Dapper El Borracho Natural Toro
Posted on June 01 2021
Vitola: 6x54 BP
Smoking Time: 87 Minutes
Cigars Smoked: 3
Body: Full
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Natural
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
MSRP: $12.16
Dapper cigars was founded by Ian Reith in 2013, their profile started with the Cubo Claro. It seems this is becoming a more popular story, simply rolling cigars for personal use, sharing with friends, then demand starts to grow. I have heard about it happening with a number of companies and I'm not sure the story will ever grow old. Dapper is a well known boutique company that uses a large portion of tobacco from Oliva Tobacco Company, but do not stop there, they source Mexican leaves and are not afraid to mix in Broadleaf from the U.S.
Visual Inspection: The wrapper on El Borracho is very attractive, it is an ever-so-slightly, rosey, dark brown that is covered in smooth and subtle veins. The seams are almost invisible, and doesn't have any soft spots when squeezed. There are small clumps of tooth covering the wrapper, which is typical for a Mexican leaf.
There is a very warming aroma coming off of the cigar, reminiscent of an Andes chocolate bar, slight mint and chocolate are met with ample barnyard, and a touch of pine needles. A cold draw brings notes of black berries, cinnamon, dark roasted black coffee, and surprisingly that Andes chocolate flavor. I don’t see it translating through to the palate when smoking it, but it’s nice while it lasts.
First Third: Surprisingly this is starting out with very light and subtle flavors. Predominantly displaying notes of bitter dark chocolate, raisin, and a lingering yeast taste. The draw is rather loose, but it’s not terribly annoying. The smoke is very light, lacking the mouthfeel and weight that I would normally prefer.
Slight hints of peanuts are becoming more prevalent, and blend well with the dark chocolate that has stayed around. The burn line has been performing well, until the tail end of this third, then it dipped down on one side, but appears to be fixing itself. The ash has been an off white since first lighting the cigar, and is only slightly flaky.
Second Third: When holding the smoke in my mouth it starts to develop a spicy profile, not that of black pepper, but more towards chili pepper. The smoke is still very light, which seems odd for a (mainly) Nicaraguan cigar. Dark chocolate, raisin, cinnamon, and peanut, are still in control of the flavor profile.
The burn line is performing well, but slightly rippled. There is charred oak coming through the previous flavor profile, but it is staying slight and rather hidden. As this third closes, pepper is ramping up as well, the flavors are starting to become more bold, while the smoke still feels weightless. I do not mind light smoke, mixed with heavy favors, but when there isn’t one that is stronger than the other, it creates a void for me.
Last Third: The draw has been back and forth from the start of the cigar. From what I am experiencing, it doesn't like to rest. When smoked fast, the smoke comes easier and in larger quantities. Coffee has grown stronger and is met with extra notes of familiar cinnamon.
For a lighter bodied smoke, this cigar performed very well, while it isn’t necessarily a stick I would smoke daily, there is a huge market for El Borracho. The burn line is staying consistent and the flavors only grow stronger. Closing out this cigar, notes of coffee, cinnamon, charred oak, peanuts, and the slightest undertones of pepper, are leading the charge.
Final Thoughts: I’m not in love with how light the smoke was throughout the whole stick. I start out my day with a cigar review, and tend to want something a little heavier. That being said I have smoked these prior and really enjoyed them, personally this would be something I would smoke later on in the day when I’d like a lighter experience. Reddish wrapper leaves tend to have an interesting flavor to me, sometimes off putting, but El Borracho is an outlier. Mild and consistent, never too strong for me. If you like a lighter mouth feel when enjoying a cigar, El Borracho Natural is for you.
-Sam