Espinosa Wasabi Robusto Review

Espinosa Cigars has made a name for itself in the cigar world over the last several years for releasing a series of highly interesting and affordably priced blends. One of Espinosa’s unique offerings is the Wasabi, a candela-wrapped cigar that, according to the company’s official description, hides the typically grassy flavors associated with candela tobacco in favor of a sweet and spicy mix.

I’ve seen other reviewers describe this cigar as a bit of a spice and pepper bomb, which sounds good to me. I’m also a fan of candela tobacco when it’s used in a good blend. So, let’s jump into this Espinosa Wasabi robusto review and find out whether this cigar lives up to its reputation.

Critical Stats

• Vitola: Robusto (box-pressed)
• Size: 5×52
• Wrapper: Candela with a habano cap
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed
• Strength: Medium-mild to medium
• Smoking time: 50 minutes

First Third

On the very first puff, I get a combination of grassy candela sweetness, earth and cayenne pepper. Within a few additional draws, that cayenne pepper seems to shift in the direction of black pepper. The cigar, however, remains quite spicy. So far, it’s living up to its reputation as a bit of a spice and pepper bomb, producing a heavy tingle in the back of my throat.

As the first third progresses, though, I find that the initial intensity of flavor starts to change quite a bit. The sweetness calms down, eventually becoming something of an intermittent flavor. The earthy note intensifies, while the pepper mellows out. There’s an ill-defined wood note that I can’t quite put my finger on, as well as a touch of very light coffee on the back end. A touch of a floral note joins the party now and then, but this new flavor is definitely less interesting than what I was getting initially.

What’s really interesting to me is how mellow the Espinosa Wasabi has become by the end of the first third. The cigar started out as though it would be an intense and relatively strong smoke. At this point, it’s relatively mild and the flavors have calmed down so much that it’s almost like I’m smoking a completely different cigar. The wrapper burn is a bit uneven and requires a couple of small touch-ups, but the draw is very open.

Second Third

Going into the second third, the flavors are largely unchanged. They are, however, still mellowing out. I really can’t believe how mild this cigar is as I approach the halfway mark. Around this time, the slight floral note I’ve been catching starts to shift toward something like a hay flavor. Aside from the initial grassiness in the first puffs and the intermittent sweetness, this is really the first hint of the traditional candela flavor I’ve gotten. The Espinosa Wasabi is, per Espinosa itself, meant to cover that grassy flavor up, and so far it has accomplished that pretty well.

Speaking of the intermittent sweetness, it is still sneaking in here and there, though it certainly isn’t as prominent as it was in the first third. With less spice, a bit of hay and a hint of sweetness, I suddenly decide to pause and get myself a cup of black coffee. I’m actually surprised to find that the Wasabi pairs well with my morning brew.

By the end of the second third, there’s not much new to report. The strength is picking up a bit, perhaps building toward the medium mark. The cigar’s draw is still open, though the ash is quite flaky.

Final Third

As the Espinosa Wasabi I’m reviewing enters the final third, I do start to see some small wrapper cracks developing. This isn’t at all unusual, and in fact I’m surprised I haven’t run into it earlier considering how fragile candela tobacco can be. So far, these cracks aren’t really affecting the smoking experience.

The floral note returns, and the earthiness seems to return to something a bit more like what I was getting in the first third. The strength has risen to medium at this point, but the pepper and spice notes that were so prominent early in the cigar have really faded into the background.

At last, the cigar’s wrapper begins cracking in earnest. Another smoke would certainly lose points for this, but the Espinosa Wasabi gets a pass because of the nature of its wrapper tobacco. I do keep smoking, though, as the cigar hasn’t entirely given up the ghost yet. As I do, I’m given a final interesting change in the flavor. Warm, slightly sweet cream with perhaps just a hint of vanilla emerges, joined very shortly by a nutmeg note. This flavor profile is pleasant enough, but it’s an odd way to end what was billed as a spicy cigar.

Espinosa Wasabi Robusto Review and Closing Thoughts

Flavor

In this department, the Espinosa Wasabi robusto was something of a confusing cigar. The flavor wasn’t at all unpleasant, but it certainly didn’t deliver the punch of pepper and spice it was allegedly supposed to. True, these flavors did dominate the first third. For the latter two thirds of the cigar, though, I experienced a consistent mellowing that, while still enjoyable, left me feeling rather disappointed. The flavor of this cigar was decent, but certainly nothing special.

Construction

Due to the extremely delicate nature of candela tobacco, I have to be unusually lenient in this category. Had another cigar cracked and fallen apart on me at the end the way the Espinosa Wasabi robusto did, it would certainly have points taken off for construction. As is, I’m actually reasonably happy with how well the cigar held together, considering the blend.

Value

This is probably where the cigar performs best. I paid about $7.45 for the Espinosa Wasabi robusto review sample, and I don’t feel like it was at all overpriced. It’s tough enough to find decent cigars under $8 these days, let alone one that uses an unusual wrapper. Even if you have an experience like mine that was far from what you were expecting, you’ll find the price is right on this cigar.

Final Verdict

5.5/10

The best way for me to sum up this cigar is that it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. Perhaps my expectations being subverted led me to rate this cigar lower than I otherwise would’ve, but this seems the fairest rating I can come up with. The Espinosa Wasabi robusto struck me as a rather ordinary, not particularly special cigar. I am giving it an extra half-point for value, as I do believe Espinosa did a good job of keeping the price of this cigar very approachable. This cigar is worth trying once if you find it, but I can’t say I’d go out of my way to smoke it again.