Berger & Argenti Entubar V32 Rothschild Review

GC — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:20:00 GMT

Background:

Released at the 2011 IPCPR the Entubar V32 is Albert Argenti and Kiki Berger's latest addition to the Entubar line. For those of you just getting acquainted, these cigars are rolled in the old fashion "entubado" method which requires rolling the leaf into smaller circular tubes instead of the more often used bunching method. At first introduction the idea seems like a gimmick, but to the contrary. Not only is it much more time consuming but its proven to produce an end product that has phenomenal smoke production and draw. For the V32 line, B&A have placed what has been reported as a 32RG tube of straight ligero in the center of the cigar, giving it a serious kick in the strength department. Due to the scarcity of the quality materials gathered to make the V32, they are limited, Argenti claiming he was only able to make around "80,000 cigars" which breaks down to 4000 boxes of 20 (for all you math majors ).

The Berger & Argenti Entubar V32 is offered in 4 sizes:

    Khilla Korona (4 7/8” x 50)
    Rogue Rothschild (5 5/8” x 54)
    Tremendo Toro (6 1/4” x 56)
    Bruto Belicoso (6 3/8” x 60)

For this review I will be smoking the "Rogue Rothschild", which is closer to a larger Robusto format than a Rothschild.

Appearance / Construction / Prelight:

Getting past the footband and 32 ring "Nipple" sticking out of the foot of the cigar is not easy, but once you get over all that, you will see the beautiful dark oily Maduro wrapper hiding under all the packaging. The wrapper is a Jalapa Valley Cuban seed Maduro leaf with a really deep rich character. The pre-light draw has a very distinct chocolate earthy note. Lets fire this baby up and see what's doing here!

First Third:

Following the instructions of the footband I toast the entire foot of the cigar including the extruding smaller foot. Once properly lit, the smoke production is amazing. Tons of spicy, rich aromatic smoke pours from the foot and also the center of the clipped end. This would be the entubado method working it's magic. Right off the bat I'm getting a rich profile of sweet cocoa, a bit of peppery spice and an awesome creaminess that's pulling everything together. So far, the Berger & Argenti Entubar V32 is definitely an in your face type of flavor profile, but its extremely smooth. Similar to smoking a Oliva Serie V when it's pumping on all cylinders, yet obeying the smoothness it was blended to have. This is a far different blend from the original Berger & Argenti Entubar or the Quad Maduro for that matter, and so far, I'm really digging it. As the first third comes to a close, I've continued to enjoy the smooth, balanced delivery of great flavors, the body has died down a bit and is content with delivering a more earthy profile.

Second Third:

I had to actually brake the ash off at almost the 2" mark for fear of wearing it. This, another characteristic of the Entubar V32 is a seriously strong and stable ash. The core of rolled tobacco creates an ash with a built in support system. If you wanted to you could easily smoke the whole cigar down without ashing. The finish left on my palate has changed a bit to a more baking cocoa than sweetness, but still its long and great tasting. While smoking down the second third, I carefully removed the large Entubar band finally showcasing the naked Berger & Argenti V32. It almost came as a surprise to me how dark and rich the wrapper on this cigar really is. The flavors continue on pretty much unchanged throughout the rest of the second act.

Final Third:

The last third kicks up a notch in the body of the cigar, reaching medium-full, maybe even full for some folks. I'm not sure if it's the long ash, or just a great balance in the blend, but the Entubar V32 is an absolute exercise in smooth, enjoyable cigar smoking. The high quality tobaccos used come together to create a wonderful profile of flavor. The construction, draw, and burn have continued to be absolutely perfect throughout and look on par to continue this way. The nicotine levels are starting to creep up on me, I wouldn't recommend smoking the V32 on an empty stomach! The cigar finished elegantly with the same balance and great flavor profile that it provided throughout.

Overall:

Berger & Argenti are not newcomers to the cigar game. These are veterans and these cigars shows this. The V32 is an example of the kind of cigar that two highly skilled guys can create when using super premium excellent tobaccos. While the cost is somewhat prohibitive, if you want a true artisan crafted cigar the Berger & Argenti Entubar V32 is a great pick. I would venture to say, personally this is the company's best blend to date. I would put it right next to EP Carrillo's Dark Rituals for the best maduro cigars released in 2011. If sticker shock is an issue, try a fiver or some singles first, I think you'll quickly see these are absolutely box-worthy.

Check stock on our website here of the Berger & Argenti Entubar V32 Cigar.

Thanks for Reading...

Keep on Smokin!
~GC

Atlantic Cigar Blog RSS Feed

Berger & Argenti Entubar V32 Rothschild Review