Quintero Favoritos HF

Country: Cuba

Size: 4 1/2 x 50

Body: mild to medium

The Quintano Favoritos is a 4.5×50 Robusto that’s still hand rolled but stuffed with short filler tobacco inside. It has a relatively smooth appearance and a simple label.

The wrapper produces a faint smoky cedar while the foot gives off the smell of damp grass and black pepper. The cold draw is snug with no flavor. Once lit, you will pick up slight leather with red pepper and earth. Through the nose, there is hardly any flavor with only a little cedar. Red pepper carries over on the finish with creamy almond.

After twenty minutes, the first third comes to a close. On the draw, you will pick up faint vanilla alongside red pepper and oak. Through the nose, you will find slightly sweet and creamy cedar. The finish consists of cinnamon and leather. Strength and body settle in at the medium mark.

The second third gets you to thirty minutes. The draw offers smoky almond with oak and damp earth. On the retro-hale, you will find more cedar with the addition of some caramel. The finish gives you more cinnamon with the introduction of toast. Strength and body continue to sit at the medium mark.

The final third closes out at fifty minutes. On the draw, there is smoky earth with more almond and black pepper. Through the nose, you will find more caramel with some toast. The finish sees the return of leather on top of black pepper. Strength and body finish out at the high end of medium.

The Quintero is a solid blend considering it’s made of short filler. Surprisingly, it offers a moderate amount of complexity and is overall an enjoyable stick. Being a short filler blend, you can end up with some shrapnel in your mouth.