Protocol Blue Lancero

📌 Brand: Protocol
📌 Line: Blue
📌 Size: Lancero (7 1/2" × 38)
📌 Weight: 9 g
📌 Age: 3 years
📌 Origin: Nicaragua

Tasting Notes

• Black Pepper – Sharp and clean, dominating the retrohale

• Espresso – Deep roasted core with strong aroma

• Cocoa – Soft bitter-sweet note smoothing the mid-palate

• Earth – Firm, grounding base through all thirds

First Impressions

The Protocol Blue Lancero shows a dark, Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro oily wrapper with a tight, elegant roll. Pre-light aromas bring espresso, cocoa, and sharp pepper. Cold draw is ideal — just enough resistance with rich, earthy notes.

Smoking Experience

• First Third – Black pepper blasts forward, quickly supported by espresso and earth. Burn sharp at first, smoke dense.

• Second Third – Cocoa weaves in to balance the strength. Draw remains perfect, but a small correction is needed as the burn line wavers.

• Final Third – Pepper intensifies again, espresso deepens, cocoa fades. A slightly uneven run appears but fixes easily. Rich and satisfying finish.

Pairings

• Alcohol – Green Spot Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey - Orchard fruit, vanilla, and creamy malt sweetness perfectly lift the cigar’s pepper-espresso core without overpowering the Lancero format.

• Tea – Malawi Thyolo Black Tea - Bright, brisk, and slightly citrusy — cuts through the pepper and adds freshness to the dark espresso notes.

Music Pairing

“Houdini” – Foster the People
Crisp and rhythmic with punchy layers, mirroring the cigar’s pepper-forward intensity.

Final Thoughts

The Protocol Blue Lancero is bold, punchy, and flavor-driven, with pepper, espresso, and earthy depth in perfect lancero focus. A minor correction kept it from absolute perfection, but the flavor execution and construction are top tier.

Final Score: 9/10
Why not a 10?
A slightly uneven burn required correction, breaking flawless consistency.

Only cigars that deliver flawless draw, balance, flavour evolution, construction and satisfaction get a 10.