One of the cigars that we were lucky enough to try during the PCA Trade Show 2021 was the Lampert 1675 Edición AZUL Both myself and Tim were impressed when we first smoked it. Impressed enough to add it to our list of cigars to watch for after the trade show. For those who may not be in the know, Dr. Stephan Lampert hails from Austria and is a lawyer by trade. He met Indiana Ortez, daughter of tobacco legend Omar Ortez, on a trip to Nicaragua. There, the collaboration for the 1675 Edición AZUL was born. The 1675 Edición AZUL features an Ecuadorian wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Peruvian fillers, all from the Ortez family farm.
OVERVIEW
VITOLA: Robusto
SIZE: 5″ x 50
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
FACTORY: Fábrica AGROTABACOS, Nicaragua
WRAPPER: Ecuador
BINDER: Nicaragua
FILLER: Nicaragua, Peru
STRENGTH: Medium
SOURCE:
Oxford Cigar Company
ENVIRONMENT
WHERE:
The garage
WHEN:
February 7 @1:00pm
DRINKS:
Ice Mountain bottled water
WEATHER:
65° in the garage
HOW MANY CIGARS SMOKED:
3
PRODUCTION
RELEASE TYPE Regular Release
ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE March 2021
TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size: Boxes of 20
Production Totals: Unknown
VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o Robusto (5″ x 50)
o Short Robusto (3-3/4″ x 52)
o Toro (6″ x 52)
BAND DESIGN
The band for the 1675 Edición AZUL is sharp. Featuring an emblem gifted to the Lampert family in 1675. The emblem and its colors hold special meanings that you can read about here. Regardless of their meaning, the gold and blue accents pop next to the white. Most cigar smokers enjoy a good story. In fact, that’s what draws a lot of aficionados and enthusiasts to a new cigar. The band on the 1675 Edición AZUL should make most folks look to the Lampert website to see story behind the brand and the bands.
PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
The wrapper is rough to the touch, almost like a sandpaper, and the color of mocha. There is no tooth to it, but veins are found in abundance. The seam is visible. The cap appears to applied by an expert. The cigar does feel a bit firm, but there are no obvious hard or soft spots.
AROMA
The Azul 1675’s wrapper is full of barnard goodness. There might also be a hint of cedar, but it is hard to detect through the overwhelming barnyard. What a glorious smell. The foot has a musty funk to it, that enhances the barnyard note. There’s a sweetness that just peeks through. A fruity note hangs about, as well.
COLD DRAW
The cold draw reveals an almost salty potato chip note. Notes of fruit and baking spices linger on my palate.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE
LIGHT & DRAW
Cut: Les Fines Lames LE PETITE cigar knife
Fire: ST Dupont Hooked
The initial light is a blast of salt and pepper, while cedar lingers on the finish. The draw is a bit tight, but not tight enough to cut more from the cigar or go digging around with a PerfecDraw tool. Baking spices, pepper, and an earthiness that I can’t quite describe. The light was effortless and the initial burn is exquisite.
SMOKE
The smoke output is plentiful with each draw! It is creamy and oh-so-satisfying. As the cigar rests, the smoke fades to a trickle.
FIRST THIRD
>> Cedar, Black Pepper, Chocolate
Cedar is the dominant flavor to begin. Black pepper rules the retrohale. A nice mushroom like funk lies underneath, setting the rhythm like a bass guitarist. There’s a chocolate note that lingers on the finish. The saltiness from the initial light begins to enhance instead of overpower. The draw has loosened up to an almost perfect resistance. The burn is razor sharp and the ash is grey with streaks black running through. It resembles a stack of dimes. Not a stray ash in sight. Cedar, chocolate, and mushroom stay strong, but the cedar note begins to take a backseat to the chocolate. Baking spices start to re-emerge. The salt and chocolate play wonderfully together. The mushroom that was laying down a funky bass track is adding a wonderful meaty depth to the Azul 1675. I detect a hint of fruit for just a moment. Is that foreshadowing or am I losing my mind?
SECOND THIRD
>> Wood, Barnyard, Baking Spices
The middle third begins with a subtle fruitiness mixing with the salt and chocolate. The funky bass line of mushroom has become a wonderful barnyard note with the mustiness to go along with it. The chocolate melts into it. The retrohale is a mix of white pepper and baking spices. The ash is still holding on and is as compact as any ash I’ve seen. The burn line is less than razor sharp, but it is burning even. The ash finally falls of its own accord, landing in a heap in the ashtray. The wet wood has morphed into a charred wood note and there is just a trace of salt lingering on my tongue. This middle third lacks the “oomph” of the first third, but is still solid and enjoyable.
FINAL THIRD
>> Dark Chocolate, Coffee, Baking Spices
Black pepper rules the retrohale. Dark chocolate and coffee notes accompany the charred wood from the second third. There’s a mineral note and a bit of lemon zest starting to shine through. There’s some very nice baking spices that are adding nuance and complexity. Where was this in the middle third? The burn is back to razor sharp and the ash is still compact and gorgeous. A beautifully constructed cigar. The salt from the first two thirds returns, as does the charred wood from the middle third. It goes surprisingly well with the coffee and dark chocolate. There’s a bit of avocado oil on the finish that adds a new dimension to the Azul 1675. The cigar ends with blasts of chocolate, coffee, and baking spices. Delicious.
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
FLAVOR PROGRESSION
The first and final thirds of the 1675 Edición AZUL are the stars of the show, and the final third was my favorite. The flavors always seemed to play off of each other and intermingle in ways that made for a very pleasant smoking experience. The issue for me is that middle third. While it was still enjoyable, it lacked the nuance and complexity that the rest of the cigar brought with it.
BURN EXPERIENCE
Much like the flavor progression, the 1675 Edición AZUL had some issues in the middle third. Nothing that required a touch-up or relight, but the burn line became unstable during the middle third of each one that I smoked. It was the damnedest thing.
RATING BREAKDOWN
0.70 / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.45 / 0.50 … Pre-Light Characteristics
0.50 / 0.50 … Lighting Process
6.80 / 7.70 … Smoking Experience
0.48 / 0.50 … Personal Enjoyment
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- Great construction.
- The flavor profile was spot on.
- The middle third lacked nuance or complexity.
A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.
The Lampert Cigars’ 1675 Edición AZUL Robusto is more than a solid entry for Lampert Cigars. While Lampert Cigars is a relative newcomer to the industry, the 1675 feels like it’s been here for a while. Probably due to the collaboration between Dr. Lampert and Indiana Ortez. A medium bodied cigar that falls just short of a masterpiece. Holding it back is the middle third. While still immensely enjoyable, the middle third just doesn’t pack the punch that the rest of the cigar does. It feels almost a bit boring by comparison. While the middle third doesn’t quite deliver, it hardly feels like a misstep.
