Cigar Review – Baccarat Dominican Rothschild

I know from sorting through our order sheets that Baccarat cigars are some of our biggest sellers, but I hadn’t had any myself. I read that Baccarat Dominican is slightly stronger than the original blend, and is made in the Dominican Republic with slightly stronger Dominican binder and filler. As I am a fan of fuller-bodied smokes, I naturally picked this one for review.

The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper was a nice suede color; very smooth with a couple of prominent veins, but very well rolled and with only one small soft spot just beneath the cigar band. The pre-light draw was effortless and actually a little boozy, with a slight hint of rum on the roof of my mouth.

One thing I noticed immediately is that the cigar felt very light in my hand; this light construction probably contributed to both the easy draw and how little effort it took to light. In the first third I started getting roasted nuts with a little bit of malty caramel sweetness, sort of like a good nut brown ale. This reminded me of how much I wish I had a pint in my hand, but alas, I was on the clock.

As the cigar burned I tried to keep the ash on for as long as possible, and it ended up holding on until the two-inch mark—pretty damn impressive for a $3 stick. After the ash fell off I started getting a pretty prominent spiciness on the back of my tongue. It reminded me of the red pepper flakes that I slather my pizza with—not overbearingly spicy but definitely a good kick.

Around the halfway point of the cigar, one of my coworkers brought me a cup of coffee, at which point I was reminded of how much a beverage can complement the flavor profile of a cigar. The rich bitterness of the coffee brought out a sweet creaminess from the cigar that I hadn’t noticed before. I have to emphasize that this is absolutely 100 percent meant to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee.

The flavor of roasted nuts continued on, introducing a deeper caramel flavor that was sort of burnt tasting but with a definite sweetness. Eventually the sweetness dwindled and turned dry and toasty with lots of that distinct red pepper flavor, but with a bit less bite. The coffee really helped to clear the palate between draws while complementing the smoke.

The cigar got a little bitter around the one-inch mark but never got harsh, even when it was starting to burn my fingers (which actually felt kind of nice, considering it was about 40 degrees and breezy out). With most cigars, I feel the strong need to brush my teeth about 15 minutes after I’m done smoking, but with this one I didn’t get that urge. The aftertaste was pleasant and didn’t taste stale.

The burn on this cigar was impressive given its low price tag, and only required one or two touchups with a torch lighter. What I was most impressed by was the construction; the ash held on for two inches before falling off, and then held on until I tossed it into the ashtray. The Baccarat Dominican Rothschild is definitely a poker cigar—not overly involving to the point where it’d distract you from your hand, but still interesting enough to keep you smoking without getting bored or sick of the flavors. But in reality I’d say it’s an anytime cigar—easy-lighting, easy-drawing, and full of peppery, robust flavor, without the one-inch nastiness of a lot of more affordable smokes.