At the 2013 IPCPR trade show and convention, Toraño’s flagship cigar, Exodus 1959, saw its first new line in four years in the form of a limited edition called the Exodus Finite. Unlike the other three Exodus blends, the Finite is a Nicaraguan puro.

Announced the month before the trade show, the Exodus Finite was released at IPCPR 2013, though according to a representative from the company, it won’t be seen in stores until “mid-September.” Coming in three sizes, it will be the smallest selection of sizes in any of the Exodus offerings. The sizes are:

  • Toraño Exodus 1959 Finite Robusto (4 7/8 x 52)
  • Toraño Exodus 1959 Finite Toro (6 1/4 x 52)
  • Toraño Exodus 1959 Finite BFC (6 x 60)

The Finite isn’t just another Exodus blend with a different wrapper either, considering it is a Nicaraguan puro, and the only other Exodus blend that has all Nicaraguan filler is the 50 Years blend. Bruce Lewis, Toraño’s vp of sales and marketing, explains the blend in more detail in the press release:

Although the wrapper and binder are both grown in Nicaragua’s Jalapa region, the wrapper is shade-grown viso and comes from a higher priming, whereas the binder is sun-grown seco and is among the first leaves picked. This blending gives the medium-bodied Finite its well-balanced character, one that hints of roasted nuts, complemented by a raisin-like sweetness. The finish is long and features a cedar note.

We got a picture of what the box will look like at IPCPR:

Toraño Exodus 1959 Finite

Toraño Exodus 1959 Finite 2013 Robusto 1

  • Cigar Reviewed: Toraño Exodus 1959 Finite 2013 Robusto
  • Country of Origin: Nicaragua
  • Factory: Plasencia Cigars S.A.
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Jalapa Habano
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaraguan Estelí, Condega & Ometepe
  • Size: 4 7/8 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 52
  • Vitola: Robusto
  • MSRP: $8.00 (Box of 25, $200.00)
  • Release Date: September 2013
  • Number of Cigars to be Released: 1,000 Boxes of 25 Cigars (25,000 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 3

The first thing I think when I take a look at the Exodus Finite, is that it’s just a very pretty cigar. A deep chocolate colored wrapper gives an excellent contrast with the purple, black and gold bands. Running my fingers over the wrapper it feels only slightly rough with just a bit of an oily sheen. It’s applied well without any visible seams and there are only a couple of minor veins visible. Squeezing the cigar I don’t get much give, though there is the slightest of soft spots towards the foot. When I bring the cigar to my nose the wrapper gives off a pleasant and singular sweet tobacco note, though the foot’s aroma is more complex with notes of cocoa, dried fruits, and toast. The cold draw is a very interesting bouquet of flavors, including notes of dark cherry, vanilla, orange and a little spice on the end that gives it an almost cola-like profile.

Starting the first third I don’t get that interestingly specific cola profile, though many of the notes are still there. Dark cherry, vanilla and orange zest persist, but the spice from before is missing which gave it that cola-like taste. Not very far into the cigar there is a sweet cedar and nutty note that develops, adding nicely to the already interesting and complex profile. The light grey ash is striped with dark grey lines and gives it a pattern very reminiscent of a zebra. Holding well over an inch, the ash still wanted to hold strong when I rolled it off in the ashtray. Towards the end of this third the fruity profile has faded a little, while the cedar and nutty notes have increased in strength.

Toraño Exodus 1959 Finite 2013 Robusto 2

The second third of the Exodus Finite continues with the cedar and nutty notes dominating while a new minor note of hot cinnamon has developed. The construction is still proving to be excellent with the burn straight and ash holding on tight. The fruit notes that were so prominent to begin with have faded to almost nothing at this point, with mostly cedar, nuts and cinnamon making up the profile.

Toraño Exodus 1959 Finite 2013 Robusto 3

Moving into the final third the sweet cedar has turned into more of a dry cedar and the overall flavor has gone a little harsh. With the harshness, not many other flavors are detectable anymore and the cigar kind of flat lines. Construction-wise the Toraño was flawless to the very end however and I am able to smoke it until I can’t hold it anymore.

Toraño Exodus 1959 Finite 2013 Robusto 4

Final Notes:

  • The Exodus 1959 name refers to the mass exodus of tobacco farmers and cigar makers that left Cuba after the revolution.
  • The Toraño family started out as tobacco farmers and moved into cigar manufacturing in the 1980s, though it wasn’t until the 1990s that they made cigars under their own brand.
  • The first two Exodus blends were the Gold label and Silver label, released in 2001 and 2002, respectively. In 2009 a new blend was released called 50 Years, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1959 exodus.
  • Anytime a manufacturer puts a year in a limited edition that isn’t specifically meant to stand for something, you have to wonder if it will become a series.
  • The press release for Exodus Finite indicated these would ship in August, a representative told halfwheel it would not be until mid-September.
  • All three cigars seemed to be very similar in profile, starting off stellar and dropping off somewhere around the halfway point.
  • Likewise, across all three samples I smoked the construction was impeccable.
  • Price point is interesting, with not much difference between the comparatively small Robusto and large BFC, though for my money I’d pick up the Robusto or Toro despite the extra tobacco I might get in the 6 x 60.
  • This cigar was provided to halfwheel by Toraño at IPCPR 2013.
  • Final smoking time averaged an hour and 40 minutes.
  • While the Exodus Finite has not shipped yet, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar, Best Cigar Prices, Cigar King, Famous Smoke Shop, Mike’s Cigars and Superior Cigars all carry Toraño.
86 Overall Score

If I only smoked the first two inches of this cigar, the score would have been obscenely high. Complex, melding perfectly and intriguing, the initial flavors were so enjoyable that the subsequent quelling of flavors brought more disappointment than if the cigar had just been so-so to begin with. Construction on all of them were great, without a single touch up needed across all three samples. Despite the disappointment of the last part of the cigar, I still enjoyed this enough that I can easily recommend seeking these limited cigars out. I’d hesitate to suggest a full box, though I can say that you should definitely grab a fiver and see for yourself what you think of the cigar.

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Brian Burt

I have been smoking cigars since 2005 and reviewing them as a hobby since 2010. Initially, I started out small with a 50-count humidor and only smoking one or two cigars a month. Not knowing anybody else that smoked cigars, it was only an occasional hobby that I took part in. In March of 2010, I joined Nublive and Cigar Asylum, connecting me with many people who also shared an interest in cigars. Reading what they had to say about brands I had never heard of, I quickly immersed myself in the boutique brands of the industry and it was then that cigars transformed from a hobby into a passion.