N9 Nudie Lonsdale Reviews....I give you permission to smoke one ROTT + win a box of BR 109!

[El Presidente]

13 hours ago, El Niño said:

I called it just a little bit early. Had another inch of good smoking to go, but I'm thoroughly satisfied for the moment. I love this thing after the rest period. 92 points. Can't wait to see how it develops further!

Fantastic review and glad you enjoyed it 

A couple of our own observations. 

1. There hasn't been another Fab5 cigar so far that has evolved more with 30 days acclimatisation. The BR Petit 109 comes in second. 

       2. This cigar has legs baby. She is consistently showing 90-92 points 30 days down with a mix of complexity and at points, surprising power. She is a babe in the woods having been rolled in July/August of this year. Hamlet's blending has been spot on here.

[El Hoze]

Exactly *four weeks rest, she’s a beaut. Will definitely need to go deep on these. 

[JDoughty]

8 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Fantastic review and glad you enjoyed it 

A couple of our own observations. 

1. There hasn't been another Fab5 cigar so far that has evolved more with 30 days acclimatisation. The BR Petit 109 comes in second. 

       2. This cigar has legs baby. She is consistently showing 90-92 points 30 days down with a mix of complexity and at points, surprising power. She is a babe in the woods having been rolled in July/August of this year. Hamlet's blending has been spot on here.

Given how frickin' good it was ROTT, I can't wait for my 30 day date with the other one from the sampler. Instantly ordered a bundle after tasting the first one ROTT. 

[griller]

At the risk of presenting a bit of sycophancy, the 30-days down "rule" is SO valid with this one! Such a different experience ROTT vs some time to rest, and it's not like they're terrible out of the gate. I've already got another in the dry box for this weekend & if it's anything similar to my Wednesday session then going deep.

Looking back, I didn't give a rating to Wednesday's cigar but it hit a solid 92. These are hitting strong out the gate!

[qs210]

Very very solid ROTT. Easy 90 for me. Looking forward to dipping back in in a month.

[ElLoboLoco]

How’s the strength level in these guys?

[qs210]

7 hours ago, ElLoboLoco said:

How’s the strength level in these guys?

Medium for me.

[Chibearsv]

1 hour ago, ElLoboLoco said:

How’s the strength level in these guys?

Starts medium and ramps up to medium strong. 

[griller]

6 hours ago, qs210 said:

Medium for me.

Same with me, and stayed here from start to finish.

[Hoosh]

7 hours ago, ElLoboLoco said:

How’s the strength level in these guys?

Take my statement with a grain of salt because I smoke mostly heavy hitters (JdN Antaños, LFD Double Ligeros, etc) and cigars known to be on the bolder side…and I smoked mine ROTT (tomorrow will be 30 days since), so, the Lonsdale, for me, nicotine wise, was not a strong cigar at all. My exact note was “low+” on strength.

[JDoughty]

2 hours ago, Hoosh said:

Take my statement with a grain of salt because I smoke mostly heavy hitters (JdN Antaños, LFD Double Ligeros, etc) and cigars known to be on the bolder side…and I smoked mine ROTT (tomorrow will be 30 days since), so, the Lonsdale, for me, nicotine wise, was not a strong cigar at all. My exact note was “low+” on strength. 

I enjoy cigars all over the spectrum from light to blow your nose hairs off. I would also consider these light evolving to light-medium towards the end. Elegant, complex and flavorsome with enough body to hold the flavors in structure, but not strong. All delicious retrohale for me. 

[ElLoboLoco]

Thanks all, maybe right around the queen corona range it sounds. They all seem to be within a click or two on the strength o’meter of each other.

 

 

[Hoosh]

I smoked the second Lonsdale this morning, exactly 30 days after the first. This cigar has been in a humidor that holds only a few CC and the other Nudies I own. It was opened only once to remove a CC that I gave out as a “gift.” Also, if you don’t know by now, I smoke almost entirely NC, and I tend to stick with the higher strength, bolder cigars. I am not a flavor chaser, I’m not a big proponent of having to wait years to age and then smoke a cigar to find out if it’s good to my palate, nor do I want to primarily smoke cigars where honey, marshmallows, butterscotch, and the like are the predominant flavors. So, with that grain of salt, here are my thoughts on the two Puro Desnudo Lonsdales (hereafter, N9) I have tried. 
 

9/26

Within a few hours after receiving my fiver, I randomly picked the second cigar from the right in the below photo to smoke ROTT.

It was a nicely rolled cigar that smelled great out of the package. It did have a strange line that ran the entire length of the cigar. I’m unsure what it was from, but I don’t believe it was a singular stem (seen in the third and fourth photos following).

