August 31st, 2017

Nat Sherman unveiled the Sterling at the 2013 IPCPR show as the 4th cigar line introduced under Michael Herklots (following on the heels of the 1930, and Timeless Dominican and Nicaraguan). The Sterling was blended as a mild cigar, which concentrated more on balance and flavor rather than on sheer strength.

The Short Robusto, which I’m reviewing here, is a new vitola to the line. The shortened Robusto format now seems to be the hot size in cigars. The Sterling adds a milder bodied cigar in the lineup, as the 1930 and both versions of the Timeless are medium to full-bodied. Let’s take a look at the specs.

Specifications

Size: 4 inches by 52 ring gauge
Vitola: Short Robusto
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
MSRP: $11.90

My review sample was purchased from The Cigar Shop in Biloxi, MS.

Pre-light

The wrapper had a nice golden hue to it, and was very smooth. The draw was perfect, with just enough tension to not let the cigar burn hot. The cold draw displayed flavors of butter croissant and sweet cream.

First half

I got notes of oak, butter croissant, sweet cream and a bit of cinnamon. The burn was excellent, with nice smoke production. The cigar was very tasty, and paired nicely with my morning Kama Sumatra from Layne Coffee.

Last half

The spice picked up during the last half. I now sensed some white pepper along with the cinnamon, toasty notes, oak and a hint of that sweet cream. The cigar still burned excellently, and continued to smoke well. I did have to slow down my smoking pace near the end in order to keep the Short Robusto from getting too hot.

Overall Impressions

I really loved this cigar. The smaller vitolas generally do shine more for me in the blend though, as there seems to be more concentration in flavor. This Short Robusto is my second favorite size in the line behind the Perlas, but it’s a very close second. The flavors are outstanding for a mild cigar.

The Sterling does remind me somewhat of a Davidoff type cigar, which makes sense, as that’s Michael Herklots’ previous employer. All in all, I think it’s a fantastic cigar – well worth the $10.00-plus price tag. Check this one out at your local brick and mortar store.