Vedado Flat Black Gordo

📌 Brand: Vedado
📌 Line: FlatBlack
📌 Size: Gordo (5" × 54)Robusto
📌 Weight: 13.7 g
📌 Age: 2 years
📌 Origin: Nicaragua

Tasting Notes

• Charred Wood – Harsh and dominant from the start

• Black Pepper – Sharp, unrefined spice

• Dry Earth – Underdeveloped, dusty undertone

• Bitter Herb – Lingering, persistent edge

First Impressions

The FlatBlack Robusto shows a dark, matte Mexican San Andres wrapper with noticeable veins. Pre-light aromas include char, pepper, and faint earth. Cold draw is slightly loose, offering a bitter mineral note that hints at rough combustion ahead.

Smoking Experience

• First Third – Opens harsh with charred wood and aggressive pepper. Burn line immediately warps and begins tunneling.

• Second Third – Earth tries to emerge but is overwhelmed by bitterness. Multiple corrections required as tunneling worsens.

• Final Third – Profile becomes increasingly harsh and uneven. Smoke thins, flavors collapse, and burn issues continue until the end.

Pairings

• Alcohol – Braulio Amaro Alpino - Alpine herbs, mint, and dark bitterness help reset the palate and soften the cigar’s harsh edges.

• Tea – Rukeri Black Tea - Smooth, mildly fruity, and bright enough to balance the bitterness without adding more dryness.

Music Pairing

“Boasty” – Wiley, Stefflon Don & Sean Paul
Playful swagger contrasts the cigar’s rough performance.

Final Thoughts

The Vedado FlatBlack Robusto shows potential in its boldness but is ultimately overshadowed by harsh flavor, tunneling, and inconsistent combustion. Even with corrections, the profile never smooths out or develops meaningful complexity.

Final Score: 4/10
Why not a 10?
Harshness, tunneling, and poor burn performance prevented any enjoyable evolution of flavor.

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