Paul 89 – Medium mottled brown, minimal veins, good looking cap, light sweet tobacco aroma on the wrapper, no soft spots, excellent draw, toasted tobacco and cedar on the cold draw. First 1/3: Toasted tobacco with some bite in the back of the throat, light gray ash, even burn, notes of oats, medium amount of thin smoke, light pepper on the retrohale, medium strength and body, long finish, malt, white pepper, peak of ligero in the center of the cigar. Second 1/3: Malt scalloped burn, chili pepper burn on the retrohale. Last 1/3: Malt, toasted tobacco, even burn, smooth.
Rob 84 – This is a mottled brown corona with a sloppy, either double or triple cap. I cannot really tell. There are no visible seams or veins. On light up I get some woody cedar with about average smoke output. As it heats up, the cigar is performing well. Sharp burn, decent smoke, but not overly flavorful yet. The body has ramped up to medium, with a nuance of wood. At the half way point, (burning somewhat quickly), the wood has dissipated and I’m left with a nice tobacco flavor, not much else. It has a very flaky ash that will not hold on. With a third left, the medium bodied cigar has flattened out. A staid tobacco flavor, although not bad, is flat and not going anywhere. The burn has not been perfect, but was passable. The stick has gotten very warm at this point, and the tobacco now tastes charred. Although much better than a Perdomo Cuban Parejo Belicoso, it is still not a keeper.
Jim 84 – A nice medium brown robusto, double capped and appears to be meticulously rolled. Firm to the squeeze, this cigar is well packed. As soon as I light up, I get immediate flavors that are very nutty with a distinct coffee flavor and a cinnamon like finish. The ash is very white and firm. The burn is a little wavy but relatively straight. The draw does have some resistance but acceptable enough to smoke. As I get about an inch into this cigar, the flavors have shifted. Cocoa and more of a strong espresso and a slightly bitter finish. It is also leaving a very earthy flavor behind on my palate. As I continue past the halfway point the espresso takes over and totally dominates. The bitterness increases. I think this cigar has some promise and at times I was liking it and at others I was not into it. It probably needs some shelf life in a humidor to mellow out a little.
Artie 92 – This is a fine looking robusto with what appears to be a Habano sungrown wrapper. Milk chocolate brown with a smooth texture. The stick feels solid in the hand and looks well-made. Once lit the ash is perfectly firm, and the burn line is couldn’t be more straight. Draw is perfect. I’m smoking this in the morning so its strength will be obvious. The first inch is really nice…smooth with a salty nuttiness. There is a touch of black pepper dancing on my tongue. It’s impressive how the burn is so perfect. This stick would perform well in a ash-length competition. At the mid point, a strong tanned leather note is present. There is also a sweetness the give this cigar a pleasant finish. At the nub, the nutty flavor returns with a dark chocolate note. Nice cigar.
Will 89 – Just a whisker shy of 5 x 50 busto with a light brown wrapper, very smooth and tight seams. Zero sneeze on the cold nose but got cinnamon, hay and white pepper. The cold draw is wide open with heavy white pepper. The stick is firmly packed. Shortly after I light this stick it becomes spongy and squishy and the draw turns firm, very strange. I set it down for about 5 minutes and let it go out. I clip the burnt end with my briss scissors, blow through the stick twice and re-lite. The sponginess appears to be gone and I am getting a malty nutty flavor like wheat germ with a short finish of lemon zest. At the 10 minute mark the maltiness becomes roasted peanuts with a salty leather finish, I like it. The cigar is burning surprisingly well considering my initial issues. The medium body is consistent but the strength has moved up into the medium full area. By the 30 minute mark I am getting a gamey meaty flavor and the leather finish continues. What started out poor, is finishing up as a pretty complex stick that I enjoyed. The cigar lost a few points because of this. At the inch and half mark the hot and bitter shows up so I let it go.
