The Particulars

The Review

This review for the Lampert Continental 52 - Robusto (5 x 52) is based on the journal entry dated 2026-05-29

Appearance & Construction (0-3):  Good (3)

The Connecticut wrapper used here is delightfully lovely. Super-thin veins, a light sheen, bits of mottling, and a beautiful, delightful tan color. The seams are tight and it features a single cap finished with a pigtail. The only real comment I have that isn’t glowing praise is that the wrapper itself is very thin and delicate. Make sure you have a very sharp cutter ready, or at least have your cigar glue on standby. The bands are nicely done with the embossed gold print over black, and I’m assuming the “USA” on the foot band specifically indicates this is a US-grown Connecticut leaf​

Draw (0-3) & Burn (0-4):  Good (3) / Great (4)

The draw is spot-on and the burn starts very cleanly. The ash is a medium gray with tight spacing between the cracks. The burn line is sharp and nicely controlled, though it is a bit wavy. One side is burning a little faster than the other, but it’s not getting out of hand to the point where I feel the need to apply a manual correction. By the midpoint, the burn line isn’t dead-even, but it has definitely improved. Since I’m reaching the large primary band, I decide to gently roll the ash off rather than pushing my luck to see how far it’ll hold.

Flavor Profile (0-5):  Excellent (5)

This cigar starts off so interestingly. There is a lot of hay and cedar alongside some light floral notes, but it’s also bringing in some mushroom-like, earthy, vegetal notes and a distinct sourness like grapefruit. There’s a little bit of baking spice and white pepper to it as well. But things quickly sort themselves out; that sourness is perfectly paired with bits of honey and citrus sweetness, while the vegetal notes mellow out into the background. Light cocoa and coffee notes begin blending in as well. It’s light, just complex enough, and very creamy on the finish with a rich, buttery sweetness.

The second half is maintaining those same core notes: bits of citrus sour and sweet, honey, and the white pepper leaving a really nice tingle. All of those have built to a nice medium intensity. The coffee and cocoa are still light, while the hay and cedar are strongly defining the base notes. It’s 90 degrees in the NOLA region today with a heat index over 100 because of the 70% humidity, and this cigar is hitting perfectly. Though I have to admit, with this heat, the more I look at the bearded man in the top hat on the band, the more he looks like a penguin. And it’s too damn hot for a penguin to be just walkin’ around here. I gotta send him back to the South Pole! 😂

Overall Experience (0-5):  Excellent (5)

Being that this cigar is usually only available through the Lampert Black Card program, it was awesome to be able to get this through the LACC Collective Pack. If you’re not a Black Card member and you happen to get the opportunity to grab it, don’t hesitate. It’s a complex, nuanced, and highly enjoyable Connecticut that’s absolutely perfect for a morning smoke or a brutally hot day. Bottom line, this cigar is a banger.

Overall Score and Individual Journal Entries

While the review is based off one instance of journaling this cigar; there’s a number of reasons you can have different experiences smoking the same cigar multiple times. A blend can evolve with age (for better or worse), palates evolves, preferences change, and sometimes you just get a bad example!  This section captures the ratings from each journal entry and the related journal photo.  Below you’ll find an aggregate score based on every time the cigar has been journaled. Unless it was a gift or on-off smoke, this section will be updated every time I journal this cigar!

The Flavor Wheel

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.

With every cigar I journal, I capture simple ratings of the basic flavor categories that I experience.  These are more generalized than what you would see in a review, but a distinct profile can still be built out.  When multiple instances of the same cigar have been journaled, the scores are averaged out in an attempt to build a reliable flavor profile based on my palate.

The values entered for the strength of each flavor range from 0 to 3.

• 0:   No flavor detected
• 1:   Mild flavor
• 2:   Medium flavor
• 3:   Strong flavor

Note: desktop / large screens will see a flavor wheel while mobile / small screens will see a bar chart.