Boardwalk Staff Review
Jiminy Christmas! It’s yard ‘gar season according to the thermometer hanging outside my kitchen window. Truth be told, yard ‘gar season is a year-round affair in my humble abode, regardless of whether it’s seventy degrees outside, because I never overspend for cigars. I scan the internet and clip coupons out of the Sunday circular around the clock to find the best cigars at the cheapest prices possible, like the glorious batch of Boardwalk Toros I’m about to slice open for today’s review.
Boardwalk is about as rudimentary a brand as you’ll come across – without compromising your standards for flavor and burnability. They’re assembled in the Dominican Republic by skilled artisans who craft every cigar from a premium blend of Cuban-sandwich tobaccos, grown in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, before applying a patiently aged Brazilian wrapper leaf to complete the package. Boardwalk cigars come in bundles of 20 cigars for the paltry price of $1.49 apiece for the Robusto, or $1.74 for the Toro.
I figure Boardwalk is a fitting smoke to review this time of year as throngs of tourists pull their Birkenstocks out of storage and prepare to invade the Jersey Shore, enticed, like mosquitos, by the flashing lights, funnel cakes, and rides that could have a few screws loose. You’re more likely to find me scanning the walkway with my metal detector after the shops close, scooping up lost change I can use to pay for my ravenous cigar consumption.
Sometimes, I wander the Holt’s warehouse aisles, like a hedge maze, for hours until I locate the perfect specimen to smoke for my cigar reviews. Boardwalk cigars occupy an entire row all their own. The cigars are clad in colorful blue-and-orange bands with the brand name spelled in bright-red cursive. I wouldn’t call the 6-by-50 Toro I’m firing up a celebratory smoke, but it looks darn promising for under two bucks the second I tear the cellophane off. If you handed me a Boardwalk cigar in a blind tasting and told me it cost ten bucks, I’d probably believe you, and I’ve got the snout of bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out a good cigar for the money.
Pleasing notes of almond, cinnamon, and buttered toast gently tease my palate in the cold draw after I clip the cap. The wrapper shows a few faint seams, but you can tell the cigar is put together well from head to foot. There’s not a single soft spot, and as soon as the flame from my Visol Trigger Triple Torch hits the foot, delicious streams of white smoke soothe my nostrils and taste buds like a hot bubble bath.
I know some connoisseurs steer clear of Cuban-sandwich brands because they worry the draw or consistency of the cigar could be compromised. That couldn’t be further from the truth with Boardwalk, friends. I’ve procured dozens and dozens of these bundles for my coolerdor over the years, and they simply never fail to exceed expectations. The cigar rollers who craft Boardwalk are pure experts when it comes to assembling a mix of long and short-filler tobaccos under one wrapper. And the resulting flavor is miraculous.
A subtle sequence of cedar and hickory mingles with undercurrents of pepper and coffee bean in the second half. I’ve been smoking for more than thirty minutes, and, sure, I tapped the ash off more frequently than I would in a traditional long-filler blend, but the burn remains razor sharp. By the time I’m peeling the band off, the tasting notes intensify in a nub-worthy crescendo. Notes of cedar, leather, and fresh tobacco bless the palate with a creamy and peppery aftertaste that’s easy to savor. Boardwalk gets a 90-point rating in my book.
Don’t be shy about adding a bundle of these easy-smoking, everyday cigars to your rotation. You can always pass them out to your pals, but you’re more likely to smoke them all yourself once you take the first puff. Decide if Boardwalk makes your list of the best Cuban-sandwich cigars you can add to the coolerdor, and buy a bundle today!
Until next time, long ashes to you!
