Today, we review the West Tampa Tobacco Co. Dark Time. This is a limited edition cigar that is West Tampa’s most premium offering to date. The cigar made its debut at the 2026 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show.
The Dark Time is produced at the NACSA factory in Nicaragua. It’s actually the second West Tampa release from NACSA, following Boliche Blvd. Dark Time is a cigar that was rolled in 2021 – before West Tampa launched. When Boliche Blvd was released, the company had partnered with NACSA for the launch. However, when the price point for Boliche Blvd proved higher than West Tampa had expected, they decided to postpone the release until the brand gained more traction in the market. As a result, the cigars underwent an additional three years of aging. In 2025, West Tampa chose to release Dark Time.
The decision was made to release Dark Time as an ultra-premium cigar. It would come in at an SRP of $29.99 per cigar. In addition to the cigars, the box included a custom cutter reminiscent of a luxury watch.
Without further ado, let’s break down the Dark Time and see what this cigar brings together.
SPECIFICATIONS
Blend and Origin
A Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper from a 2019 vintage highlights the Dark Time. In addition, there is an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. As mentioned, Dark Time is produced at NACSA in Esteli, Nicaragua.
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf (2019)
- Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
- Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: Nicaragua American Cigars S.A. (NACSA).
Vitolas Available
Dark Time was produced in one size – a 6 x 54 Toro. The cigars are presented in 10-count boxes with a total production of 2,500 boxes.
Appearance (*)
The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper of the Dark Time had a dark roasted coffee bean with a slight Colorado tint. Despite the dark color, some mottling was visible on the surface. The wrapper had a slight amount of toothiness. In addition, the wrapper had a very light sheen of oil on it. There were some visible veins, and the wrapper seams were prominently visible
PERFORMANCE
Pre-Light Draw (*)
Before lighting up the Dark Time, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. Once the cap was removed, it was time to commence with the pre-light draw. The cold draw wasn’t overly complicated, but quite flavorful. It delivered notes of rich mocha. Mocha is a term you will see me use in many reviews to describe a fusion of cocoa and coffee notes. Overall, I found this cigar to deliver an excellent pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to remove the ribbon of the Dark Time, toast up the cigar foot, and head into the smoking phase.
Tasting Notes
The Dark Time opened with more mocha notes. The mocha notes imparted a slight amount of sweetness. These mocha notes moved into the forefront quite early. Meanwhile, notes of earth and cedar also surfaced in the background. The retro-hale delivered a light amount of black pepper. As the cigar burned through the first third, the black pepper soon surfaced on the retro-hale.
As the Dark Time moved through the second third, the mocha notes remained in the forefront. By the midway point, the pepper and cedar notes began to increase slowly. The mocha maintained a balance of coffee and cocoa until the latter part of the second third, where black coffee notes slowly inched out the sweet cocoa notes.
By the final third, the black coffee was in control. The mocha’s sweetness was gone when the black coffee notes took over. The earth notes have now increased and pretty much joined the black coffee at the forefront. The cedar and pepper were more prominent, but did not take over the flavor profile. This is the way the Dark Time came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.
Burn
The burn of the Dark Time had a wavy burn line but kept to a straight path. While the path was straight, it did require frequent touchups to do so. The touchups did the trick, but more were needed than I preferred. The resulting ash was light gray. This wasn’t an overly firm ash, but it wasn’t a loose or flaky ash either. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both were maintained at ideal levels.
Draw
In terms of draw, I normally like a little resistance. In the case of the Dark Time, the resistance of the two cigars smoked was higher than I prefer. There were no cases of relights needed, but there were several times when I had to work the draw harder than I preferred.
Strength and Body
The Dark Time started with medium-strength, medium-bodied notes. Along the way, there was a slight increase in intensity, but in the end, the Dark Time remained in the medium range in strength and body. Both the strength and body balanced each other nicely throughout the smoking experience.
BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)
The Dark Time is my favorite packaging from West Tampa to date. While the black and gray colors were also used on Boliche Blvd, I really appreciate how they come together in the Dark Time design. Many have noted that the cutter looks very much like a real watch. Overall, the packaging and the watch concept create a fantastic presentation for this cigar.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
The Dark Time delivered some good flavors during the first two-thirds. This was enough to push this cigar to 88 points. I liked the sweetness that originated from the mocha notes. Once the cocoa’s sweetness diminished, it left a little to be desired during the final third. The snug draw wasn’t problematic, but it was still annoying. In the end, a $29.99 cigar should never be mediocre or annoying at any point in the experience. This is a cigar I would suggest you try first before investing in it.
Summary
- Key Flavors: Mocha (Cocoa, Black Coffee), Earth, Cedar, Pepper
- Burn: Very Good
- Draw: Very Good
- Complexity: Medium Minus
- Strength: Medium to Full
- Body: Medium to Full (1st 2/3), Full (Final Third)
- Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Try a Sample
Score: 88
REFERENCES
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted.
(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating
