A few years ago the fine folks over at Famous Smoke Shop were kind enough to send me some samples of a new exclusive they were selling. The cigar was Inferno and it was produced by Oliva.
Truth be told, if I had to pull out my wallet to try that very first cigar, I may not have smoked it. The band was plain and the name literally made me mouth “ugh” when I read it. Would this just be another gimmicky house blend or would it be something special?
I’m happy to report that it was a solid budget cigar that I’ve been buying off and on ever since smoking it for the first time.
It’s been a little while since I’ve talked to any of the people over at Famous but I received a surprise email about a week ago. They wanted to know if I would be interested in smoking the new Inferno 3rd Degree. With the first version being as good as it was, I was happy to take them up on the offer.
My package of Inferno 3rd Degree (as well as some of the new Room 101 El Mas Chingon – we’ll talk about those more in a later review) arrived a few days ago and I’ve sampled three of them so far.
With a name like 3rd Degree, I was expecting an obnoxiously powerful smoke. Realistically, I don’t know that I’d say it is a whole lot more powerful than the original. Medium to Medium-Full at best. The finish can be a touch dry at times but it is a pleasant afternoon smoke.
Flavor wise, the Inferno 3rd Degree isn’t anything groundbreaking. The focus tends to be a wood flavor with some salt and earth undertones. Occasionally there will be a pop of cashew flavor but it doesn’t tend to stick around long. I wouldn’t call this cigar one dimensional but it isn’t complex either.
Where this cigar really shines is in it’s pricing. I’m smoking the robusto as I type this post and it comes in at $22.99 per 5-Pack or $69.99 per box of 20. At roughly $3.50 per stick by the box ($4.60 per single by the 5-Pack) it really is a solid budget friendly cigar. In my opinion, you would be hard pressed to find something as solid for the same price in a local brick and mortar cigar shop (apples vs oranges, I know, but it is a good buy nonetheless).
It does seem like this is a solid cigar for the price. When I read “inferno” I’m definitely expecting a different taste than what you described. Seems like this would be good to recommend someone who wants to get started in cigars but doesn’t want to spend too much at first.
I was quite pleasantly surprised by the 3rd Degree. I found the construction to be spot on and the flavor profile consistent all the way through. A nice blend of deep cocoa and leathery tones with just the right back ground of spice. A solid medium flavor depth. I was impressed by construction and consistency and at $4ish dollars a stick its great value. I’ll be buying more.