 

 

While collectively the fiver smelled good upon opening, the nose I got of this particular cigar was chicken skin and almonds. The pre-light draw was freshly cut corn kernels and raw zucchini. Smoking through the first third , a creamy nuttiness was most prevalent with a slightly spicy and cooked onion retrohale. There was a nice smoke output when puffing on the cigar, but almost nonexistent when sitting idle. The aroma was very nice.

About halfway through, I began to notice a sweet coffee note on the retrohale. I enjoyed this until the final third, when the cigar became most enjoyable; a slightly buttery and bread forward retrohale dominated the flavors, and for just about the last third, this was predominantly the way I smoked the cigar. A very low strength cigar, even with smoking it this way. The burn was great for its entirety, and well, I don’t feel “cigar aficionado” enough to give it a number, it was a decent break from my normal smoking sessions.

Total smoking time was an hour and a half.

10/26

Thirty days later, I expected to, and did, smoke a somewhat different cigar. The nose was much better - very floral and way more nutty. I’m uncertain if this had anything to do with the way, it was stored with the other particular cigars, or not. In my mind, there has to be at least a possibility. The pre-light draw was vastly different; not vegetal, but rather exactly like I was eating a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie. As before, the cigar was rolled nicely, and had the same line going the length of the cigar (not as noticeable in these photos).

 

Upon lighting, a super quick whisper of spice and cracker was prevalent, as was a sense of dryness, very different than the creamy mouth feel I had from the first N9; this was minty and dry. Like the first, the smoking aroma was nice. The early retrohale was like eating green peppers wrapped in bread-nice and tasty in my mind. My only real disappointment was that the ash kept dropping off every half to 3/4 of an inch. 

About halfway in the aroma, developed a slight ammonia smell, one that was just in the air, but not on the palate. Here, my remembrance of enjoying the retrohale from the first one kicked in, and I enjoyed flavors of very yeasty bread and a saltiness I hadn’t tasted in the first N9. Again, like the first one, the retrohale was pretty much how I enjoyed the cigar the rest of the way through to the end. There was a slight ammonia  mouth taste almost at the very end, but like the aroma experienced earlier, it went away pretty quickly. And again, like the first N9, the cigar burned perfectly, except for a slightly wonky burn that I felt I had to touch up.

From that point until the very end, seemingly out of nowhere, the flavors outside of the retrohale were coffee and some slight cinnamon. Despite smoking this down till my fingers burned, it, to me, was was a low strength cigar. I purposefully smoked this in the morning without eating to see if I could notice a difference from the previous cigar. 

Total smoking time for this cigar was one hour and forty minutes. 

So, am I rushing out to order more? No. I still have three left and as I mentioned earlier, I’m not an everyday smoking fan of having to purchase cigars and hold onto them for years to experience its potential “greatness.” Compared to most NC cigars I smoke, this waiting period is just a non starter for me. Additionally, I simply like much stronger cigars (nicotine wise). I’m certain I’ll buy more N9s at some point as I did enjoy the different smoke than normal, but in my mind, I’ll just let them age at the Fabrica5 warehouse. I must , however, acknowledge here the nice difference between the N9 ROTT and the N9 after 30 days. It was, in my mind, an improved cigar.

I will hand it to Rob and the crew. It appears to me they’ve created a cigar that is very CC like in a lot of ways; aging appears to be required for them to reach real “greatness” and the flavors that are obvious have clearly been meticulously crafted. Bravo! I enjoy this size RG and wish it were offered in more NC, but apparently such sizes don’t sell well here in the US.

I’m glad I experienced this cigar. It is a nice break from the “palate killers” I’m more akin to smoking. 🙂

[ElLoboLoco]

Nice review, Sir! Well thought out and appreciate your experience on this. 👍🏼

[JoeyBones777]

On 10/3/2025 at 2:46 AM, JoeyBones777 said:

Received mine 2 days ago and smoked one last night with my brother in law. Great cigar! Flavors of peanut, earth, leather and some pepper on the retrohale in the first third. The pepper went away and gave way to sourdough and slight floral sweetness. Toward the end of the last third things got a little dark and hot which is where its youth is showing a bit. I think this will be a favorite for sure with some time down.

30 days down...

The transformation is very evident in this! Flavors were cleaner and smoother. There is a musty earthiness that reminds me of Partagas, sourdough, a nice balancing sweetness that at times reminds me of buttercream frosting, a touch of white pepper, some floral notes in the retrohale, mint after the halfway point, leather on the finish and the flavors were transitioning back and forth from the forefront throughout the cigar. It was really freaking good and smooth to the end without getting dark or harsh. Performance was very good, only requiring a few touch ups on the burn and the draw was perfect throughout. Great smoke and probably my new favorite Fab 5 beating out the robusto Trinity and Fat Fundy. Well done, gents!

