Cavalier Genève US Regional Exclusive Petit Robusto

Late in 2022, Cavalier Genève announced that it was updating one of its lines: what was previously known as USA Exclusive became known as the US Regional Exclusive, though it was more than a name change.

While both versions of the cigar use a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, the rest of the blends’ details differ dramatically.

The binder is now a Connecticut-seed leaf from Honduras while the fillers come from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and the United States. The old version used Nicaraguan tobacco for the binder and filler.

In addition, the packaging has been updated, making it the second iteration of this cigar, which debuted in 2016 as the Black Series. While it became the USA Exclusive in 2018, it kept the Black Series branding, though the company added a foot band. Now the packaging is entirely different, with no black color used.

“We have been working to separate this line from the affiliation it had with other products in the portfolio,” said Sebastien Decoppet, founder of Cavalier Genève, in a press release when the change was announced in December 2022. “We all went through the process of reimagining what that cigar was meant to be, now part of a Regional Exclusive section of the Cavalier lineup that will showcase several regional products for countries across the world.”

• Cigar Reviewed: Cavalier Genève US Regional Exclusive Petit Robusto
• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: Fábrica Centroamericana de Tabaco S.A.
• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Honduras (Connecticut)
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua & U.S.A.
• Length: 4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Petit Robusto
• MSRP: $9.90 (Box of 20, $198)
• Release Date: December 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

We typically avoid reviewing vitolas smaller than a robusto because they are less likely to indicate how a blend tastes across a broader range of sizes. I bring that up because this is an exception to that rule. The wrapper color is a dark umber and mocha color with some gray hues. Obviously, the star of this show is a diamond, a piece of edible gold foil applied to the wrapper, which on this short vitola is very close to both the top and bottom of the cigar. There’s quite a bit of oil and veins on the wrapper, though neither is immediately apparent, thanks to the gold and paper bands. The aroma from the wrapper has sweet barnyard over hickory and fresh bark, around medium-plus. The foot has barnyard and cocoa over some artificial grape, sourness and acidity. An artificial chocolate flavor leads leather, fruitiness and some oranges on the cold draw, which is medium-full and a touch open in terms of resistance. I don’t pick up much acidity when smelling the wrapper itself, but it’s very apparent when I take a cold draw of the final cigar.

The Cavalier Genève US Regional Exclusive Petit Robusto starts quite toasty with acorns and woody flavors breaking through after a few seconds. Those three flavors are followed by some slightly sweet chocolate that turns bitter before earthiness and toastiness emerge during the finish. One of the cigars is a bit sour to start, and another is affected by a somewhat open draw. There’s not much room between the foot of the cigar and where the gold foil starts, but I find that part to be somewhat dry with lots of wood flavors over acorns and toastiness. There’s some mild sweetness intertwined with some grain and a touch of metallic flavors. I can’t tell much of a change when the gold starts to ignite, but the grain flavors increase slightly. What doesn’t happen is the cigar turning a lot more metallic. Creaminess and grains overwhelm the wood flavors. Secondary flavors include metal, leather, white pepper, black pepper and some vodka-like flavors. Retrohales have meatiness, earthiness and leather over a touch of dryness and some pepper. It finishes with a peculiar herbal flavor that reminds me of a liqueur. Whatever that flavor is, it’s joined by some sharp white pepper and some underlying sweetness. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium-plus, and strength is medium. Construction is fine for the first third, which lasts around 20 minutes.

And just like that, the second third is here. Given the short length and the gold diamond, it’s a bit surprising to see just how quickly the midpoint of the cigar arrives. The meatiness and a Kelloggs-like grain flavor take over as the one-two punch of the cigar, while the wood flavors are now reduced. Also not as intense are the metallic flavors, which is interesting considering that the amount of literal burning metal is hitting its peak. The finish has damp woods and earthiness over some roasted flavors. There’s not much in the way of pepper, but there’s some sharpness. That continues on the retrohale, where the Cavalier Genève US Regional Exclusive has sharpness followed by some acorn-like nuttiness, burnt potato chips, a melon sweetness and then lots of grain flavors. A peculiar spice-like flavor ties everything together, but I can’t identify what it is. The finish adds some more toastiness to the other flavors that were present during the retrohale; on one cigar, I get some fragrant floral flavors and a generic green vegetable melody. Flavor is medium or full, body is close to full and strength is medium-plus. Each cigar needs a touch-up to help smoke production before the halfway mark, while the burns are generally pretty even, there is some slight tunneling.

The second third of the cigar goes by quickly enough that I find very little of the cigar left after finishing up my notes from that portion. Because there is not much physical distance between the second and final thirds, it’s not surprising that there’s not much of a change in the final third. It is a bit drier than the second third, though more of a culmination of the path that it was on rather than some significant adjustment. Earthy and woody flavors continue to play a prominent role, then there’s a more basic grain flavor. Toastiness picks up in the finish, but I’m hard-pressed to tell what else has changed compared to my notes from the second third, as damp woods, earthiness, roasted flavors and sharpness are still present. Retrohales are similar, though the burnt potato chip flavor no longer joins the nuttiness, grains and sweetness. Like before, the grain flavors seem reduced. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium-full and strength is medium-plus. The cigar can be smoked with less than an inch left, but it’s not the easiest due to reduced smoke production.

Final Notes

• This would be an example of a cigar that does not need to be reviewed in thirds.
• Cavalier Genève appears to have a Swiss regional in the works. Switzerland is the home country of Sébastien Decoppet, the brand’s founder.
• These bands are a modified version of the classic Cuban Ramón Allones band, though they also remind me of Cuban Dunhills.

• A lot is going on in the picture above.
  • You can see a patch job near the cap.
  • The white side of the band is showing, and I really like how it creates contrast.
  • You can see some pieces of gold outside the gold diamond.
  • The texture in the band is more apparent.
• I’ve smoked many Cavalier Genève cigars over the years, but I don’t think I’ve ever thought about the fact that the gold leaf will be hot. That was until I accidentally brushed over it and felt the heat even though the burn line was a half-inch away from the place I touched.
• While I’m sure it affects flavor, I’ve never been able to detect a change in flavor due to the burning of the gold foil.
• Cavalier Genève has started releasing cigars without the gold diamond in the last year.
• Cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was one hour to one hour and 15 minutes.
• Site sponsor Cigars Direct carries the Cavalier Genève US Regional Exclusive Petit Robusto.