BATTLE OF THE 3 MUSKETEERS

By : Risyad Isman CIGAR-UNIVERSE ID - February 2021

BATTLE OF THE 3 MUSKETEERS

By : Risyad Isman

AN INTRO
Hello again folks, how are you all doing today? Hope everyone who’s reading this 6 th edition of the
magazine having a great time.
Just like the title tells you, this time, I will review not one, not two, but THREE cigars simultaneously! But
worry not, actually I’m not smoking and reviewing all 3 cigars at the same time though. I smoke it on
different occasions, but still, to compile all of the reviews into one complete review seems like a MISSION
IMPOSSIBLE kind of task, hopefully I could make it as compact as possible.
The three cigars that would be reviewed on this edition are TARU MARTANI SHORT FILLER
ROBUSTO, AIRLANGGA ROBUSTO, and OORLOG ZACHARIAS MALON. All cigars are given
and provided by Mr. Subhan of cerutumurah.com.
All three cigars are in robusto size with a slight length differences and comes from different price range.
TARU MARTANI SHORT FILLER ROBUSTO would be the most affordable, AIRLANGGA
ROBUSTO on the middle range, and OORLOG ZACHARIAS MALON on the upper range of the price
echelon.
I really want to tell you the history of the short filler cigars and everything else first, but I’m afraid if i put
it all on one part, this article would take the entire magazine just for my review.
To make things short, short filler cigars in general would offer you 3 things : good draw, good construction
& combustion, and affordable price. And the only downside would be the flavor that doesn’t have
transitions and rather simplistic, different from long filler cigars that has complex flavor that changes over
the time you smoke it.
Enjoy!
BATTLE OF THE 3 MUSKETEERS
By : Risyad Isman CIGAR-UNIVERSE ID - February 2021

TARU MARTANI described. It’s still mild-medium body and

SHORT FILLER ROBUSTO
This cigar comes with light brown nicely applied
wrapper, rolled perfectly, good springiness, and
really nice construction. You wouldn’t think that
this is short filler cigars just by the looks. The
wrapper gives you hay grassy aroma with slight
chocolate aroma on the foot. I cut it using punch
cutter and it has chocolate kind of note on the cold
draw.
I really hope there’s any chocolate note on this
cigar….. ah, now I really want a hot chocolate, be
right back, I’m making a hot chocolate.
strength, and zesty earthy lime peel tamarind kind
of note on the palate. I finished the smoke exactly
at 1 hour 10 minute mark.
In conclusion, this premium looking short filler
cigar are quite good at an affordable price range.
It performs well, gives you enough flavor to
enjoy, and this stick is kind of cigar that you
smoke while you doing other things where you
just want to smoke something and do not want to
hassle about the flavor and construction. Once I
tried to pair this stick with a cheap sweet red
wine, and in my opinion, it gives more dynamic
to the sour note of this cigar, you should try it too.

First puff, there’s coffee and sweet peppery

aroma from the smoke, and hint of spices on the
palate. It has mild body and strength with short
finish.
5 minutes in, the flavor are slight sweet with little
bit of spices accompanying the sweetness. It has
earthy note and medium finish on the aftertaste.
10 minutes in, there’s ammoniac note on the
smoke aroma and on the palate, but still
acceptable and not ruining the cigar.
Fun fact : ammoniac note are often found on
the fresh rolled cigar, since it haven’t matured
and aged properly.
Beside the ammoniac note, there is earthy, slight
floral, and kind of sour note on the palate.
Just at the end of the first third, the wrapper burnt
a little bit unevenly, need to touch up a little, and
I could finally define the sour note from before, it
was tamarind note. It has long finish one the
palate, with body and strength still on the mild
side and the retrohale feels pretty smooth.
At the mid point, the pepper starts kicking in, with
the body and strength go up to mild-medium. The
ammoniac note is more potent than before, but
thankfully it’s covered by even stronger earthy
sour note. Now it has lime peel kind of sour note
on the palate.
The ash fell off at the 35 minute mark. Then
again, from the midpoint and the last third, there
isn’t any notable new flavor that could be
BATTLE OF THE 3 MUSKETEERS
By : Risyad Isman CIGAR-UNIVERSE ID - February 2021

