Artie 96 – This fat robusto is wrapped in dark brown tobacco that smells earthy and sweet. Large veins are visible running down its side. This cigar is packed with filler and has a substantial feel. The foot shows good bunching and the cap looks solid. The cold draw tastes musty like a well aged cigar. This is unusual for a new stick and makes me think the blend contains some very old tobacco. With a perfect draw the cigar lights easily and puts out abundant smoke. The first inch is smooth with no harshness, and presents a walnut and peat profile. This is a fun cigar to smoke…easy draw, great burn, and a nice rich flavor. There is also a nice tingle on the tongue that leaves my mouth moist. The finish on this stick is really tasty. Mid way, a menthol quality emerges and I find myself unable to put it down. This cigar really wants to be smoked! At the nub all the flavors meld into a meaty, creamy, and complex profile that is quite satisfying. This is a very impressive cigar.
Rob 84 – This is not the most beautiful stick. It is a maduro robusto with a few prominent veins and visible but tight seams. It has a very muted but oily wrapper with a somewhat sloppy triple cap. Very firm pack. With a straight cut it has a reasonable draw but somewhat firm. The stick seems very tightly packed. The initial impression on lighting is a bit salty with generous smoke output. The burn is not razor sharp but adequate. There is primarily a tobacco flavor with a noticeably warm smoke. Again, not a ton of flavor. Body is mild to medium but leaning more to mild. A wonky burn lasted throughout the entire smoke, but did not require any adjustments. The body of the cigar did soften up as it got warmed. Overall, not a bad cigar, but a bit boring.
Paul 87 – Medium brown toothy wrapper, some mottling, medium veining, sloppy cap, light tobacco aroma, easy cold draw, some dark fruit, no soft spots. First 1/3: Light tobacco and malt, tartness, dry, medium amount of thin smoke, mild plus strength, light body, short finish, even burn , light gray ash, mild retrohale, coffee and cream, floral notes. Second 1/3: Little complexity, some stone fruit, peach pit. Last 1/3: medium strength and body, a little short lived pepper, dryness, fruit and floral on the retrohale. Started slow, but picked up. Good mild plus smoke.
Jim 88 – The veins are very distinct and tactile on the medium brown wrapper of this robusto. Draw is very easy and the initial flavor of cedar hits my tongue as soon as I light up. As it heats up, I’m getting a more zesty ginger spice on the finish. Burn is very straight and the flavors continue to develop. I am getting this delicious dried fruit sweetness of cherries and raisins mixed with the previous mentioned cedar and zest finish. Although this cigar is not densely packed, it didn’t burn too fast as I approached the midpoint. After that point, the spice had mellowed out. It has been consistently medium in strength. Down to the last third, it started getting a little bitter. Overall, still an interesting and good experience.
Will 89 – Big robusto with a dark tan wrapper, a few prominent veins, densely packed.Cold nose of spicy toasty tobacco elicited a single sneeze. The cold draw was very earthy, musty and mineral, reminds me of a Habano. Upon ignition I get this lush flavor of salted caramel, is this a Cuban cigar? Medium in body and strength with big flavor. As time goes by I get a more vegetal earthy flavor and the lush caramel creaminess disappears, I hope it returns. At the 20 minute mark still earthy and vegetal with lots of smoke, just as the salty sweetness makes a come back the dreaded NICTAR rears its ugly head. What is NICTAR you ask, the dreaded black oozing liquid that occasionally leaches from the head of a cigar. The flavor is beyond disgusting. As I have been instructed to do by several brothers of the leaf, I use my scissors and clip about a dimes thickness below the ooze, still oozing I repeat the process. It appears to be pristine again. I eat a couple of strawberries to cleanse my palate and gently blow through the stick and re-lite. Salted caramel with a carrot finish. Very interesting smoke. I want to smoke this cigar again without a visit from NICTAR. Lost points for that.
