Notorious Crème de la Crème Robusto (5×50)

The Robusto is where most people will start with the Crème de la Crème, and it is a genuinely great entry point into what makes this blend different from everything else in the Notorious lineup. Forty-five minutes, 5×50, and a profile built around one of the most underused binder leaves in the premium cigar market. Brazilian Arapiraca binder under an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper is not a combination most blenders reach for, and Chris Frias and the MJ Frias team in Santiago deserve credit for making it work as well as it does.

The Connecticut leaf brings the creaminess and natural sweetness the format is known for. The Arapiraca brings an earthy, slightly rustic depth underneath that keeps the profile from ever reading as one-dimensional. Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Colombian fillers tie the whole construction together with roasted nuts, dark chocolate, and espresso that develop cleanly through the second half and land on a long, creamy finish that holds all the way to the nub. Medium in body, beautifully constructed, and approachable enough to hand to a newer smoker without a lengthy briefing. This is the cigar that made people look at Notorious twice.