Paul 84 – Dark brown mottled toothy wrapper, minimal veins, barnyard aroma on the wrapper, no soft spots. First 1/3: Draw a little loose, graham crackers, medium amount of smoke, medium gray ash, medium strength, body and finish, mild retrohale, leather, good draw. Second 1/3: More smoke, tartness, leather, pepper on the retrohale, slight bitterness. Last 1/3: Flavors fade, medium strength, body and finish. Adequate but nothing special.
Rob 92 – This is a maduro cigar with a toothy to the touch, non oily wrapper. There are tight but visible seams and no substantial veins within the wrapper. It has a single cap with a slightly springy body; draw is just fine. On spark up: full bodied with huge smoke. Draw has firmed up a bit, and is now perfect. Non bitter coffee is flavor forward here, with just a touch of white pepper across my tongue. The cigar has an extremely long finish that seems to go on and on! As the cigar progressed throughout the smoke the pepper has gone from white to black and is now very prominent. The finish is still long. The flavor profile has stayed constant, but the stick has gotten too hot to smoke past the one-inch point.
Jim 94 – A nice looking box pressed maduro robusto. The wrapper is a dull dark brown with the veins of the leaves just popping off the smooth surface screaming “please smoke me”. First draws are actually really good. Oddly, I am getting this combo of flavors similar to that of kids morning cereal like cocoa crispies. As it heats up, flavors are developing and I am tasting some caramel combined with a slight spicy cinnamon finish. Burn is partially uneven, the ash is firm and draw is excellent. Strength is slightly above medium. All around, this has been a very pleasant smoking cigar in so far as the balance of flavors, strength and experience have been good since the initial draw. A very interesting transition midway as the sweetness has dropped off and I am now getting some dark roasted espresso flavors. It is almost as if I am now smoking a totally different cigar. The strength is also growing as I progress. A very interesting cigar with complexity not found in most. I would also say that this would be a perfect breakfast cigar. Starts out mellow and sweet then finishes with a strong shot of eye-opening espresso to get your day going!
Artie 89 – With a colorado/maduro color, and a toothy rustic feel, this large corona would be right at home in a Clint Eastwood western. It’s rustic wrapper feel like heavily used sandpaper. The foot looks well bunched and the cold nose is tart raspberry. The draw is perfect and this stick lights easily. Right off the bat, I’m enjoying this cigar. It’s spicy up front, with intense, Mexican chocolate notes. As the cigar progresses, I get a lot of black pepper in the nose and throat. There is an underlying bitterness that sits on the tongue. I would have preferred the creamy, umami sense that some maduro cigars offer. But this is a complex cigar and I’m fully engaged and want to smoke it. The burn is dead even and no touchups are needed so far. Being the first cigar of the day, I can feel it’s strength at the mid point. Here i’m getting loads of espresso coffee. Interestingly, at the nub, there is no increase in bitterness, and notes of roasted nuts are present.
Will 83 – 5.5 x 52 square press stick with a very dar rustic wrapper full of seams-borders on ugly, the cold nose is red pepper with a sloppy fragrance and the cold daw is plain old toasty tobacco. Draw is wide open to the point I think the stick is broken, very harsh flavor initially. Loads of smoke and the flavor is initially burnt walnuts with a slight sweetness. This thing is a smoke machine, where’s the bee hive? As the cigar warms up I am getting a toasted marshmallow sweetness that is interesting. Not much power and the flavor stays consistent for another 15 minutes but at the 25 minute mark the stick becomes spongy and the flavor is drying my mouth out, the sweetness has turned bitter and we part company.