AIRLANGGA ROBUSTO are still on the mild side with a long finish on the
palate.
The second cigar comes from MDR cigars
factory. It has dark-ish brown wrapper and very On the way to the final third, the body and
nicely applied cap. Appearance wise, for a middle strength went to the mild-medium side again and
range premium short filler cigar, it doesn’t look there is new nuance coming to this stick. A little
as premium looking as the I thought it would be. bit spices note, sweet & sour earthy vegetal tea on
There’s very visible vein on the wrapper that the palate and very pleasing aroma on the nose.
made it looks cheap, but then again, it would be On the final third, the sour note is becoming more
presumptuous to judge a cigar based only from prominent. It was the tamarind kind of note, with
the looks. let’s see what kind of flavor this stick sweet earthy vegetal lozenge note still lingering
offers to our palate. on the palate. It has long finish and hint of tea on
Hay grassy aroma found on this cigar’s wrapper, the aftertaste. I finished the smoke at exactly 1
with dry tobacco aroma from the foot section. I hour mark.
used two-blade guillotine cutter, the draw is Overall, this is a very good stick indeed.
perfect and there isn’t any notable note from the Although it doesn’t really pleases you with the
cold draw. appearance, but it gives you pleasing flavor that
Upon the first light, the smoke aroma smelled a would cover the shortcomings on the appearance.
little bit peppery on the nose, and on the first puff, It has good smoke production and good flavor
it has kind of tea note with slight nuttiness to it. note. It’s all what needed on a cigar, am I right?
Solid mild-medium body and strength. Smooth Fun Fact : Airlangga from MDR cigars also
retrohale with long finish on the palate. come with many different Vitola / sizes. You
5 minutes in, the aroma become a little bit more should try the other sizes too, it surely gives you
complex, with new sweet tobacco note lingering different experience and different nuances.
on your taste buds. The tea flavor note become
more prominent and the sweet earthy vegetal note
accompanying the tea very well. The smoke
production are quite good and it has thin smoke
texture on your mouth.
10 minutes in, the flavor changes quite a bit. The
sweet note from before are still there but there is
kind of earthy vegetal lozenge eucalyptus thingy
note find its way to the smoke. Still mild-medium
on the body and strength with medium finish. The
ash are solid white.
Just before the end of the first third, the body and
strength toned down to the mild side. The sweet
note comes even more pleasing than before with
a little meaty savory note. It has long finish with
tea aftertaste lingering on the tongue.
This cigar construction are actually pretty good.
The ash really hold on until the midpoint of the
smoke. The notable note still earthy vegetal
lozenge note, a little bit meaty and a little bit
peppery on the retrohale. The body and strength
BATTLE OF THE 3 MUSKETEERS
By : Risyad Isman CIGAR-UNIVERSE ID - February 2021

