West Tampa Tobacco Co. Black Robusto

There is no dearth of examples when it comes to people in cigars leaving jobs at one company only to strike out and launch their own brand in the industry: Steve Saka left Drew Estate to start Dunbarton Cigar and Trust, Jon Huber and Mike Conder left CAO to found Crowned Heads and Michael Herklots and Brendon Scott started Ferio Tego after being long-time employees at Nat Sherman.

So it was no great surprise when Rick Rodriguez—who left his job at CAO in March, where he was a blender and ambassador—announced he would be starting a brand new company with a fellow former employee of General Cigar Co., Gus Martinez, who is serving as the new company’s president.

That company is named West Tampa Tobacco Co. and the first releases are simply named Black and White, both of which are being made at the Garmendia Cigars Co. factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. In terms of blend, the White incorporates an Ecuadorian habano wrapper covering Nicaraguan binder and filler, while the Black also uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, but from a higher priming to give it a darker color and stronger flavor. The binder used for the Black line is also different from the White—a Nicaraguan binder from the volcanic island of Ometepe—while the fillers come from Nicaragua’s Condega and Estelí regions.

The West Tampa Tobacco Co. website expands on Rodriguez’s history:

The seed for West Tampa Tobacco Company was planted in 1953, when Rick Rodriguez’s grandparents, both highly respected master cigar rollers, heeded the call of the U.S. They left behind the glamour of Havana for U.S. shores, seeking to capitalize on the booming cigar business of West Tampa, Florida.

Their love of tobacco skipped a generation, gathering momentum when it was awakened in their beloved grandson Rick. Growing up in West Tampa, in the shadow of the once-bustling cigar factories, taught Rick the value of hard work and instilled in him grit and determination.

His grandparent’s stories of Havana and Cuban cigars in their heyday were never far from Rick’s mind. So, when the opportunity to work in the cigar business knocked, Rick was quick to answer. He soon found himself studying at the right hand of industry legends, most notably Benji Menendez who freely transferred his knowledge to Rick. Decades later, Rick has been recognized as a cigar master in his own right.

Both the Black and White lines debuted in the same three vitolas.

The West Tampa Tobacco Co. Black cigars began shipping to retailers on June 20 packaged in 20-count boxes.

• Cigar Reviewed: West Tampa Tobacco Co. Black Robusto
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Garmendia Cigars Co.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
• Binder: Nicaragua (Ometepe)
• Filler: Nicaragua (Condega & Estelí)
• Length: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Robusto
• MSRP: $8.99 (Box of 20, $179.80)
• Release Date: June 20, 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

At first glance, there is plenty to love about how the West Tampa Tobacco Co. Black Robusto looks: the dark brown wrapper is velvety smooth to the touch while exhibiting a noticeable amount of oil as well as a number of smaller veins. However, after a physical inspection, I find a soft spot on each of the three cigars: one located just under main band, while the other two are located near the cap of the cigar. Aromas from the wrapper include light notes of sweet but generic wood, manure, hay, leather, earth and dark fruit. Notes from the foot are more distinct and include more wood—strong enough to identify as oak—espresso beans, powdery cocoa nibs, black pepper and sweet cherries. After a straight cut, the cold draw brings flavors of creamy oak, freshly brewed coffee, dark chocolate, black pepper, dark cherry sweetness and a small amount of varnish.

The profile starts with starts out with black pepper and earth—along with a bit of mushroom—which transforms into the main flavors of creamy oak and ground coffee. Secondary notes of hay, leather tack, sourdough bread, nutmeg allspice and a slight pencil lead flavor flit in and out at various points, while black pepper and cherry sweetness are noticeable on the retrohale. There is also a bit of spice on my tongue, but it becomes less and less noticeable as the first third burns down. Flavor is a sold medium, while both the body and strength are in tandem at a point just under medium. In terms of construction, the draws are excellent after straight cuts and the smoke production is massive off of the foot, though one cigar needs a quick and minor correction with my lighter.

There is a major change in the profile of the cigar during the second third as the main flavors switch to a combination of mesquite and leather. Additional flavors of earth, charred meat, salted potato chips, nutmeg, cocoa nibs and a slight vegetal note are noticeable, but the mushroom flavor from the first third is long gone by the halfway point. Sweet cherries and black pepper are still very obvious on the retrohale, although there is more of the latter as the second third comes to a close. Flavor and body have increased to a point just over medium, while the strength has increased noticeably to medium-plus. The smoke production and the draws continue to give me no issues whatsoever, but a different cigar runs into burn problems that need a couple of corrections to stay on course.

Mesquite and leather easy continue to be the main flavors in the profile of the Black Robusto during the final third, followed by notes of charred meat, earth, cinnamon, roasted espresso beans, dark chocolate and light citrus peel. As the final third burns down there is also a new mineral saltiness on my lips that seems to be getting stronger and a slight spice on my tongue. Flavor bumps up to medium-plus by the end of the cigar, and while the body stays at just over medium while the strength ramps up quicker than before to end at medium-full. Finally, there continues to be quite a bit of smoke emanating from the foot while the draw on all three cigars remains wonderful, but two cigars need corrections before I put the nubs down with about an inch left.

Final Notes

• Quite a few cigar blends incorporating Ometepte tobacco have not impressed me, mostly because it seems that specific tobacco tends to overwhelm quite a bit of the profile with flavors of dirt and earth. Having said that, thankfully this blend is not one of those cigars.
• Tampa—and specifically its Ybor City neighborhood—was once the capital of the global cigar industry. A drive through Ybor City shows many of the old cigar factories still standing, some dilapidated and vacant, some renovated to apartments and offices, but there is currently only one where cigars are still rolled: J.C. Newman Puros de Esteli Nicaragua S.A. (PENSA.)
• Make no mistake, this is a medium-full blend, although it should be noted that the majority of the ramp-up in strength occurs in the final third.
• The bands are very well done, although the “T” in the logo instantly reminded me of the Tesla logo.
• The burn line was never razor sharp on any of the three cigars I smoked and each one needed at least a couple of corrections at different points. There were two times when the burn got a bit wanky, but they were easily fixed before things got out of control.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time for all three cigars averaged out to one hour and 29 minutes.
• If you would like to purchase any of the West Tampa Tobacco Co. Black Robustos, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co. and LM Cigars have them in stock on their websites.