[JDoughty]

Great review @JoeyBones777! Posted my own 30 day mark review over on the tasting notes forum. I agree, the Lonsdale is a definite favorite. I'm not honestly sure whether I liked it better ROTT or with 30 days down. Very different experience, but both were remarkably tasty. I'll be hitting up the rest of my bundle sooner rather than later for sure. 

[zacca]

I had my first N9 Lonsdale basically ROTT - a day of downtime. Decided to go for it the other night - somewhat of a brisk evening; slight breeze and in the mid 50s (think 12c for you people in upside down land). 

1/3: Struck by the initial smoothness. It was very pleasant but I’d say generally nondescript flavor-wise; wood and toasted tobacco with just a hint of peppery spice.

2/3: Similar smoothness and core flavor but some intermittent hints of cinnamon and baking spice enter. I was intrigued and a bit surprised as I wasn’t expecting this with a day of rest. Very nice. 

3/3: Same woody core, no more cinnamon or baking spice; slight increase in heat and harshness (this could be self-inflicted though as I approached 50 mins, I may have rushed a bit as temps dipped); of note though, the burn line was impeccable throughout. Overall smoke time I’d say right around an hour.

Overall I think there’s really good potential with these over time. Didn’t have super high expectations after being in transit from FL to the northeast, but I was pleased overall with the experience. Really looking forward to trying another one next month and after that. I think these can really shine after acclimating for 90 days.

I have a couple samplers, a few 5 packs, and a box each of the BR vitolas, so my plan is as I go through all and get a feel for them, I’ll go deep on the ones I gravitate towards. 

[FOHgetaboutit]

Love all the feedback. I should join the club shortly!

[JoeyBones777]

Giving this the ol' "lost in the shuffle" bump...😉

[griller]

I decided to revisit my bundle again on Saturday since it was a PERFECT fall day and weather is about to change to cold & rainy. My ROTT was September 27th, and my follow up nearly thirty days later on October 24th. So what the heck, let's see where this bundle is going...Paired it with good ol' H2O, some college football, wife, dog, and hit the backyard deck for the session.

The TL:DR can be summed up as nearly identical flavor profile and construction of the October cigar, which is a GREAT thing! The 30-days rest guidance has become a rule for me, so much so that I have sort of abandoned the ROTT habit especially when it comes to Havanas (too expensive/hard to come by to "waste" one). So how was the cigar? From start to finish, the construction, draw, and burn were flawless. There was a salty undertone, with the abundant flavor profile again being a smooth, cinnamon-esque sweetness. Unlike the example from October, I didn't get the slight mintiness, just more of the medium body cinnamon profile. If you have a sweet tooth (like me), you'll get the dessert/baked bread hints that would make a pairing with a nice single barrel rum nearly perfect. The final third was more of the same, and I nubbed it down well beyond where a band would be present. There is so much that is good to excellent with the N9 cigar, starting with it being the much loved (to me) Lonsdale size, bundle/no nonsense presentation, incredible consistency when it comes to blend, construction, and draw, and true value proposition when you look at competing cigars priced 50-100+% higher.  

If you love a medium bodied Lonsdale with a complex flavor profile that offers subtle transitions and impeccable construction, then go DEEP on this one! No, it isn't Cuban, but who cares when this cigar is so good on it's own!

[JoeyBones777]

Having a hard time staying out of these...

[El Presidente]

2 hours ago, JoeyBones777 said:

Having a hard time staying out of these...

We are starting to see that 30 day down smoking experiences/reviews and I agree with you. Smoking beautifully. 

[habanohal]

Have had 3 so far in less than 10 days that I received them.  It's in top 3 of fab 5, for me. I'm smoking the fab 5 lineup daily and it seems now that I go for these over Cuban cigars. Love them!

[El Niño]

I smoked and wrote down these thoughts on Monday. I've just now gotten the time to post

Prologue:
It’s 3 days until Thanksgiving and people won’t stop sending me work. Boss is already out of town, so I have to cover. 

The weather is grey, and my neighbors dog won’t shut up. 

BUT THE LONSDALE JUST HIT 60 DAYS REST SO WE’RE HAPPIER THAN CLOWNS AT CASA DEL NIÑO

Act I:

I've kept these in a tupperdore with a 62% Boveda at around 68F/20C.

The foot smells like cedar, clove, and cream - some of my favorite tasting notes.

The cold draw is sweetish hay, and the foot smell notes when retrohaled are present, albeit muddled. (Never thought I'd say "foot smell"... and if you don't retrohale the cold draw, you should totally try it!)