OORLOG ZACHARIAS MALON The wrapper burnt a little bit unevenly, so touch
up light are needed. So far, the construction still
Here we go with the most premium short filler good and there is no problem whatsoever.
cigar In Indonesia to date. Made by Taru Martani
Cigar Factory, Just from the price side, this cigar At the midpoint, the ash still holding on, it shows
makes you question what kind of flavors this stick that even for a short filler cigar, the construction
offers to you. Boasting Green Gayo tobacco on is impeccable. It has earthy vegetal lozenge sour
its filler, I surely hope it won’t give me “mary kind of note on the palate, with a hint of spices
jane” experience to the smoke *if you know..you note.
know…LOL. Just at the end of the 2nd third, the journey finally
It comes with reddish brown hue on the wrapper begins. Let me ask you a question first. Have you
and it is applied very well. It’s also has well ever smoke short filler cigar that has strong punch
applied pigtail cap. Perfect springiness, and a on the Vitamin N department? As far as I know,
very slight visible vein. The band also looks from all the short filler cigar that I’ve smoked,
majestic. Appearance wise, it is very nice looking from the most affordable up to the most upper
cigar. priced short filler cigar, this is the first time I felt
light headed.
The wrapper gives you earthy dry tobacco aroma
and the same aroma also applies to the foot Don’t be mistaken, I ate lunch before I smoke
section of the cigar. Cut easily with double blade this, but I still feel a really good punch from the
cigar cutter, it gives you earthy dry tobacco on the nicotine strength of this cigar. The body is still on
cold draw. the mild side, but the strength was un-freakin-
believable. It makes me wonder if these are the
The cigar is lit and the first puff gives you effect of the “Green Gayo Tobacco” or anything
complex peppery aroma on the nose and hint of else.
sweet note on the palate. The retrohale feels
pretty smooth with a little bit floral note on the
nose. It has mild body and strength.
5 minutes in, interesting note came in, earthy
vegetal herbal sweet & sour note. The floral note
still there but not as strong as before. The body
and strength still on the mild side.
10 minutes in, the floral note becomes rather sour
and little bit nutty on the palate. Also, there is
such a tangy herbal lozenge note accompanying
on the palate. Well I start to understand if this is
not your daily ordinary short filler cigar. For a
short filler cigar, the variances of flavors it gives
you are rather remarkable. It’s still on the
beginning of the smoke though.
Move on the end of the first third, the notable
flavor are still sour tangy note, strong floral, and
spices note. It still on the mild side of body and
strength with medium finish and sour note on the
aftertaste.
BATTLE OF THE 3 MUSKETEERS
By : Risyad Isman CIGAR-UNIVERSE ID - February 2021

This is the only cigar that literally makes me laid back on the cushion of my chair because of the nicotine
strength. The flavor note are still earthy vegetal sour tangy note, with sweet and sour spices note on the
retrohale. The retrohale still feels pretty smooth with no harshness on it.
From the end of the 2nd third until i finished the smoke, there isn’t any notable new flavor note from this
stick. I finished the smoke at exactly 1 hour 10 minute mark.
Please forgive me, I will leave the final word for this cigar at the conclusion part below, I still feel light
headed even 1 day after I smoke the cigar. LOL.

CONCLUSION
Battle of the 3 musketeers have ended, and now I will choose which one is the best. And the winner is
*drum roll ……. All of it. *disappointed “booing” sound on the background.
In my opinion, there isn’t such a winner or loser on this cigar review and comparison. It would be
preposteruous just to pick a winner. They have their own characteristics, the good and bad points
respectively, and they also come from different price range.
My key points for the review would be the price point compared to the flavor and the smoking experience
on each one of them. Also what every cigars have to offer that they came at their price point.
The first one, TARU MARTANI SHORT FILLER ROBUSTO, it has a really good performance and
really nice construction, even though there’s downside with the quite strong ammoniac note, but then again,
it is a very affordable premium short filler cigar, you can’t get any better than this on this price range.
The second one, AIRLANGGA ROBUSTO, the appearance may not be really convincing. But on the
other side, the construction and performance are very good. It also comes with a really nice flavor
throughout the smoke that makes the price point is still fair in my opinion.
The last one, OORLOG ZACHARIAS MALON, ooh you naughty naughty little stick. This cigar may
not be for all of us. I truly believe some aficionados have good constitution to bear with nicotine strength
this cigar has to offer, but I also believe some aficionados may prefer more mild-medium smoking
experience. Flavor wise, it has good flavor note, has some transitions on it, and the construction are really
good also. I believe the overall experience are quite new for all of you who are willing to give this stick a
try, and I am sure that kind of new experience become the factor of what makes this cigar a little bit pricey
for a short filler cigar.
With that said, thank you again to Mr. Benny of cigaruniverse.id for giving me the chance to put my
review on the magazine, and to Mr. Subhan of cerutumurah.com for providing me these flavorful sticks.
Peace out!