Bond Roberts 109 Review

MrBirdman · September 6, 2023

I won't bury the lead here: they've nailed it. My tasting notes match exactly what @LizardGizmo wrote up in his review, so rather than repeat them all here I'll suggest you check that out and share my general impressions. The wrapper quality is near Davidoff-level perfection. I wish I'd taken a picture of it - for those of you who've enjoyed any of the Nudies, this is a clear step up. A blind man could tell the difference, because it's got a lovely silky and oily touch.

The opening is sheer elegance, a characteristic the cigar maintains throughout. The first third is below-medium in body. By the second third both the body and the flavor have ramped up - those Lusitania notes are quite clear - coffee, a touch of leather, sourdough (though, at the risk of sounding like Halfwheel, I'd specify sourdough bread crust). About halfway through this is joined by some dark chocolate. The smoke has a lovely texture that, combined with the cocoa, reminds me a bit of eating dark chocolate truffles. Throughout the cigar there is a subtle sweetness - some Nudies blends like the petit corona (which I love) have the sweetness as a central component. Here it is present, but at the edge. Think of it like the limelight illuminating those Lusi flavors at center-stage. Again, elegance is the key word here: everything is balanced. The 109 walks you along its journey at a relaxed but steady pace.

The tasting panel members give their honest opinions about what we're asked to sample, and even with cigars we like there's usually some feedback on suggested changes. The panel at this session was universal in its response: we wouldn't change a thing. This will really appeal to CC smokers (and I think many NC smokers, even though there isn't a speck of pepper in sight).

I have the carlota and petit corona Nudies in my regular rotation, but this is undoubtedly the best cigar I've tried from Hammy and Rob. What more can I say but bravo! :clap:

cmbarton · September 6, 2023

This is the first I’ve heard of this new roll (I’ve been out-of-the-loop in general for awhile). When will these surface for purchase?

MrBirdman · September 6, 2023

4 hours ago, cmbarton said:

This is the first I’ve heard of this new roll (I’ve been out-of-the-loop in general for awhile). When will these surface for purchase?

I think Rob said they're shooting for late-Q1/Q2 2024, presumably so they have some time to rest before release. Worth noting that our examples were rolled less than two months ago and burned well for such a fresh cigar. They had been resting in our humidors for at most two weeks, so they'll only be better after a full 60-days.