Edgar Hoill OSOK Travieso

02 Oct 2013 • Posted by Jack • Edgar Hoill Cigars • 4226 views

Let me get the basics out of the way first. Edgar Hoill is a renowned photographer of urban life and culture. His photos are terrific too - worth checking out. His new cigar company is in conjunction with Christian Eiroa of CLE cigar fame - formerly of Caamacho. Anyway, the old OSOK (One shot one kill) was made through Camacho as part of the Room 101 line. This new one - subject of the review herein - is not the same as the original OSOK.

Okay, now that is out of the way....I am sitting around waiting for the government to reopen so I can go back to work. What better way to pass the time than with a cigar? So, without further ado, let's light up the new Edgar Hoill OSOK Travieso - which translates to mischievous or naughty.

Construction: Like the previous OSOK cigars, this one is wrapped in a groovy looking paper sleeve that sports and very Aztec/Mayan looking fellow wearing a jaguar mask. A beautiful light brown wrapper covers this nifty cone shaped pyramid. About a half-inch of shaggy foot completes the effect of what is just a great looking cigar.

Pre-light Aroma and Draw: Out of the paper sleeve, I get some cedar spice, coffee and some leather. The draw is spot-on and a cold draw gives off a sweet tobacco and mild raisin flavor.

Light and Burn: The shaggy foot is a little harder to light than I was planning on - outside with matches. Overall though, three matches is nothing to sneeze at. The burn produces a terrific aromatic smoke and the line stays pretty even from start to finish - I had a couple or minor touch-ups thanks to a mild breeze but nothing to worry about.

Tasting: The OSOK starts off with a warm blast of cedar and a touch of black pepper while I puff up to the wrapper leaf.

The first third starts off with a nice smooth character. I am getting some citrus, coffee, and leather notes. The smoke is giving off a nice freshly sawed lumber woody aroma that I really dig. I am going to say medium bodied so far. I am also getting a nice roasted nut flavor. Overall creamy smooth and very enjoyable so far.

The second third continues the same terrific aromatic smoke and awesome flavors from the first 3rd. I am getting a bit more coffee and some added black pepper now. It's a slow burner too. The pepper continues to increase but doesn't overpower the leathery core. As the 2nd third burns past the citrus drops way down.

The final third is here with a great red peppercorn flavor replacing the black pepper. Coffee and leather still make up the core of the smoke and I can't complain about that one bit. This is a very well balanced and blended cigar. The strength level punches up to medium full so novice smokers should be warned that although it looks light and has cool presentation, it is not as mild as you might think. There is a hint of maple and oak as the cigar burns towards the nub. Just flat out terrific.

Value: The OSOK Travieso will run you around $8 or more. Personally, I would like to see this little gem at about a buck cheaper, but I am not going to complain too much. It's damned fine for that price.

Final Thoughts: Alright this thing is flippin' delicious. If you like flavors of leather, coffee, and citrus then look no further than this new incarnation of the OSOK. I was expecting something more along the lines of the original and ended up with something totally different and unexpectedly awesome. I was a little cautious of this cigar - not knowing what it would be like - but I must have switched off my brain because it was bound to be good with Eiroa's name attached to it. Without a doubt, I highly recommend this beautiful cigar.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

Strength: Medium-full

Size: 5 1/2 x 54/38 Pyramid