Alonso Menendez Robusto
The Alonso Menedez line of cigars is from the Dona Flor Cigars company from Brazil. Dona Flor has a rich history in the cigar industry and their cigars are now available in the US via Dona Flor USA. For more company information take a look at the review i did of the Dona Flor CC Bahia Blend Corona. I saw a recent review from Cigar-Coop of another Dona Flor cigar, so that got me wanting to try another Dona Flor. So, today I am going to take a look at the Alonso Menedez Connecticut. I say its a Connecticut, but it is Brazilian grown tobacco.
 
Size: 5×50
Vitola: Robusto
Wrapper: Brazil
Binder: Brazil
Filler: Brazil
Source: Sample from Dona Flor USA
First Looks: The first thing that catches my eye is the white band with the shiny gold outlining and designs. The gold and the lighter shade of the wrapper seem to go hand and hand. A simplistic, yet eye catching band. There are a few minimal veins on the wrapper and the packing of the cigar is not very consistent. There are a few soft spots in the cigar, mainly near the band. The foot has a very pronounced cedar and cinnamon aroma to it. There is a very nicely applied triple cap in-which I used a guillotine cut on.
Construction: The pre-light draw was fairly light and easy. There was light notes of cedar and cinnamon. It toasted up quite easily with a day of dry boxing. I have been dry boxing more recently due to higher outside RH and it has seemed to help with the burn on most of my recently smoked cigars.It also seemed to help with the burn on this cigar. It wasn’t 100% even, but it was pretty close to it. Each one of the dark gray and off white ashes lasted for well over an inch. A few times, I thought it would fall, but it kept on hanging on.
 
Flavor: Started off with a mild to medium flavor strength of wood and a even lighter black pepper. There was a nice, simple and light creamy note associated with the wood. Working towards the end of the first third, the pepper note seemed to increase and the creamy note decreased.
Towards the middle portion, the wood flavor was pretty much non exsistant. There was a nutmeg flavor that started to creep up and eventually surpass the pepper as a key flavor. But then, it diminish to a undertone.
The final third the pepper crept back up on me, but wasn’t a pepper blast. The nutmeg was still in the flavor profile, but slightly less than the pepper. Â With a little over an inch left, the wood flavor came back with a vengence. Then, the wood flavor seemed to almost sour on me. A quick purge did it some good on the sourness, but not enough for my likings.
The room note off it was pretty cedary and had a little spice aroma to it as well. It would be pleasurable to a smoker, but maybe not for a nonsmoker. Overall smoke time of about 45 minutes or so.
 
Final Thoughts: This was a decently good smoke. I have found myself trying a few more milder and mellower cigars. This cigar seemed to fit those qualities and I enjoyed it. it wasn’t too bold or overpowering with nice mellow & medium flavors. This would be a good morning cigar with a light cup of coffee or a not so strong cup of sweet tea. Not an overly complex cigar, but did have a nice mix of flavors that I liked for a milder smoke.
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A pretty good smoke. Like you said, not overly complex, but a decent mellow morning smoke. I’ve recently developed an affinity for the Dona Flor line and have been smoking a lot of different cigars by them.