Some cigars are just a blend. This one is a reunion. West Tampa’s Rick Rodriguez built the Circle of Life alongside Ernesto Pérez-Carrillo Jr., the mentor he once trained under, and the whole cigar carries that story.
The West Tampa Circle of Life Toro is a 6×54 parejo made in the Dominican Republic at Casa Carrillo, the E.P. Carrillo factory. It wears an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper over an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, with Nicaraguan tobacco and Dominican Corojo ’99 in the filler. It smokes medium to medium-full, and it ships in boxes of 20.
- West Tampa Circle of Life Toro, a 6×54 in Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro over Ecuadorian Sumatra, with Nicaraguan filler and Dominican Corojo ’99. Made in the Dominican Republic at Casa Carrillo, sold in boxes of 20.
- Earth, leather, and black pepper lead, with dark chocolate, espresso, and cedar filling in around them. Medium to medium-full, well built, and richer than West Tampa’s Nicaraguan work.
- BLC Rating: 90/100. A serious, layered cigar that earns its story, the reunion of a blender and the mentor who taught him poured into one Toro.
FROM THE PORCH
Placeholder pending Norm. Send me where you picked up this Circle of Life, how long it rested, and the porch session with Dallas, and I will write the two paragraphs here and drop your two real photos into the grid below. Ends: “My notes are below.”
BEHIND THE BLEND
West Tampa Tobacco Co. was founded by Rick Rodriguez, a former CAO master blender. He learned much of the craft under Ernesto Pérez-Carrillo Jr., and the Circle of Life is their collaboration. Rodriguez took it to Casa Carrillo, the Pérez-Carrillo family factory in the Dominican Republic, not the Nicaraguan house West Tampa normally uses. The name is the whole point, a blender coming full circle with the mentor who taught him. That history is why this cigar reads less like a product and more like a thank-you in tobacco.
BLC BLEND BREAKDOWN
BLEND SPECS
THE VITOLA LINEUP
| VITOLA | SIZE | FORMAT |
|---|---|---|
| Robusto | 5 × 52 | Parejo |
| Toro, reviewed | 6 × 54 | Parejo |
| Gigante | 6 × 60 | Parejo |
All three ship in 20-count boxes, and all three are round parejos with no box press. The Toro reviewed here sits in the middle at 6×54, and it is the size most people will reach for first. The Robusto runs a little quicker and more focused, the Gigante a little slower and cooler. The blend holds across the line, so you are mostly choosing how long you want to sit.
THE COLD DRAW
The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro, dark and oily with a fine tooth and tight seams. The band is worth a look, gold lettering reading CIRCLE OF LIFE above a small WT shield. The pre-light aroma off the foot is cocoa, barnyard earth, and a little cedar. A straight cut opens a firm, even draw with cold notes of dark chocolate, leather, and raisin sweetness. It reads rich and serious before the flame ever touches it.
BLC CIGAR PROFILE
Here is the shape of it: the Circle of Life stacks earth, leather, and black pepper over a sweeter base of dark chocolate and espresso, with cedar tying the whole thing together. It is medium to medium-full, it builds as it goes, and it stays balanced the whole way. There is real depth here, and the strength climbs enough to notice by the end. Judged as a rich, layered Dominican, it delivers.
THE FIRST THIRD
The first light opens with leather and a clean crack of white pepper. A dark-chocolate sweetness settles in underneath, and toasted grain and nuts fill the middle. There is a faint cherry note riding on the chocolate, with a little coriander lift on the retrohale. Nothing here is shy, the cigar comes out of the gate with intent and stays composed.
THE SECOND THIRD
The middle is where it gets rich. Espresso and dark chocolate move to the front, and a sweet cream note rounds off their edges. A thread of salted caramel shows up, with a bright touch of citrus and a warm barrel funk behind it. Red pepper ticks up on the retrohale, keeping the sweetness honest. The burn stays even and the smoke stays cool.
THE FINAL THIRD
The last third turns up the spine. Red pepper flake and dark-roast coffee take the lead, with leather and charred cedar underneath. A late vanilla sweetness drifts in and softens the finish, and the nuttiness carries through to the band. The strength is real by now, so this is a smoke you want on a full stomach. Take it slow and it closes long, warm, and satisfying.
OVERALL RATING
BLC OVERALL RATING
A 90 is an easy score here. The Circle of Life is well made, layered, and full of character, a Dominican that earns the story printed on its band. Earth, leather, and pepper over dark chocolate and espresso give it real depth, and the medium-full strength lands with weight without turning harsh. It is not a quiet cigar, and it does not want to be, it wants to be remembered.
WHO GRABS THIS CIGAR
This is a cigar for the smoker who wants substance and a story in the same hand. It suits palates that like earth, leather, and pepper over a sweet, roasty base, and it rewards paying attention through the thirds. Give it an evening, a full stomach, and a dark spirit, and it will meet all three. This is not a background smoke, it wants a seat at the table.
Reach for it when you want depth and a little weight, not a quiet afternoon cigar. Skip it if you want something mild or short, that is not what this one is for. At around $14 it is a fair ask for what it delivers, a serious Toro with a genuine reason to exist.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Common questions about the West Tampa Circle of Life Toro 6×54.
