Somm BDX Toro is a cigar that is difficult to find out information about. The company has no website at the time of review and very little web presence. From what I can tell brand owner Vlada Stojanov was originally the U.S. distributor for brands Casa 1910, Lamper and Casdagli. He is also a wine sommelier and based in Las Vegas, Nevada and a self described cigar sommelier according to his Instagram page.
The cigars are made in Honduras and come out of the same factory a Cavalier cigars. The BDX aspect of the name is a reference to Bordeaux a region in France known to wine-making.
Cigar Review: Somm BDX Toro
Size: 6 x 52 (Toro)
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaraguan Jalapa Viso
Fillers: Honduras (Broadleaf), Mexico (San Andres), Nicaragua (Jalapa Viso)
Factory: Fabrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A.
Release Date: March 2023
Box Count: 10
The Cigar: An unevenly colored maduro wrapper adorns the cigar with a significant network of veins. It’s not a pretty cigar, but it isn’t a beast either. The wine colored band has gold text denoting SOMM, Sommelier’s Selection. The wrapper is toothy and lacking oils The overall appearance just feels like a bundle cigar versus something north of ten dollars. In the hand the cigar is firm with no voids of tobacco although the seams of the roll are visible in spots.
The Taste: The cold draw is dry with notes of leather, berries and cedar while the aroma offers up some Mcintosh apples, cedar and an afterthought of vanilla. Once the cigar is toasted and list there a definitive walnut flavor emerging on the first couple of puffs.
Smoking into the first third the walnut experienced on the first couple of puffs on the Somm BDX quickly waned and the cigar becomes earthy and dry. There is also a kettle potato chip component that is different and helps provide some flavor to the very dry profile. The retrohale helps open things up with the addition of a subtle chocolate sweetness.
The second third has an abundance of leather with a hint of berries, and a subtle dark chocolate. The flavors aren’t very forthcoming and the cigar is offers subtle nuances instead of rich bold flavors. The retrohale serves up some subtle nuttiness and white pepper.
The final third sees an abundance of leather tannins with the addition non roasted coffee beans which creates a bit of and acidic bitterness. The retrohale continues to serve up some nuttiness with a growing amount of white pepper and a touch of cedar.
Conclusion: The Somm BDX is made at Fabrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A. which is owned and operated by Cavalier cigars. It’s a relatively newer factory that opened in 2021. I haven’t smoked a lot of that brand but it is easy to see the similarities between the two brands. In terms of exports, Honduras lags behind Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic and I think this cigar sums up why that is. It’s not a bad cigar but it feels like its leaps and bounds behind the other cigar producing nations.
Score: 85
Price: $14.00 (Before any local or state taxes)
You can shop Somm cigars at site sponsor Small Batch Cigar. Remember to use the coupon code BARRELBURNER to save 10%.
