eye catching band on this cigar; it had a very
elegant color scheme of scarlet and gold and it really seems to fit
with the Velvet line of cigars. The toothy wrapper was in good shape,
though it did have some evident veins which gave the smoke a bit of a
rugged look. The cigar was firm to the touch with good weight but was a
little spongy towards the foot. The pre-light aroma was of clean
tobacco with some hay at the foot. The cold draw produced notes of
leather and some spice in the back of the throat.
Burn, 1.6:
After a clean cut and a good toasting, I had this Torpedo lit up. The
draw was a little tight at first but opened up after ten minutes or so.
I did not feel that this stick produced an adequate amount of smoke; in
the first third I almost felt like I had to work at it a bit to keep it
going. The light gray ash held for 2 inches before falling but after
that it did not hold well for the rest of the smoke. However, there
were not any issues with touch ups or re-light.
Flavor, 2.8:
The first third of the torpedo produced notes of leather and spice with
a cedar type finish. Even though there was not a large amount of smoke
at this point, it really coated my palate well. The second third of
this cigar really opened up and produced more smoke and flavor. The
leather was still present, but the cedar notes were replaced by a much
sweeter finish. The last third of the smoke lightened up a bit with an
earthy tobacco flavor capped off with a lingering sweetness.
Overall, 2.7:
The highlight of this smoke is the flavor profile; it was a very full
flavored smoke and I would rate it more towards medium to full as
opposed to full bodied. The $9.00 per stick price is fair and I think
most purchasers would be satisfied with that price point. I still have
another Torpedo in the humidor, along with a Robusto. We will add to
this review in the future when we spark the Robusto. I hope the burn
issues will clear up with the next stick; if they do, this one will
likely cross the 9.0 mark.
(Total: 8.9)