La Barba Ricochet (english)

La Barba

Ricochet

 

Barba Cigars was founded in 2010 by Tony Bellatto and Craig Rossi. The name Barba was coined by Craig in honor of the one they proudly carried.

Very quickly, they developed an interesting philosophy for the enthusiast that I am:

It's everything that surrounds the cigar that is not the cigar itself. It's the coffee. It's the ring. It's the lighter. It is the wine. It is the watch. It's the bourbon. It's everything you bring to the table with your La Barba. It's secretly sacred to everyone, the ritual is personal. How you cut it. How you light it. The people you share it with. Where you go to relax. The cigar is the reason, but the culture is how it becomes a part of you.

When we make a cigar, we think about the people who are going to smoke it, and that plays into our philosophy. We believe that they come from all walks of life, that they are not just one type of person. With this diversity in mind, we always strive to make our cigars personal, unique and memorable, from their flavor profile to their shape and even their box design. Every component is important. Every retailer matters. Every customer matters.

In 2018, a new range is announced: the Primitivo cigars quickly replaced by Ricochet because Primitivo was already a registered trademark in the cigar world.

The idea for this line was Tony's; since he was a level 3 sommelier with the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, he wanted to make cigars that would pair well with wine. And because he is Italian-American, he turned to Primitivo wine for his first pairing.

 

 

 

Once the scene is set, follow me to the heart of the matter: the tasting!

I have a cape with nice veins that are particularly flat, a nice amount of oil and an overall velvet look. It is enhanced... I would say: the eye is drawn to two rings that will shock many. They are a bright orange. This is really unusual in the vast world of cigar makers. This leaves me wondering why I would make a cigar in association with a wine known to be reddish purple in color and put an orange band on it. I turn to the Belgian importer who tells me that there is already a purple line at Barba.

The rings are therefore orange but also gold; the main one carries La Barba separated by the representation of a straight razor. This time it's Timmy Beylemans who is in charge of it: In my opinion the straight razor is certainly the best way to shave but also the most difficult and the one that requires the most dexterity and precision.

Now, it's true that this kind of razor is stylish and has a great effect. The second ring takes the name of the range: Ricochet

 

 

 

All inscriptions are in relief.

When cold, the flavors are already present, like cayenne pepper, strong coffee, barnyard, fern.

As soon as the foot sets on fire, Arabica coffee moves in with red pepper. They will be quickly followed by creamy chocolate and cedar, all wrapped in a fruity flavor.

 

 

 

In this first part of my tasting, I am in a medium power with a medium-strong intensity of flavors.

I now switch to an aniseed and acerola taste, to quickly return to the strong coffee and peppermint.

 

  

 

I think my vitola would be a good pairing with a cigar box wine or Bulgarian Karnobat. I'm almost halfway through when the power goes up a notch. The draw is perfect, the ash is a nice color and the burn is very good.

It is also at this moment that it takes its cruising speed with a concentration of flavors in a perfectly homogeneous block; and small spikes here and there like toast, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Towards the end, a small change takes place with the presence of old tanned leather and grilled meat.

My tasting is so pleasant that I have already proposed it to several friends and they were all satisfied.

So another discovery that I will classify as very good on the Belgian market.

For this article, I made three tests of the Ricochet cigar of 15.24 cm for a cepo of 54 and two of 14.6 cm for a cepo of 46.

Wrapper: San Andres (Mexico)

Binder: Indonesia

Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Pennsylvania (U.S.A.)

In conclusion: another cigar that will be regularly in my cellars and that I enjoy smoking. I can only encourage you to go to a civet shop that sells it to make your own idea, but I think you will not be disappointed.

Price at the time of writing: 11.40€ for size 46 & 14.40€ for size 54.