Yes, this is the same Maurice Koks that created the Vallejuelo. His master blender, Jose
Rojas worked closely with Maurice to give us another top rated cigar.
Construction and Draw - This flawless 5x54 robusto is a medium cigar that is just as
good as the Vallejuelo. The construction is perfect with a smooth wrapper and Cuban
style triple cap. It is what some might call a Colorado Maduro. The blend is proprietary,
however, when I first met Maurice 15 years ago he told me he could use up to 30% of
his filler with tobacco from Cuba and still be able to sell his cigars in the U.S. I’m not
saying that he did this with the Koks y Rojas but it does have a unique flavor that I
cannot pinpoint. The cigar is also very tightly rolled with little give when you press on
the wrapper, reminiscent of Cuban cigars made in the 1950’s. The cap looked so nice I
did not want to ruin it with a guillotine cutter of even a V cutter so I opted to use a
punch. The draw has a slight resistance but enough that it makes for an enjoyable 90
minutes of smoking time and never goes out. The burn is even and as you get close to
the band it can be slid off over the cap without needing to peal it off like other cigars
you’ve smoked and leaving zero damage to the wrapper.
Flavor and Aroma – I mentioned that the flavor is unique combining earthiness and
sweetness in the first third. As you get towards the middle a touch of spice is evident but
the cigar remains a smooth and cool smoking cigar generating enough smoke to catch
the aroma of mesquite wood mixed with leather. As you move into the final third you will
be surprised that it is still a cool smoke. I kept smoking almost down to the cap. I
stopped not because it was too hot to draw or hold but because my fingers could not
hold on to the cigar and I dropped it in my ashtray. You can see from my final photo that
it’s still burning with less than an inch left.
Value and Rating – I don’t just hand out 5 star ratings but this is every bit as good as the
5 star rated Vallejuelo and perhaps slightly better. A box of 20 costs $87.95 from Atlantic
Cigars. That puts the price of the cigar down at $4.40. This is an excellent value and
the latest addition to our List of Top 10 Cigars Under $5.00.
Yes, the Koks y Rojas robusto is another cigar that has taken up permanent residence
in my humidor.
