Pioneer EX by ChiMolly - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars
- HB Cigars
- 20 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Holy ChiMolly. Every single time I see the name, I have to say it. Holy ChiMolly. I don't know why - it just doesn't feel right not to. Like how you can't eat a single Pringle or resist pressing the crosswalk button even though it clearly doesn't do anything. Some compulsions exist beyond rational explanation. And after smoking this stick? The exclamation feels justified. ChiMolly burst onto the scene in 2024 under founder Zhuofeng Weng, initially peddling handmade porcelain ashtrays before someone apparently told him "hey, maybe make the thing that goes IN the ashtray." The company operates under the slogan "It's all about texture," which sounds like marketing speak until you actually smoke one of their cigars and realize they weren't kidding. The Pioneer is their third release, following the Pangu and Dynasty lines, and it might be the best thing to come out of a company with Chinese characters on the band since fortune cookies started including lottery numbers.
🔥 THE VITALS 🔥
Cigar: ChiMolly Pioneer EX (Robusto Extra)
Master Blender: Zhuofeng Weng
Size: 6" x 52 (Robusto Extra)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Mi Havana Factory, Estelí
Wrapper: USA Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan
Price: ~$16-18 MSRP
Release Date: April 2025
🚀 WE ARE LIT!
Draw: Effortless perfection
Burn: Even and consistent throughout
Smoke Output: Luxuriously thick plumes
Ash: Compact grey, holds with dignity
The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper presents in that gorgeous medium-dark coffee bean shade that photographs so well it should have its own agent. The dual-band presentation features purple and gold with Chinese characters that reportedly translate to something poetic about green ink and jade - the kind of thoughtful branding that makes American cigar companies naming things "BEAST MODE TORPEDO" look like they're trying too hard. Construction from Mi Havana is exceptional here, with tight seams and a cap that actually looks like someone cared about geometry. The secondary band sits three-quarters down the cigar in an unconventional position, which is either an artistic statement or someone at the factory decided to get creative on a Friday afternoon. Either way, I respect the commitment to being different.
🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY
FIRST THIRD: The Velvet Introduction
sweet cream, espresso, dark chocolate, slight pepper
Sweet cream greets you immediately with the warmth of a grandmother who actually likes you, not just the one who gives you socks for Christmas. Espresso develops alongside it - not the bitter dregs from an office Keurig but the real stuff, the kind served by a barista who judges you for ordering anything with more than three syllables. Dark chocolate emerges next, rich and unapologetic, the sort that comes in bars with cacao percentages printed on them like SAT scores. A slight pepper whisper keeps things interesting without being aggressive, just enough spice to remind you this is still tobacco and not an artisanal dessert. The texture the company obsesses over? It's real. This smoke coats your palate like cashmere, assuming cashmere had flavor and you weren't a psychopath who eats fabric.
SECOND THIRD: The Silk Highway
cream, cacao, slight pepper
Cream continues to dominate, proving that ChiMolly's "texture" philosophy isn't just LinkedIn buzzwords made flesh. Or made smoke. You know what I mean. The cacao note shifts from dark chocolate toward something slightly earthier, more raw cacao powder than finished truffle, like you're watching the chocolate-making process in real time. The pepper remains present but polite, the kind of guest who knows how to make conversation without monopolizing the entire dinner party. There's a subtle sweetness threading through everything that prevents the earthier elements from taking over - it's balanced in a way that suggests Weng actually thought about this blend rather than just throwing priming grades at a dartboard. The smoke remains impossibly smooth, each draw feeling like you're inhaling something expensive.
FINAL THIRD: The Crematorium of Flavor
cream, espresso, pepper
Cream persists to the nub because apparently this cigar doesn't believe in third-act letdowns. Espresso reasserts itself with authority now, deeper and more intense, the caffeinated backbone that keeps the profile from floating away on its own smoothness. Pepper finally steps forward to claim its inheritance, building progressively but never overwhelming the established creaminess - think assertive rather than aggressive, like a middle manager who finally got promoted and now walks with purpose. The transitions throughout this cigar have been so seamless that you barely notice you've been smoking for over an hour. This is the kind of finale that makes you immediately want to buy a box rather than just admiring your good taste in singles.
🏆 THE VERDICT:
S TIER
Flavor: S
Construction: A
Availability: B
Price: A+
Final Rating:
From the first draw to the last, this thing is unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. I don't throw S-tier ratings around like candy at a parade - this cigar earned every letter.
📊 BOTTOM LINE
ChiMolly came out of nowhere and started producing cigars that have no business being this good from a brand most people still can't pronounce correctly. The Pioneer EX delivers a masterclass in Connecticut Broadleaf execution, leveraging that wrapper's natural sweetness and earthy richness while the Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers provide depth without muddying the profile. At $16-18 per stick, the price-to-performance ratio enters genuinely absurd territory - this smokes like something that should cost twice as much and come with a waiting list and a condescending tobacconist. The B availability rating reflects the simple reality that ChiMolly is still building distribution and you might have to actually look for these rather than tripping over them at every B&M. Do the legwork. The company's obsession with texture translates into one of the smoothest smoking experiences I've had this year, and the flavor complexity proves that "smooth" doesn't have to mean "boring." Weng clearly knows what he's doing, and if this is what the Pioneer line delivers, I'm genuinely curious what happens when he really starts showing off.
TLDR: Holy ChiMolly indeed - this Connecticut Broadleaf beauty delivers S-tier cream, chocolate, and espresso in a package so smooth it should come with a warning label for your expectations.