Off the light, we have an explosion of sweet cream, cedar, oak, mild forest floor, and a pinch of barnyard. The retrohale adds in a mild citrus note. {WARNING, PRETENTIOUS FLAVOR NOTE INCOMING} I would call it yuzu.

The draw is perfect, but the smoke output feels constrained. It seems to be picking up, but will keep you posted.

Act II: less than 1 inch down –  2 inches

It feels like you could almost call any tasting note imaginable. Milk chocolate and coffee cream flavors start to say hello even before a full inch has been smoked. It seems like this stick is going to change a lot throughout. 

The sweet, rich notes are countered by bitter oak. The bitterness comes up and slaps you if you smoke it too quickly as if to say “watch it, pal. Slow down.”

We’re a full inch down and the cream is in full effect, especially through the nose. Butterscotch/toffee has entered the chat and is making the most delightful company. The juicy citrus is tingling the tip of my tongue, coffee flavor coats the middle. 

This cigar is so interesting that it’s nearly frustrating. Nothing else in average American cigar shops come close to this. 

Act III: 2 inches – halfway

I feel like I should note that the “Acts” of this cigar aren’t corresponding to the classic “thirds” that many reviews use. Thirds are great way to review cigars, but this one changes too frequently to describe that way. 

A blast of milk chocolate hits me, but it was only for a single puff. Then, cream galore. Oak and mild clove are present on the tongue.

Personally, I do not chase oak notes. I actually preferred this stick at 30 days; however, I’m not worried. I didn’t truly fall in love with the Carlotta until it had 90-120 days of rest on it, and then it became my favorite in the whole Desnudo lineup. This one is showing even more promise than that.

At 2.5 inches down, I got hit with a helping of baking spice, very nutmeg-esque. It just occurred to me that Trinity Robusto and this Lonsdale seem kindred.

A bit farther down, and I’m getting a lot of oak and dryness at this point. Not particularly excited about it, but still enjoying. 

Act IV: halfway onward

I touch up the light a little bit and get hit with a lot of cinnamon, almost graham cracker, and clove.

I’m now getting a nice toasted tobacco thing. A nice mallard richness with some sweetness. Hard to describe. 

With an inch and a half left, seems like we’re bouncing between bitter and creamy with that toasty thing going on still. Some clove is also dancing around there. 

At this point, I put the cigar down. The strength is just a touch above medium, so it would be great for your first smoke after the day's work is done; it could thoroughly satisfy if it's the only cigar you smoke for the evening. 

I preferred the experience at 30 days more than this one at 60 days. It could've just been the individual cigar, but this one had more dryness than the 30 day. I'm super curious to see what it's like at 90 days and beyond

90pts for this one. Toward the beginning, it was insanely good – 100% my cup of tea, but the slight bitter dryness that developed put it just out of reach of my personal taste. 

I'm more curious to see how these changes with more rest time than anything else in my collection.

[Hoosh]

11/28

Smoked the third Lonsdale today, 63 days after putting the five I purchased into the humidor. Seemingly a natural progression of this cigar, two months of “holding” yields a cigar that, in my experience, is more flavorful than the ROTT and 30 day cigars. I’m not sure of the age of the tobacco being used in this cigar (or any Puro Desnudo for that matter), but perhaps this is why makers like Padrón age their cigars before making them available to purchase?

Anyway, both a minty nose and cold draw was prominent with this cigar - even more that with my second smoke. (Certainly not negative but strange for being so obvious initially as I found only a faint flavor of mint while actually smoking the previous and zero with this third.) 

The most obvious flavors for me this time were small amounts of initial cinnamon, pistachio, and vanilla pound cake (is that better than saying bread drizzled with vanilla?!). Unlike the second cigar, this left a creamy mouthfeel, just like that of the N9 ROTT. The retrohale on this third cigar was both far spicier and more cracker like than the first, though I use the word “spicier” here very loosely; the smoker of milder cigars will notice this immediately with the retrohale while stronger cigar smokers will barely notice.

As with the other two cigars, this N9 showed the same strange…”line” I’ll call it, through the length of the cigar, clearly visible in the photo below:

No idea what or why as I’ve not seen this in any other cigar so consistently. (I honestly looked for this in the entire bundle of Queen Coronas I have. Nonexistant.) Certainly not a stem, and seemingly nothing that takes away from the cigar, just a very obvious “line.”

Nicotine wise, I have had many menthol cigarettes in my cigarette smoking days that were stronger. This is not a knock on the N9. It is, rather, an observation that for me, my only real enjoyment of this cigar goes along with drinking coffee. To put it another way, I’m more of a cigar smoker that enjoys an Ardbeg 10 over a Glenmorangie 18. While there certainly is a time for both, I personally find more actual enjoyment from the former rather than the latter.