Black Label Trading Co. Bishops Blend Novemdiales Robusto
📌 Brand: Black Label Trading Company
📌 Line: Bishop’s Blend Novemdiales
📌 Size: Robusto (5" × 50)
📌 Weight: 12.9 g
📌 Age: 2 years
📌 Origin: Nicaragua
Tasting Notes
Dark Chocolate – Rich and slightly bittersweet
Black Pepper – Bold and lively from the start
Leather – Dense and savory through the middle
Earth – Deep, dark finish with hints of char
First Impressions
The Bishop’s Blend Novemdiales Robusto has a dark, oily Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper with BLTC’s usual rugged look and a very firm feel in hand. Pre-light aroma reveals cocoa, leather, earth, and pepper. The cold draw is good and immediately suggests a bold, full-bodied smoke.
Smoking Experience
First Third – Opens strong with dark chocolate, black pepper, and earth. Smoke is dense and flavorful, with plenty of body right away.
Second Third – Leather and charred oak notes develop, adding depth and richness. Unfortunately, the cigar begins to struggle with combustion and needs the first relight.
Final Third – The cigar remains flavorful and powerful, but further relights are required to keep it going. These interruptions introduce a little extra bitterness and heat into the finish.
Pairings
Alcohol – Ron Barceló Imperial Premium Blend 40 Aniversario (Dominican Republic) - Rich toffee, dark fruit, and oak soften the bitterness created by the relights while complementing the cigar’s dark chocolate and leather.
Tea – Aged Shou Pu-erh from Menghai - Deep earthy richness and smooth texture pair beautifully with the cigar’s dark, savory profile.
Music Pairing
“Lucretia My Reflection” – The Sisters of Mercy
Dark, dramatic, and powerful, perfectly suited to the cigar’s bold personality.
Final Thoughts
Black Label Trading Co. Bishop’s Blend Novemdiales Robusto delivers rich dark chocolate, leather, and earth with the bold character expected from the line. However, the need for repeated relights interrupts the experience and slightly detracts from the cigar’s otherwise strong profile.
Final Score: 7/10
Why not a 10?
Repeated relights disrupted the flow and introduced bitterness and heat into an otherwise flavorful cigar.
Only cigars that deliver flawless draw, balance, flavour evolution, construction and satisfaction get a 10.