Rojas Street Tacos Barbacoa Robusto
Posted on April 23 2021
Vitola: 5x50
Smoking Time: 75 Minutes
Cigars Smoked: 4
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Sumatran
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
MSRP: $8
Rojas has a simple saying: “Small Ring Gauges Only.” Deemed the King’s of Small Gauge cigars, each of their sticks provide something different with just that one consistency. As quickly as The Street Tacos were announced, they were delayed. But at long last, they have been shipped to us! Part one of a three part series, this one has a sumatran wrapper, and we do not know which other blends will arrive at a future date.
Visual Inspection: This Sumatran wrapper is very attractive, it is a dark marbled brown, with ample amounts of tooth, and a pleasant aroma wafting off the cigar. The seams are noticeable, but not rough, and have a semi-closed foot. There are no soft spots when I squeeze the wrapper, and when I run my finger up the cigar there is ample oil which gives it a nice sheen when looking at it under light.
Aromas coming off the foot are very strong, with notes of brown sugar, charred meat, earth, and nuts. I have chosen to punch my cigar today, a cold draw reveals barnyard, nuts, and wood. The wrapper has the normal characteristics of a sumatran leaf, lots of tooth, durable, and wild aromas.
First Third: With an RH of 64% the cigar takes flame well. Immediately flavors of charred meat, and brown sugar blast through. It is crazy how much this tastes like a well smoked brisket. One thing I always found odd as a younger eating barbecue, was that most places did not offer any sauce. But upon learning a little more about it, you really don’t need it. That's how I feel about the Barbacoa I am enjoying now, it tastes just like the outside of a smoked cut of the most choice meats.
The burn line isn’t pristine, but the ash is a beautiful white with tons of tooth translating to the ash. While the smell of the smoke is closer to nuts, and burning cedar, there are still some slight characteristics of the charred meat in the profile. At this point the ash seems a little weak, with some drooping, but other than that, it is firm and there are no flakes coming off the foot.
Second Third: Breaking into this third the profile has shifted to be more chestnut forward, while making the charred meat that was so prevalent before, take the back seat. Notes of brown sugar still linger on the back of my mouth, but wood and chestnuts are most notable.
The burn line is more of the same, slight wavering, but undoubtedly amazing for a cigar of this price point. As of now I would say this is a complex cigar, due to how consistent it has been, but the profile is very nice. The smoke is very heavy, with heavy flavors, but simply does not have much variance.
Last Third: The Barbacoa is a wildly flavorful cigar, the same notes are still lighting the path. Flavors of chestnut, charred cedar, charred meat, and brown sugar. I tried loosening the band, and it cracked the wrapper, but it is low enough it should not cause any issues, it was simply a user-error.
Despite the cracked wrapper, the burn line has gotten significantly better. Strong notes of char are coming through much more than before. A retrohale brings light salt and pepper into the profile, which has not been prevalent until now.
Final Thoughts: If any cigar is going to make you crave a taco, this is the one. When we first got these bad boys in, we ordered tacos, and started the party. While the next two in the series are not known at this time, I am waiting patiently for their release. Rojas is a new company to me, but are a favorite among those who know them. Do yourself a favor and keep an eye out for when these are restocked on our website!
-Sam