Nica Libre – Toro (Box Press) (6 x 54)
The Particulars
| wdt_created_by | cigarkey | brand | cigarname | vitola | strength | wrapper | binder | filler | infused | sweettip | origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mcclossm | Nica Libre - Toro (Box Press) (6 x 54) | Nica Libre | Nica Libre | Box Pressed Toro - 6.00" x 54 | Medium | Mexican San Andrés, Maduro | Nicaragua (Habano) | Nicaragua | No | No | Undisclosed, Nicaragua |
| COMPANY / BRAND: | Nica Libre |
| CIGAR: | Nica Libre |
| VITOLA: | Box Pressed Toro - 6.00" x 54 |
| STRENGTH: | Medium |
| WRAPPER: | Mexican San Andrés, Maduro |
| BINDER: | Nicaragua (Habano) |
| FILLER: | Nicaragua |
| INFUSED: | No |
| SWEET TIP: | No |
| ORIGIN: | Undisclosed, Nicaragua |
Prolegomenon and Other Random Thoughts
This was a gift from a friend. He said it was made at AJ Fernandez’s factory, and I know these cigars were manufactured by AJF at one point, but I think those were older releases and not the revised and repackaged blends you can currently buy now. So out of an abundance of caution to not spread misinformation, I’m going to keep the factory listed as “Undisclosed,” but it’s possibly manufactured in-house now at Scandinavian Tobacco Group Estelí.
| Journaling Date | Cigar | Appearance | Draw | Burn | Flavors | Overall Experience | Base Rating | Buy Again? | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-22 | Nica Libre - Toro (Box Press) (6 x 54) | Average | Good | Good | Good | Good | 3.50 | Reply hazy, try again (just ok, the juice isn't worth the squeeze) | 6.67 |
The Review
This review for the Nica Libre - Toro (Box Press) (6 x 54) is based on the journal entry dated 2025-03-22
Appearance & Construction (0-3): Average (2)
Rustic-looking, this box press has a rectangular profile. Dark chocolate with good mottling and light tooth, giving it a rough texture. The seams are tight, but the top of the triple cap has a lift at the edges. There are a few veins present, but they are pressed in flat. The cigar feels firm with a little bit of give. Not a fan of the band on this one, but it’s basically a budget cigar, so let’s not judge too harshly. 😉
Draw (0-3) & Burn (0-4): Good (3) / Good (3)
The draw has a little extra resistance but good flow. The burn starts straight, but as my luck has been with these rectangular box presses lately, the ash feathers a little. It’s a light-to-medium gray ash dotted with a number of white oil crystals. The burn line is wavy, as can be the case with these thicker San Andrés wrappers and a box press, but stays well controlled.
Flavor Profile (0-5): Good (3)
This heavy pollen is a bitch, because it’s really affecting my ability to get a good cold smell, and it’s already something I’m weak at. 😅 But I’m picking up a little chocolate and spice on top of the cedary tobacco smell. The first draw is earth-heavy with mild baking spice and a little pepper. There isn’t much leather, which is good, but I’m getting that mocha mix of coffee and cocoa. There’s a molasses-like sweetness making this a fairly dark flavor profile. I’m finding the heavy coffee flavors are pushing this more into a bitter dark chocolate territory, which isn’t my personal preference, but this would be great with coffee. But when the bitter notes aren’t hitting, this is a nice mocha and earth-heavy blend with a bit of spice. It’s a straightforward blend that isn’t complex or full of transitions, but it’s solid.
Overall Experience (0-5): Good (3)
For a budget smoke, this is a decent blend. Depending on your palate, it’s potentially good to great, especially for the price. Being an STG cigar brand, you can find a good deal through any of their retail divisions quite easily; Cigars International, Thompson, CigarBid, etc… You might even find it in your local brick and mortar because it’s available through STG wholesale distributor Dutch & Meier as well. If you like cinnamon on your mocha latte and looking for a more affordable cigar, I think you should definitely try this one out.
Review Base Rating (0-5):
3.50
Would I Buy It Again?
Reply hazy, try again (just ok, the juice isn't worth the squeeze)
Review Final Score (0-10):
6.67
Postscript
I did also smoke the box-pressed Gordo version of the Nica Libre about a week after smoking the Toro, also a gift from the same friend. I didn’t review it at the time, so I’m not posting up a dedicated page for it, but I did journal it. Notes were that it was a little smoother with less earth, a little bit nuttier and creamier. They both rated the same, except the Gordo didn’t burn as cleanly. I don’t expect to revisit these cigars.
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!
| Times Journaled | Base Rating | Buy Again? | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.50 | Reply hazy, try again (just ok, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze) | 6.67 |
| Journaling Date | Cigar | Appearance | Draw | Burn | Flavors | Overall Experience | Base Rating | Buy Again? | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-22 | Nica Libre - Toro (Box Press) (6 x 54) | Average | Good | Good | Good | Good | 3.50 | Reply hazy, try again (just ok, the juice isn't worth the squeeze) | 6.67 |
Journaling Photos
The Flavor Wheel
| Category | Strength |
|---|---|
| Baking Spice | 2.00 |
| Pepper | 2.00 |
| Coffee / Espresso | 3.00 |
| Anise / Licorice | 1.00 |
| Sweet | 1.00 |
| Chocolate | 2.00 |
| Bready / Toasty | 1.00 |
| Woody / Charred | 1.00 |
| Grass / Hay | 0.00 |
| Earth | 3.00 |
| Leather | 1.00 |
| Floral / Aromatic | 0.00 |
| Fruity | 0.00 |
| Nutty | 0.00 |
| Salty / Mineral | 0.00 |
| Creamy | 1.00 |
| Musty / Barnyard | 1.00 |
| Bitter | 2.00 |
| Smooth | 1.00 |
| Harsh | 0.00 |
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.
| Category | Strength |
|---|---|
| Baking Spice | 2.00 |
| Pepper | 2.00 |
| Coffee / Espresso | 3.00 |
| Anise / Licorice | 1.00 |
| Sweet | 1.00 |
| Chocolate | 2.00 |
| Bready / Toasty | 1.00 |
| Woody / Charred | 1.00 |
| Grass / Hay | 0.00 |
| Earth | 3.00 |
| Leather | 1.00 |
| Floral / Aromatic | 0.00 |
| Fruity | 0.00 |
| Nutty | 0.00 |
| Salty / Mineral | 0.00 |
| Creamy | 1.00 |
| Musty / Barnyard | 1.00 |
| Bitter | 2.00 |
| Smooth | 1.00 |
| Harsh | 0.00 |
Questions on how the ratings work?
Check out the detailed explanation here.
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