“Off the Beaten Path”: El Sueno Cigars

The Off the Beaten Path Series has certainly introduced me to some smokes that I would have never had the opportunity to try under normal circumstances. With El Sueno, this is probably the prime example of this type of situation. Hailing from Switzerland, Monsieur Mirko Giotto has attempted to tap into a Cuban dominated market, with his expertly blended Dominican treats. Being that I have never even been to Europe, I reiterate just how Off the Beaten Path this smoke is for me…

So, what does El Sueno mean? In Spanish, it translates directly to “the dream”. That’s a pretty bold name for a company that only has one blend. You heard right, one blend. Granted, there are 5 different vitolas to choose from that actually augment the flavor depending on the size. As for packaging, El Sueno cigars come in a humidified ceramic jar. This jar is handmade, making them difficult to mass produce. Therefore, even in Switzerland, it may be difficult to get your hands on these. El Sueno offers the following vitolas at the following prices:

• Treintas – 10.6 cm x 2cm – Price N/A
• Robusto – 12.5 cm x 1.9cm – $450 or 280 EUR for 25
• Corona – 13.8 cm x 1.6cm – $400 or 250 EUR for 25
• Belicoso – 16.4 cm x 2.0cm – $490 or 305 EUR for 25
• Doshoras – 17.6 cm x 2 cm – Price N/A

Damn! That’s not cheap! We are talking $20 – $30 US each! Personally, I don’t buy sticks in that price range. If I did, it better be the best damn smoke I have ever had. The issue here is that these cigars don’t seem to be made for people like me. From what I gather through research, these cigars are predominately made for high rollers, fat cats, and the rich and famous. With that being said, let’s take a moment to discuss how these sticks smoke.

Personally, I feel that it would be quite monotonous to review all 5 vitolas individually, as they are all the same blend. Overall, I had the same experience each time. With that being said, I will mainly touch on the points that really stuck out to me.

Starting with appearance, I will vouch to say that these are some of the most attractive sticks out there. The wrappers are silky smooth, slightly oily, beautifully hued, and elegantly imperfect. Although beautiful, the torcedores that roll El Sueno cigars seem to have an understanding that imperfect can actually be perfect. I respect that. I like to have that reminder that someone put some hard work into this thing, and it’s certainly evident.

As for construction, I found that this varied between vitolas. For example, the Churchill (Doshoras) was soft at both the head and foot, while the Belicoso was tightly rolled throughout. Interestingly enough, however, all vitolas had an elegantly perfect draw. All seams were flawless, and all triple-caps were perfectly applied.

Now that my hopes are up with the appearance and construction, I find myself expecting quite a lot from the flavors. The first couple draws of this smoke bring salted butter, heavy cream, and almonds. I find this quite pleasant; however, there is very little body. Now, I don’t really feel that this is a bad thing, but I really enjoy medium to full bodied smokes. So, keeping my mind open, I proceed into the second third.

The second third really remains quite consistent. I do find a couple of slight hints of hazelnut, but it’s not really enough to make you want to do backflips. On the other hand, the body has slightly increased, and the smoke is substantially thicker. As I find myself retro-haling with every draw, I realize that I am really enjoying this smoke. This seemed to be the case with all vitolas. They start out kinda ehhhh… then the satisfaction sneaks up and reminds me that I am relaxed and enjoying this elegant smoke. The burn is spot-on straight on every stick, and at no point did I ever have to touch up any of these sticks. To me, that’s huge. There is nothing more frustrating to me than having to do “maintenance” on my cigar. Ultimately, I am trying to kick back, and El Sueno certainly allowed me to do so. Kudos Mirko Giotto!

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, I would like to share a short story. I shared an El Sueno with a tobacconist that swears by Davidoff smokes. When I handed him an El Sueno to try, he gasped as if I had committed some type of travesty. As he sparked this stick up and took a few puffs, I saw his eyebrow raise with intrigue. In a nutshell, he agreed that El Sueno produced a smoke every bit as elegant as the next boutique cigar. If Mirko Giotto could get this product in the US for about $12 -$14 a stick, I would buy these for special occasion smokes. However, I could simply never find myself spending the type of cash needed for the experience provided. Again, relaxation is what it’s all about to me, but not at that price. If you are interested, El Sueno sells samplers of three at www.el-sueno.net. If you have the cash to spend, and you want to share an Off the Beaten Path experience with some buddies for a special occasion, indulge.

Thanks for reading!