The KSG Lonsdale by Rojas

    Noel Rojas is the self crowned King of Small Gauge cigars. The KSG, released in 2020, is the third line of Rojas cigars which utilize vitolas of 50 RG or less. Not everyone is a fan of smaller ring gauge, but smaller rings are seemingly making a comeback, which is welcomed by the likes of me.

  The KSG is produced at the Rojas Cigar Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Rojas also blends for other cigar makers here, and you probably have heard of them! His love for small ring cigars is obvious by the cigar packaging.

  The KSG Lonsdale is a limited edition, with only 1,000 boxes of 10 cigars per box. The “Lonsdale” stands at 6 & 1/4” x 42 RG, making it a skinny Lonsdale by traditional standards. The cigar is aesthetically gorgeous, donning a pigtail cap. The KSG has a 5 year aged Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, with binder and fillers from the Somoto region of Nicaragua. A skinny cigar such as this with a full flavor profile is a daunting task for a blender. The filler/binder/wrapper ratio has to be blended and executed with precision for consistent quality. Too much of one component can result in an unpleasant cigar.

Upon first light, my palate was getting punished by the KSG. Although this might sound good, it wasn’t. The first inch or so of the cigar was very rough. The draw of the cigar was on the looser side, so I decided to slow down my puffs and relax. Smoking this cigar slow rewarded me greatly. Once I was in my skinny smoking groove I was able to enjoy the cigar, and it really picked up at the 2nd third and got better as the cigar went along. The profile is definitely full in my opinion. Each puff is intense and very rich. Espresso, earth, red pepper, and bread notes are what I picked up beginning at the 2nd third.

While I am a fan of skinnies, I may not be a fan of full flavored skinnies- which may not give me the fairest take on the KSG. I would recommend this cigar to anyone who likes a full flavored experience and wants to dive into smaller ring gauges. I’m glad I tried one, and would smoke another- even though it may not have a place in my go to stash.