Today, we review the Broadside in the Toro BXP (Box Pressed) size from Cayman Cigar Company. Cayman Cigar Company is based in the Cayman Islands, about 240 miles south of Havana, Cuba. John Lemuel “Lem” Hurlston and Granger Haugh run the company. It’s a unique company that employs a “philanto-capitalism” model, donating 100 percent of profits to charities. It’s one of the more unique business models that the cigar industry has seen.
Cayman Cigar Company has cultivated tobacco and produced a limited number of cigars in its home country. While it has achieved some success, the company is not at a level where it can scale. As a result, it has started working with several other factories. One factory Cayman works with is Tabacalera Familia Disla, an operation opened by Esteban Disla and Daniel Lance. In particular, Cayman has access to Connecticut Broadleaf, which is used in this blend.
The name “Broadside” has a dual significance. It refers to the Broadleaf wrapper used in the cigars and ties into the maritime theme prevalent in many Cayman Cigars. Specifically, a “broadside” refers to the side of a ship or, more precisely, the battery of cannons on one side of a warship, as well as their coordinated fire in naval warfare.
Without further ado, let’s break down the Cayman Broadside Toro BXP and see what this cigar brings to the table.
SPECIFICATIONS
Blend and Origin
In addition to the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, the Broadside uses an Indonesian binder and all-Nicaraguan fillers.
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
- Binder: Indonesian
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: Tabacalera Familia Disla
Vitolas Available
The Broadside is offered in three box-pressed formats. Each comes in a 20-count box.
- Robusto BXP: 5 x 52
- Toro BXP: 6 x 56
- Gordo BXP: 6 x 60
Appearance (*)
The Broadside Toro BXP was a very impressive-looking cigar. It has a classic roasted coffee bean look. There was a very light sheen of oil. The wrapper surface had some mottling. A few visible veins appeared, and the wrapper’s dark color hit the seams nicely. The cigar is finished with a short pig tail on the cap. The cigar’s box press is a flat-style trunk press.
PERFORMANCE
Pre-Light Draw (*)
Instead of pulling the pigtail off the Broadside Toro BXP, we used a straight cut to remove the cap and tail at once. Once the cap was detached, it was time to try the pre-light draw. The Broadside Toro BXP delivered a mix of coffee, earth, and lemon citrus. This made for a satisfactory pre-light draw in my book. Now it was time to toast the cigar and see what the smoking phase had in store.
Tasting Notes
The Broadside Toro BXP opened up with notes of mocha, lemon, wood, and a slight white pepper note. Early on, the mocha notes moved to the forefront. If you have read my assessments, you will know I use the term mocha to describe a flavor mix of chocolate and coffee notes. Meanwhile, the pepper, lemon, and wood notes settled in the background, with an additional layer of pepper on the retrohale.
As the Broadside Toro BXP moved through the second third, the mocha notes became more of a classic coffee note. Meanwhile, a mineral note emerged with the pepper, lemon, and wood notes. Both the mineral and pepper notes intensified. By the midway point, the mineral and pepper took over as the primary notes. The coffee settled in the background with the lemon and wood notes. Once past the midway point, the lemon notes took on some bitter qualities.
By the final third, the mineral and pepper notes were the primary notes. Meanwhile, the coffee, lemon, and wood notes rounded things out. The slight bitterness from the lemon notes remained, but it didn’t get worse. This is how the Broadside Toro BXP finished. The cigar finished with a slightly soft and cool nub.
Burn
The burn on the Broadside Toro BXP was excellent. This cigar required minimal touchups to maintain a straight burn path and line. The resulting ash was light gray. The ash wasn’t overly firm, but it wasn’t loose or flaky. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature maintained ideal levels.
Draw
The draw to the Cayman Broadside Toro BXP started out the way I like it – it had a touch of resistance. I like that on a box-press, but it’s often hard to get because of how box-presses are made. I did find that the draw opened up, which is fine if the draw is too tight, but it wasn’t ideal for my case. The draw never got overly loose, and there were no adverse effects. This is just personal preference.
Strength and Body
The Cayman Broadside Toro BXP definitely took on a bolder character. In fact, this cigar stands out as one of the most robust options I’ve encountered in Cayman’s collection. The Broadside Toro BXP delivered medium to full-strength and medium to full-bodied notes. Intensity of both attributes increased slightly along the way, but in the end, the strength and body each remained in the medium-to-full range of their respective spectrums.
In terms of strength versus body, both attributes balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other.
BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)
Very simply, I like everything about Cayman’s packaging here. First up, the plum colored bands with the chrome accents work really well. It’s a contemporary look, and while I normally like classic banding, I still liked how this came out. As for the cabinet boxes, I am a fan. I like how the plum box label is placed on the top and side of the box. Overall, a great presentation.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed the Cayman Broadside BXP. When I calculated the score, the 88 was a little lower than I expected. However, the bitterness in the final third did throw off the flavor balance a bit, and the slightly more open draw certainly didn’t help. Still, this cigar has a lot of positives. Still, this is one of those cases where I’d go ahead and smoke this cigar again. It’s also a cigar I would recommend to the Broadleaf fan or a more seasoned cigar enthusiast. On top of that, the cigar is good for philanthropic causes. It’s definitely one I would want to smoke in other sizes.
Summary
- Key Flavors: Mocha (Coffee/Chocolate), Mineral, Lemon, Wood, Pepper
- Burn: Excellent
- Draw: Very Good
- Complexity: Medium
- Strength: Medium
- Body: Medium (1st 2/3), Medium to Full (Final Third)
- Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Buy One
Score: 88
REFERENCES
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted
(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating
