Paul 87 – Mottled dark brown oily toothy wrapper, one very large vein running the length of the cigar, no soft spots, dark fruit and barnyard on the wrapper, good resistance with dark fruit and sweetness on the cold draw. First 1/3: Lots of thick smoke, oak, char, and tartness, cigar continues to smoke in the ashtray, medium strength and body and a long finish, medium gray solid ash, even burn. Second 1/3: Rather one dimensional, char with some bitterness, heavy pepper on the retrohale. Last 1/3: No changes, well made cigar, consistent throughout and one dimensional, but pleasant.
Rob 94 – This is a very nice looking cigar. Very dark maduro wrapper is accompanied by tight and invisible seams. There is a huge, albeit somewhat sloppy double cap; it travels at least 3/8 inch down the cigar. A slightly snug pre light draw is offered. On spark up: Plenty of foot smoke is given off. A huge dose of semi-sweet chocolate coats my palate. An inch in, the sharp chocolate eased back a notch to a creamy mocha. At 1/3 of the smoke completed, the draw is still a bit snug but I am being rewarded with lots of bellowing smoke. The burn is very good, and does not require any adjustments. Just hit the sweet spot and a slight tingle of white pepper is now present. A few moments later the pepper takes hold and covers my tongue. I am loving it! A significant amount of pepper also coming through on the retro-hale. As the stick moves ahead towards the cap, the pepper is still present on my tongue, but now fades rather quickly. At 1/3 of the stick remaining, nuts and mild mocha are now present in the nice smooth smoke. At the last remaining inch, the pepper is almost gone, and the smoke has remained smooth.
Jim 96 – Nicely rolled, dark maduro wrapper with a double cap. Just smelling this pre-lit cigar provides a preview of the richness of the tobacco used in this cigar and I’m excited to try it. Not disappointed, the initial draws are rich and smooth with dark chocolate and caramel flavors with billowing thick smoke. Ash is firm and burn is razor sharp. I am also getting a slight but well balanced peppery spice mid palate. Wow, this is really nice. I am also getting this very pleasant aftertaste and been trying to pinpoint it….. toasted marshmallows. I always review about flavor balance in a cigar and this really has good balance early on as I am only 1/3 of the way in. As I continue, the rich chocolatey flavors and classic maduro profile dominate this cigar. The pepper mellows out halfway and now only has a slight presence. Going into the last third, the sweetness in this cigar has amped up. I smoked this down to the nub! Excellent cigar, many things I look for in a cigar. Well balanced, great flavors and a near perfect burn! A great experience well worth a WOW point.
Artie 91 – With what looks like solid construction, this colorado/maduro corona is enticing. I like its rustic appearance, earthy aroma, and the slender vitola fits easily in my hand. The draw is firm but do-able. As I light this I am reminded that I haven’t smoked since two weeks ago due to a head cold. But I’m feeling ready to get back in the groove now, and the fist puff is…DELIGHTFUL! An inch in, I’m enjoying this cigar. The ash is perfect, the burn is dead-on, and the rich tobacco flavors are strong. There’s a hint of black pepper that accents a strong umami character. Dark chocolate and fresh ground coffee notes are present, but with an underlying sweetness. Mid way I’m getting a strong herbal sense, perhaps Mexican oregano. Near the nub the earthiness intensifies and there is a slight bitterness. But that’s to be expected in this type of maduro. I’m not going to smoke this to the “bitter end”. The first 2/3rds were more enjoyable than the last.
Will 86 – 6×47 toro very dark and rough wrapper, lots of seams and very sloppy cap. Cold nose of pepper and earth yet the cold draw had dried fruit like sulphured apricot. Upon ignition the smoke is very acrid and burns my nose. A very firm draw, I must bite the head to get any smoke out of this stick. Lots of earth and malty wood. Lots of visible glue on the seams as the stick heats up,. The burn is wonky in zero wind but the flavor gets better, licorice and malted milk ball finish. The smoke is holding its own at the 35 minute mark, flavors consistent but gets hot and bitter at the 50 minute mark. I let it go.
