Some of my best friends have been bragging about the Intenso cigar since the cigar dropped this spring/summer. I haven’t had time to get to it but it had been on my list. Well, I was at a cigar event and I decided that it was time! Here is the rundown of the Intenso!

Blend Profile
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Vitola: Belicoso 6.13×52
Blended by: AJ Fernandez

Appearance & Smell
Ooooooo weeeeeeee! This has a nice toothy wrapper! It also has a little bit of a veiny appearance. The texture feels nice in the hand though. It feels well-rolled, not too soft and not too firm. The smell is rich and earthy with a hint of clay. The picture above shows the belicoso with a flat cut already.

Smoke Preparation
With the belicoso I opted for a flat cut with Xi1 from Xikar and lit it with a generic no-name triple torch that I had on hand. Pre-light cold draw was giving me notes of earthy pepper.

Burn & Draw
This cigar lit evenly and the draw was perfect. There were many times I got caught up in conversation, it stayed lit the whole time. I didn’t have to touch it up once or re-light at all. When I encounter a cigar that is this well-rolled, it really does make it so much more enjoyable. The ash held on well, there were no problems with flakiness.

Strength & Body
This is definitely a full bodied smoke! Most of the Gispert line is all milder, so they went a  little bit in a different direction with AJ Fernandez’s influence. The pepper stays consistent throughout. This cigar stayed smooth throughout the whole smoke. Sometimes peppery cigars can get bitter towards the end but this one never did that.

Final Thoughts
I have heard a few of my friends compare this cigar to the Padron 1964. I will admit that it had a lot of the same tastes and smoke. I wouldn’t say it’s exactly the same as a 1964 BUT I will say that if you like the 1964, you will like the Intenso. In most shops it is a $7 cigar, so it helps with the budget too! I loved the full-bodied, creamy smoke and I think it is safe to say that I would definitely purchase this cigar again. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Source: Purchased Locally
Brand Information: Altadis USA