Platinum Nova Classic Robusto Review

The Platinum Nova Classic Robusto is a mild cigar that keeps giving. Over 90 minutes it works through cedar, red berries, citrus candy, and nougat with a creamy, buttery texture that never turns heavy. For a Robusto, that smoke time is remarkable, and for what it delivers, the price is easy to justify.

Table of Contents

Construction of the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto

The cigar arrives firm in the hand with a light oiliness across the wrapper. The build is clean and even, with no soft spots. It is a straightforward, well-made cigar that gives you no reason for concern before lighting.

Band Impression

The band strikes an unusual balance. There is elegance to it, but also something that says everyday cigar at the same time. It manages to feel refined without ever suggesting you need a special occasion to smoke it, which suits the cigar underneath rather well.

Size of the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto

Length: 5.5 inches (140 mm)
Ring Gauge: 50 (19.8 mm)
Format: Robusto

A Robusto at 140 mm with a 50 ring gauge. Smoked at a relaxed pace, it delivered a full 90 minutes.

Blend of the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto

The Classic pairs an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper with Dominican Olor binder and Dominican filler. It is handmade in Tamboril, Dominican Republic.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000
Binder: Dominican Olor
Filler: Dominican

Scent and Cold Draw of the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto

Before lighting, the wrapper gave off hay. The foot offered hay and light coffee beans.

The cold draw brought nuts. Clean and simple.

1/3 — Let’s Light Up the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto

The first third opened with a creamy texture on the palate.

The flavors I felt in the first third were cedar, white pepper, cream, and fruitiness. Underneath came light herbs leaning toward oregano, a light citrus candy, a light hay, and a light leather.

The oregano note is what caught my attention here. It is not a flavor I come across often, and having it sit alongside the citrus candy sweetness gives the opening an unusual savory-sweet balance.

The retrohale in the first third was smooth. Cedar and a light general pepperiness. If you are not yet retrohaling, you are missing a good part of what a cigar like this offers, and our complete guide to retrohaling walks you through it.

2/3 — The Platinum Nova Classic Robusto Opens Up

The texture became creamy and buttery at once in the second third. The profile broadened considerably.

The flavors I felt in the second third were herbs, hay, fresh leather, cedar, a fruitiness toward red berries, a citrus tanginess with a citrus candy sweetness, and woodiness. Underneath came a light grass, a light citrus peel, a vanilla bean, light minerals, and a light nougat chocolate.

This is the most complete section of the smoke. The red berries and citrus candy give it brightness, the fresh leather and herbs give it structure, and the vanilla bean and nougat chocolate add a soft sweetness underneath. For a mild cigar, there is a lot happening.

It is the unusual notes that lift this cigar well above what its mild body would suggest, and the citrus candy nuance in particular. It is difficult to put into words. Not citrus exactly, and not sweetness exactly, but something closer to the memory of a citrus sweet. Whatever it is, it gives the Classic a character that separates it from other mild cigars.

The retrohale in the second third was smooth. Cedar.

3/3 — Let’s See How the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto Finishes

The texture stayed creamy with a lighter butteriness in the final third.

The flavors I felt in the final third were cedar, a red berry fruitiness, woodiness, hay in combination with grass, dried herbs, leather, and nuts. Underneath came light minerals, a light saltiness, a light nougat, light ground coffee beans, a light earthiness, and a light anise.

The final third pulls the profile together without losing anything. The cedar and red berries carry through from the second third, while the ground coffee and earthiness add just enough weight to give the close some grounding.

The retrohale in the final third was smooth. Woodiness.

After Taste

The aftertaste lingered with a light walnut and a light woodiness. A gentle, clean close.

Smoke Time

Approximately 90 minutes from lighting to the final puffs. That is impressive for a Robusto of this size. Most Robustos give you 45 to 60 minutes, so getting a full 90 out of this one means you are getting considerably more cigar than the format suggests.

Draw

Excellent throughout. Open and consistent across all three thirds.

Burn Quality

Even and steady. The burn line stayed clean throughout the smoke, and no touch-ups were needed.

Body of the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto

Mild. The body stays gentle across the full 90 minutes without ever building into something heavier, which makes this an easy cigar to spend a long stretch with. That mildness works in both directions. It is a comfortable place to start for a beginner, and the flavor development gives an experienced smoker enough to follow without demanding constant attention. If you want to understand what body actually means and how it differs from strength, our guide to the body of a cigar breaks it down.

Price of the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto

The Platinum Nova Classic Robusto retails at around $14 to $18 per cigar depending on the retailer. Given the 90-minute smoke time and the range of flavors it develops across that span, the price is low compared to what you actually get.

Conclusion

The Platinum Nova Classic Robusto is a mild cigar that gives you far more than mild cigars usually do.

The first third opens with cedar, white pepper, cream, and an unusual oregano herb note alongside citrus candy. The second third is the highlight, bringing red berries, fresh leather, vanilla bean, and nougat chocolate together in a creamy, buttery texture. The final third closes with cedar, red berries, dried herbs, ground coffee, and nuts.

What lifts this cigar is the unusual notes running through it, and above all that citrus candy nuance. It is hard to describe properly, and that is part of what makes it memorable. It is the kind of flavor you keep chasing across the smoke, and it gives a mild cigar a personality that most in its class never develop.

If I compare price versus taste versus quality, the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto is cheap compared to what you get. Ninety minutes out of a Robusto is impressive on its own, and getting this much flavor development in a mild cigar makes it easy to recommend.

It works for beginners and experienced smokers alike. If you are new to cigars, the mild body makes it a comfortable place to start. If you have been smoking for years, the flavor development gives you something to follow without asking much in return. A good choice for a long, unhurried smoke where you want flavor without weight.

FAQ

Is the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto worth buying?

Yes. It delivers a 90-minute smoke with genuine flavor development at a mild body, which is unusual. For the price, you get considerably more cigar than the Robusto format suggests.

What does the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto taste like?

It opens with cedar, white pepper, cream, fruitiness, oregano herbs, and citrus candy. The second third brings red berries, fresh leather, cedar, citrus tanginess, vanilla bean, and nougat chocolate. The final third closes with cedar, red berries, dried herbs, leather, nuts, ground coffee, and a light anise. The aftertaste lingers with light walnut and woodiness.

Who is the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto for?

It suits both beginners and experienced smokers. The mild body makes it an easy and comfortable cigar for anyone newer to smoking, while the range of flavors it develops across 90 minutes gives seasoned smokers plenty to follow. It is a good choice for a long, relaxed smoke where you want flavor without weight.

How strong is the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto?

Mild. It stays gentle throughout without building into stronger territory.

How long does the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto smoke?

Approximately 90 minutes at a relaxed pace. That is notably long for a Robusto, where 45 to 60 minutes is more typical.

What tobacco is in the Platinum Nova Classic Robusto?

An Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper over Dominican Olor binder and Dominican filler, handmade in Tamboril, Dominican Republic.

The Platinum Nova Classic Robusto was purchased independently. No compensation was received for this review. At VDG Cigars, no cigar is reviewed because of who makes it or who asked. Only because it deserves to be.

About the author: Peter Stefanic is the editor of VDG Cigars and a certified cigar sommelier. He has personally reviewed a wide range of cigars and conducted exclusive interviews with brand owners and master blenders across the industry. Every cigar he reviews is smoked in full and assessed on its own merits. Read more about him here.