Quorum Shade Toro (6 x 50)

Video review HERE.

(Description provided by JC Newman Cigar Co.)

In just a few short years, Quorum Nicaraguan Handmades have become the No. 1 selling imported handmade bundle cigar in the world. J.C. Newman’s dedication to quality has been materialized in these smooth, medium-bodied cigars available at a price accessible to even the most discriminating of wallets. Quorum cigars are made entirely by hand; there is no mechanization used in manufacturing process.

Each cigar features the spicy flavor of aged Nicaraguan filler and savory Nicaraguan binder. Each cigar also features a special sungrown Ecuadorian wrapper leaf that adds to Quorum’s delightfully nutty, smooth, medium-bodied flavor.

Quorum cigars are handmade in Nicaragua, a country known for rich soil producing some of the world’s heartiest, full-bodied tobacco. Available in three varieties, Classic, Shade and Maduro. These cigars contain binders and wrappers that make each blend unique.

Blend:

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade

Binder: Sumatra Sungrown

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: 6” X 50

The cigar is a light, golden brown and has a nice feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the cap was pretty good with a slight touch of firmness. The initial flavors at light up were a cedar/apricot type flavor, citrus peel, and a lot of an earthy black coffee. There was a white pepper rated at 7 1/2. The start is not very sweet but I expect that to change.

At the first third (32 minutes) the cigar has developed better flavors. There is now a defined citrus which is much like a sweet grapefruit type flavor, citrus peel, nutmeg, and earthy black coffee. Since this is a Cuban sandwich type cigar I got several pieces of tobacco in my mouth. Cuban sandwich cigars use medium and long filler so you have shorter pieces of tobacco in the blend. The cigar is mild to medium bodied. The finish is citrus peel with a little sweetness of citrus, nutmeg, and a minor amount of lingering white pepper. The cigar is not too bad but the flavors need to develop more. I rated the first third 88.

Moving through the second third (1 hour) the cigar has a lot of potential but there is so much citrus peel and now it has bitterness. The sweet grapefruit flavors are nice and they have a touch of brown sugar but the massive amount of nutmeg and citrus peel with bitterness really hold them back. The finish is citrus peel and nutmeg with much improved lingering white pepper. The cigar is now medium bodied. I rated the second third 86.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 28 minutes. The bitterness continued. In fact, it increased. The sweeter notes are definitely the minority. Lots of nutmeg, citrus peel, and bitterness. You may not notice the black coffee base but it's there. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is unchanged. For a budget cigar this is not that bad but it has too much bitterness for it to be enjoyable. I rated the final third 83.

Overall Score: 85.67