Thanks to an awesome Secret Santa, I was able to sit down with a cigar from Osvaldo Morales. I held Essential Blend No. 2 in my hand giving it the full inspection. It was a very nice looking cigar and one I hadn't seen before. As I mentioned in the previous review, I really enjoy testing out new-to-me stuff. When it was all said & done, I had a great session and was certainly interested in seeing what else OM Cigar Co. had to offer. Recently I had a BOTL send me a glorious Thank You package (the cigar community truly is the best) and included were a couple OM smokes. I was pumped to see them and decided to do a review for the fairly new cigar company. Entering the building is Essential Blend No. 4 Toro. With how hot the cigar looks, it didn't just enter the building, but blew the doors down! Time to smoke it.
The Deets
Cigar: OM Cigar Co. Essential Blend No. 4 Toro
Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera El Artista SRL
Size: 6 x 54
Wrapper: San Andres
Binder: Piloto Cubano
Filler: Nicaragua Estelí, US Pennsylvania, Piloto Cubano, T13
Appearance 10/10
Is it hot in here?! Man, what a classy looking smoke. The beautiful San Andres wrapper has perfect seams with a silky smooth feel. The overall profile is quite uniform with what I would consider a flawless soft box-press. The regal bands have a foil toughness, allowing them to visually pop and be easily removed. Clean cap. Rock solid. It's a homerun.
Draw 9/10
Considering how rock solid the build was and the cap area somehow even denser, I was expecting to have a headache from pulling so hard. As it turns out, this was not the case. I did execute some minor tweezing after my straight cut, but it was only to loosen up the head a little and there were no large stems to focus on. The draw from start to finish was indeed firm, yet there was ample smoke output and I never felt like I had to rip on it hard. Only needed double puffs on occasion. Surprisingly, it was on the firm side of perfect draw.
Burn/Construction 9/10
A nice performance in this category. In my experience, box-press cigars have a higher chance of succumbing to swelling, but that didn't happen here. There was some minor swelling, but nothing that got in the way of the process. Tight ash, no mess, and a great burn line that only needed a touch of the fire one time. It probably would have been fine even if I didn't torch it for a second.
Taste 9/10
1/3 - This was one of those cigars for me that I could tell I was going to really like from the first puff. Black pepper, tangy leather, and burnt caramel start things off. The retro wasted no time with rich flavor. The finish has a mild toasty feel. Smoking onward, a delicious meaty note rises up and the toasty finish begins to include marshmallow cream.
2/3 - More black pepper and steak? Uh, yeah! Bring it on. Those notes pull forward with dark, rich earth trailing behind. The extremely long finish is so good. The dryness is gone and the marshmallow cream has partnered with cotton candy. Rounding the corner towards the final third I pick up some candied almonds and traces of fig.
3/3 - The previously strong black pepper has decided to sit down a little and let white pepper take some of the load. A light mineral note appears. Overall richness and fullness has tapered down some, while still remaining flavorful and gentle. The finish has decided it wants to go back to being dry. Tangy leather has morphed into seasoned leather and there are only a couple bites of steak left. Toastyness ramps up, but it's not like having your face is in a campfire. The last leg of the final third introduced a funky veggie note. Not sure what that is, but it was alright.
Overall 9.3/10
The score says it all. Essential Blend No.4 deserves to wear the badge of Flavor Bomb. This blend has an extremely high chance of making my 2023 Top 10 list. I rattled off a number of sweeter notes, but don't be fooled, this isn't a sugar blast. Everything is very well balanced and the flavor profile is complex. My recommendation is you must have it. Now that I've been gifted two amazing smokes from OM Cigar Co., I have no doubt that I'll be digging into the coffers for more.
You should check out the OM Cigar catalog at https://omcigars.com/
**Number of cigars smoked for the review: 1
High quality and flavorful cigars. Highly recommend!
One of the best cigars hands down I‘ve had in a long time! Being a cigar enthusiast of 20yrs you can tell when a lot of these manufacturers take the easy way out with their blend or the aging of their leaf! One of the most refreshing things about this cigar is you can tell Osvaldo took the time to construct this magnificent masterpiece! FrI’m the initial burn your hit with all different types of subtle notes of perfection. It’s simply an amazing cigar and should be in everyone humidor. All my SOTL & BOTL do Yourself a favor and get you an OM cigar
Mr. Morales,
Thanks so much for your message and a big thank you to the team that produced such a fantastic cigar. After 40 reviews that I've written for Ash Quarterly, you're the first owner to notice and comment. Clearly the attention & dedication that you've given to making delicious cigars doesn't end with just making cigars. You go the extra mile to engage with your consumers on a personal level to ensure that the experience is what you were aiming for. I remember back in January when I posted No.2 on Instagram you messaged me directly to ask what I thought. Those extra efforts don't go unnoticed.
Thanks again for reaching out and keep up the great work!
Bob
Absolutely love O.M. cigars!!! You want a tasty treat? Grab yourself a blend, sit back and enjoy the ride! I've been blessed to be aprt of smoking these cigars for several years now and I just just love them!
10/10