The RoMa Craft Neanderthal LH is the strongest cigar to date from Skip Martin and Mike Rosales! This blend makes particular use of an entire leaf of Pennsylvania Green River Sucker One ligero, supposedly 2-3x the amount used in the Neanderthal HN vitola. Flat-capped and box-pressed, this cigar is really hard to be confused with anything else other than the new Neanderthal LH, but I couldn't warn our Blind Review Panel beforehand to eat a meal just in case there was a chance they would be surprised. Hopefully they'll forgive us!
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Pennsylvanian
Vitola: LH (4 ¾ x 56P)
Purchase Link: RoMa Craft Neanderthal
ROMA CRAFT NEANDERTHAL LH REVIEW – CALIFORNIA
Summary: Opted to punch this stick because of the Patrick Ewing flat top. Holy pepper Batman, the retro hale is punching me back. Espresso and earth prove this cigar to undoubtedly reside on the dark side, but all of the sudden cream brings a nice balance to the force.
Starting the second third and I'm glad I had lunch today. Pepper and dark chocolate. Downed one bottle of water and opening a second. Either the retro hale has mellowed out now or I've become impervious to pepper spray; If the first third doesn't buck you off this dragon, you're in for a joy ride.
Final third brings more chocolaty goodness. Nuttiness at the finish. I don't normally think of myself as a full-strength guy but I'm working out now, so this cigar helped me make my gains.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Watching bad guys get punched in the face.
Pairing Suggestion: Café Latte.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Box.
ROMA CRAFT NEANDERTHAL LH REVIEW – WISCONSIN
Summary: This cigar brought bold flavors of nuts, leather, earth, cinnamon, pepper, anise, and caramel. Not only were the flavors right in my face, but the nicotine it brought to the table was also strong. Even with that boldness and strength, I found the flavor combinations to be complex and interesting.
On the construction side, the draw was on point. The burn was frequently wavy, but always fixed itself and required no extra effort.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Strong smokes that also bring the complexity.
Pairing Suggestion: Bourbon.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Fiver.
ROMA CRAFT NEANDERTHAL LH REVIEW – OREGON
Summary: If Frankenstein was wrapped with a tobacco leaf this is what the leaf would look like. It is sort of rough looking with accents closely resembling stitched together skin. Box-pressed... feels firmly filled... mild barn scent and a little soapiness from the wrapper. The cold draw is nice but just offers bold tobacco notes.
Slightly bitter coffee, mild tobacco, a sharp oak flavor and a flair of spiciness start this event rolling. Burn line is a bit wacky. Smoke is just average and has a medium bodied mouth feel.
Heading to the middle of this cigar I am happy to report it is really hitting full stride. Let’s talk smoke. It has a heavy, creamy mouthfeel which is a 100% improvement from the first portion. Smooth flavors of cocoa, tobacco, coffee and toasted marshmallow form a medley of excellence. It’s pure win at this point folks.
At the finish line we have bold tobacco notes mimicking the cold draw, black tea, creamy cocoa, a touch of charred wood and some dark earth notes.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: An appetizer and dessert that pale compared to the main course.
Pairing Suggestion: Cuban coffee... really sweet.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: 5 pack.
Participants in this blind review were completely unaware of the cigar they were evaluating until all submissions were received and processed. Each participant was asked to answer a summary paragraph, an if/than statement, a pairing suggestion, and a purchase suggestion. Cigars were provided by Small Batch with only the expectations of candid responses. All pictures, information, and formatting were completed by a Coordinator outside of the reviewing process.
Leave your comment