So...what is an Aquitaine?  My original thought was something to do with water....Aqui, aqua...you know?  Well as it turns out, Aquitaine is a region of southern France where prehistoric humans settled a zillion year ago.  Of course, in the case of this blog post, Aquitaine is actually a line of cigars from RoMa Craft Tobac.  They have a nice story telling feel to their catalog too...paying homage to the birth of man.  As an extension of the CroMagnon line, the Aquitaine is a full bodied monstrosity by all accounts.  Needless to say, I have been dying to try this brand.  I selected the Mode 5, which is named for the era wherein the prehistoric peoples of that area of France began to fashion stone tools shaped very much like the Mode 5's perfecto shape.  Very cool, huh?  Okay, enough blabbing....Here we go....

Construction: A dark, oily, wrapper with mild veins covers the Mode 5.  The cigar is pretty light in hand and it seems smaller than the 5 x 50 would lead you to expect.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: Out of the cellophane, the Mode 5 gives off a massive leather aroma.  I get some mild pepper and sweet tobacco in there too.  The draw is absolutely perfect.  A cold pull gives flavors of sweet tobacco and some raisin notes.

Light and Burn: The Mode 5 burns well.  I had a mildly tilted burn line in the first inch but it was still razor sharp.  After that, the burn line was even Steven all the way to the nub.  Smoke output was massive and the ash was medium gray and very clingy.  Solid performer.

Tasting: Off the start the Mode 5 delivers some black pepper, cedar, salt, and unsweetened cocoa.  A mineral note very much like stone on the finish early on.  A mild raisin appears as well, adding just enough sweetness to the very leathery and peppery core to keep things moving well.  It keeps chucking flavors at me out of nowhere.  There's cream.  A nice sweeter chocolate and some earth pop up too. Strength is full....very full.  Not for the faint of heart or the new cigar smoker.

The second third does soften a tad....but only just.  The overall feel of the cigar is fairly dry, but that is not a bad thing at all.  A mild sweet chocolate, dried peach, cream, and a nice wheat flavor all appear here too.  I can see this cigar causing some damage to the unwary smoker.  Even though not as punchy as the first third, the middle is still full bodied.

The final third is here.  I noticed that the size of the Mode 5 tends to make it smoke pretty fast.  The pepper has dropped sharply throughout the entire smoke and now the core is leather and earth.  Notes of oak, cocoa, and cinnamon close things out as I smoke this baby until it hurts my fingers.  The finish is bright a cool too.  Outstanding cigar.

Value: The Mode 5 will run you $8 and change.  Herein lies the true mastery of a good cigar maker.  Super high quality cigars at everyday smoke prices.  I am sold on RoMa Craft Tobac already...and this is my first trip into their realm.

Final Thoughts: So, how did I like my first RoMa Craft cigar?  It's a fantastic smoke from start to end.  The Ecuadorian Habano ligero wrapper mixed with a Cameroon binder is very unusual and it certainly makes for a very unique flavor profile.  In a world loaded with premium cigars it makes for a nice change to sample something unique.  Again, it's powerful as can be.  Like being mashed in the mouth by a cave man's club.  Like being stomped on my a wooly mammoth.  Personally, I am hooked.  Highly recommended!

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Ligero
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua

Strength: Full

Size: 5 x 50 Perfecto

Gorgeous cigar!

Love the design of the band.  The white is a separate band too....containing an embossed skull.