STUDIO TOBAC SGP-013 Toro

Since 2011, STUDIO TOBAC has released a branded sampler that includes six different cigars that are given away with box purchases at STUDIO TOBAC events all over the country. At least one cigar in each sampler has only been available in the samplers, and some of cigars that debuted in each sampler have been later released in larger numbers at a later date. The tour also features live rolling by STUDIO TOBAC Ambassador Bryan “The Show” Scholle along with the ability to purchase STUDIO TOBAC branded lighters an cutters.

In addition, in 2012, STUDIO TOBAC started raffling off boxes of special blends at every stop in the tour. Last year, the Cain Daytona NUb 460 and STUDIO TOBAC Cain Special Release were raffled off, while this year’s release is the Cain F 543.

The samplers are packaged in soft matte black boxes with a wood insert to identify each cigar, the boxes look like this:

Inside is six cigars, they are:

• Cain Daytona NUb 460
• Cain F 550
• STUDIO TOBAC CTP-013 Toro
• Padilla/STUDIO TOBAC Figurado
• STUDIO TOBAC SGP-013 Toro
• Cain FF Lancero

• Cigar Reviewed: STUDIO TOBAC SGP-013
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Tabacalera Oliva de Nicaragua S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Toro
• MSRP: n/a

• Date Released: April 4, 2013

• Number of Cigars Released: n/a
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 2 

The STUDIO TOBAC SGP-013 looks to be expertly-rolled with a slightly reddish brown wrapper that has quite a bit of tooth to it. There is more resistance than normal when squeezed and a great-looking triple cap on top. The aroma coming off of the wrapper is a combination of strong earth, barnyard, sweet cedar and leather.

The first third of STUDIO TOBAC SGP-013 starts out with strong yet smooth flavors of leather, earth, powdery cocoa and very dark, almost chocolate with just a tiny amount of pepper on the retrohale that does not seem to be getting any stronger. There is a minuscule sweetness that comes forth every once in a while, but it is barely strong enough to notice, let alone place at this point. Construction-wise, the burn and draw are both excellent so far, while the strength ends the first third at a light medium, although it does seem to be increasing somewhat.

By the beginning of the second third of the STUDIO TOBAC SGP-013, the leather note from the first third has really taken the dominant spot in the profile, almost to the point of drowning out most of the other flavors that are present. This continues to be the case until well past the halfway point, when the leather starts to die down a bit, and other flavors of nuts, earth, espresso and echolocate become more prevalent, albeit only slightly. The sweetness from the first third has gone exactly nowhere, but I can still taste it here and there every once in a while. The draw remains excellent, and the burn is wonderful, other than a small crack in the wrapper that quickly disappears as I smoke over it. The strength seisms to be increasing a bit more noticeably and the SGP-013 ends up being firmly in the medium range by the end of the second third.

The final third of the SGP-013 features a receding amount of the leather note, along with more flavors of dark cocoa, earth, espresso and nuts. There is noticeably more strength, and it gets very close to the full mark by the end of the cigar. The pepper on the retrohale is long gone, and the sweetness that I tasted from the first and second thirds has disappeared completely. In the end, the construction finishes as excellent as it began, and I am able to smoke it down to less than an inch before it starts getting hot on me.

Final Notes:

• The burn and draw were amazing on both samples I smoked. There was a bit of a problem with one of the samples about halfway down when the wrapper split, but it really did not run on me, and it did virtually nothing to affect the overall construction.
   
• The lack of smoke production really surprised me, considering the larger ring gauge.
• As you can see from the photo above, the designation names for the prototype cigars have changed from ST-XXX in 2011 and 2012 to SGP-XXX or CTP-XXX, which stand for Sun Grown Prototype and Connecticut Prototype respectively.
• In addition, the 013 in the name SGP-013 and CTP-013 indicates they are the prototypes for the 2013 sampler.
• As has been the case for the previous two years, the first event in the STUDIO TOBAC World Tour was held at Tampa Humidor, this time on April 4, 2013.
• The Cain F 550 in this sampler is thought to be cigars from the first release of the Robustos back in 2009, when a five count box of the unbounded cigars were given to retailers who brought the regular Cain Habano and Maduro lines into their stores.
• The cigars for this review were sent to halfwheel by Oliva/STUDIO TOBAC.
• Charlie reviewed the Cain FF Lancero here, and we have reviews of the STUDIO TOBAC/Padilla Figurado, Daytona NUb 460 and Cain F550 as well.
• As Charlie mentioned, this has been a slow year for Oliva and STUDIO TOBAC, that’s not changing at the trade show. STUDIO TOBAC will have nothing new at the show, which means we will wait longer for the brand’s eponymous Connecticut and Sun Grown lines.
• The cigars for this review were sent to halfwheel by STUDIO TOBAC.
• The final smoking time for both samples was fairly quick, and averaged one hour and 20 minutes.
• At this point, the only way to get the STUDIO TOBAC SGP-013 is as part of this year’s STUDIO TOBAC World Tour Sampler. The only way to get the sampler is to buy a box of Cain or NUb products at a STUDIO TOBAC World Tour event. Having said that, we will be giving away a 2013 sampler in a contest in a few weeks.