The Particulars

The Review

This review for the ChìMolly Fox y ChìMolly - Robusto Extra (6 x 52) is based on the journal entry dated 2026-01-16

Appearance & Construction (0-3):  Good (3)

It’s a very light brown, getting into almost tan colors that could be bordering on lighter, shade-grown tobacco. It does have some light mottling and sheen with slightly darker color contrast around the veins. The veins are mostly quite thin with one or two more dominant ones sticking out. But the seams are tight, and the triple cap is clean. This cigar is really firm—like rock solid in the middle—so I’m hoping that doesn’t impact the draw.

What’s most notable is that a die-cut Fox Cigars “Smoking Fox” is included as part of the main band surrounding the ChìMolly logo. Both bands are really nicely done with embossed matte graphics and shiny metallic overlays over stylized traditional Chinese landscape artwork for the background.

Draw (0-3) & Burn (0-4):  Poor (1) / Great (4)

The draw is tight, so I’m going to give it some time to heat up before I grab my draw tool, but I’m not feeling optimistic about this one based on the cigar’s firmness. It’s smokable, but it takes more effort than I like. My biggest concern is it increases the odds of any tar buildup getting drawn out, and nobody likes a shot of that in the mouth! So I grab the PerfecDraw and it takes three—yes, THREE—plunges to improve things. And a good amount of tobacco was pulled out each time. At least it’s a decent draw now; I’m just disappointed it took this much effort <disappointed dad stare>.

The burn, on the other hand, is beautiful. It starts off dead even and immediately starts stacking dimes. Super tight striations and spacing on the light gray ash. There’s some minor flaking and curving of the ash stack, but it holds until past the halfway point where it falls right before reaching the band. The burn line does get a little wavy and uneven at times, but it’s a razor-sharp, crisp char that is very well behaved.

Flavor Profile (0-5):  Great (4)

Nutty, lots of peanuts and cashew-like savoriness immediately on light-up with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg-like spices. Then I start to get some of my more traditional notes like strong cedar, medium earth, and light coffee. There’s a light mushroom and gravy-like note to it; that’s interesting… but also a little weird. The sweet flavors are light and raisin-y, but not as thick and syrupy as you would expect for a proper “raisin-like” sweetness. The Fox team says dates in their marketing material, and I’m not a big fan of dates, so maybe that tracks. I’m sure some of the more extra special reviewers out there will get fancy and try to break down Medjool vs. Ajwa vs. Halawi dates. Just stop with that fuckery, you aren’t Gordon Ramsay. 😅

In the second third, pepper starts to pick up. It’s mild, but it’s bringing a welcome addition of spice and flavor. The nuttiness is now more like salted, honey-roasted nuts. The cigar is now really hitting its stride and I’m here for it. Creaminess has picked up as well, getting nice, rich, and thick. The ChìMolly crew talks about texture and this has a thick, almost chewiness to it that will really give you those vibes. I’m still getting a bit of that funky note. Sometimes it’s more mushroom, other times it’s more licorice and hay.

The final third starts off largely unchanged, but the final inch starts to pick up in bitterness, while nuttiness and creaminess fall off. It’s mild, and not quite ammonia. There’s no tar at the head, but it might be getting a little buildup that’s burning off. It’s more of a black licorice/anise note in that slightly off flavor I haven’t fully identified or enjoyed. And to be clear, it’s minor. Not enough to diminish the overall blend, but it’s a stumble at the finish line. So based on the second third, I’m giving this the benefit of the doubt rather than trashing the flavor score because that portion was truly fantastic.

Overall Experience (0-5):  Average (2)

Two things really dragged this cigar down. First was the tight draw, which I think contributed to some of the flavor issues. It seems like there might have been some ammonia or tar getting pulled down during the smoke because the profile got progressively worse in the final third, and it didn’t get better with a flush. If the best parts of the second third had been representative of the entire smoke, this would’ve been excellent overall. The only way to know for sure is to smoke another example and see how it does!

Review Base Rating (0-5):

3.50

Would I Buy It Again?

Most likely (good stick, but look for a deal)

Review Final Score (0-10):

7.00

Overall Score and Individual Journal Entries

While the review is based off one instance of journaling this cigar; there’s a number of reasons you can have different experiences smoking the same cigar multiple times. A blend can evolve with age (for better or worse), palates evolves, preferences change, and sometimes you just get a bad example!  This section captures the ratings from each journal entry and the related journal photo.  Below you’ll find an aggregate score based on every time the cigar has been journaled. Unless it was a gift or on-off smoke, this section will be updated every time I journal this cigar!

The Flavor Wheel

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.