The Rojas Street Tacos Al Pastor was showcased at PCA 2025 in New Orleans.
In 2023, Rojas Cigar opened a large cigar factory in Esteli where he has the capability to produce 3 million cigars a year. Not bad for a Cuban who boarded a raft in the middle of the night making his way to Mexico before making his way to Miami where I first met him. Since then the self proclaimed King of the Small Gauges has made a name for himself in the cigar industry following his own dream.
The cigar name refers to a popular Mexican dish called tacos al pastor, also known as “shepherd style”. It’s made with marinated pork, typically cooked on a vertical rotisserie (trompo) and carved into thin slices for tacos. The meat is seasoned with a complex marinade containing achiote paste, chili peppers, and spices, giving it a distinct red-orange color and flavorful taste.
Available in four sizes Toro (6 x 52), Toro Grande (6.5 x 56), Gordo (Gordo) and today’s review Robusto (5 x 50).
Cigar Review: Rojas Street Tacos Al Pastor
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Mexican San Andres
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Factory: Rojas Cigar Factory
Release Date: April 2025
Production: Regular Production
Box Count: 25 Cigars
The Cigar: The cigar follows the same packaging concept as the other Street Tacos cigars with a color tweak of reddish-orange. The dry looking Habano wrapper has some veins and is closed as the foot. In the hand the cigar feels exceptionally light and almost brittle despite being perfectly rolled with no void of tobacco.
The Taste: The cold draw has a flavor reminiscent from the powder on a Bazooka Joe bubble gum which has me wondering if they even still make it. There is also a touch of sour apple and a touch of floral as an afterthought. The aroma from the foot is that of a barnyard with not much else going on. Once the cigar is toasted and lit there are nuances of raisins, wood and earth.
As we settle into the first third the cigar has a solid gray ash and is smoking a bit fast even though I am smoking slow. There is a lot of paprika spice on the palate over a canvas of earth. A subtle caramel sweetness is lingering in the background but can’t get over its shyness to move to the front. As the first third comes to a close some powdered sugar similar to the powder on cold draw makes a brief appearance. The retrohale sees the addition of sesame seeds and hint of raisins.
Moving into the second third of the Rojas Street Tacos Al Pastor notes of sunflower seeds with a hint of sesame makes its way to the palate over an earthy palate that still has a touch of paprika. As we cross over the halfway point the aroma of the cigar becomes spicy and some lemon rind begins to develop on the palate on the lingering finish.
The final third sees some sesame notes returns with a subtle mocha and as we move past the primary band the cigar actually becomes the best part of the cigar with a wonderful aroma. There are notes of barley, mocha, coffee and earth to close things out. The retrohale adds sesame to the finish along with continued earth.
Conclusion: When the Street Taco from Rojas Cigars came to the market I smoked them like they were going out of style. Something changed for me shortly after the new factory opened and the love affair was faltering. The cigar while still good didn’t seem to have the depth of the original releases and the tobacco didn’t seem as aged. That is how I feel about the Rojas Street Tacos Al Pastor. The tobacco feels young and around the last third the balance is lost and the cigar feels more like a bundle smoke than a premium smoke. Given the sub $10 price tag in today’s market maybe that is to be expected.
While the above might not be the most glowing of synopsis for this review the cigar is still good especially given the price point which doesn’t play into our final score. I’ll be curious to see if aging helps any but for now its a good value cigar.
Score: 89
Price: $9.50 (Before any local or state taxes)
