Mike 88 – This cigar presents with a closed foot, visible veins with a very dark wrapper. Looks like it was triple capped and was easily punched. Good light up with subtle spicy notes that tapered off throughout the smoke. Good all the way through. I burned this one for almost 90 minutes.
Will 85 – This cigar had a nice rustic looking dark wrapper with a slight Cuban press, a poorly applied cap and a closed foot. The dry nose was horse and pepper which elicited a sneeze out of me. The pre-light draw was raisins. Upon ignition I got lots of earth, dark coffee, raisin and a big rich cherry finish. This cigar begs for a single malt scotch. Lots of thick smoke. Very little progression in flavor and although I was enjoying it, at the 25 minute mark the cigar became very bitter. No warning just bam, bitterness. I set it down to see if it would pass but it did not, I let it go about 2/3 in.
Rob 87 – Mild pre-light aroma; earth and barnyard. Nice oily oscuro wrapper: tight seams minimal veins. Cigar went out several times, but burn was razor sharp. Very nice box press. Flavor was consistent throughout the stick, medium. Lots of smoke.
Paul 86 – Mottled dark brown toothy wrapper, semi-closed foot, sloppily applied triple cap, minimal veins, rich tobacco and dark fruit aroma, cold draw lots of dark fruit. First 1/3:Closed made getting an even light difficult, dark fruit, leather, oak, mild sweetness, good amount of smoke, pepper on the palate, very short finish, medium plus strength, flaky ash that appears to have spots of sand on it from that toothy wrapper. Second 1/3: Less pepper and some oak, smoke production and flavors drop off, ash blossoming. Last 1/3: more smoke, flavors of pepper and oak pick up, pepper then comes on stromg and dominates, full strength, flavors drop off again near finish. The cigar started strong but then dropped off. I wish the first third flavors had been consistent through the rest of the cigar.
Artie 84 – This rustic looking cigar has a closed foot, and a thick, dark brown wrapper that is rough like sandpaper to the touch. Its pre-lit smell is very strong, and unlike any cigar I’ve smoked. It’s got a pine like aroma mixed with peppermint…very odd. Upon lighting, I’m surprised that this stick isn’t more earthy. A heavily pungent pre-lit aroma usually foreshadows loads of earthy flavors. But the first inch of this cigar is well balanced between earth and intense herbal flavors. Sage comes to mind. I suspect that betume was employed when blending this cigar. The draw is perfect as is the burn, and lots of smoke comes with little effort. The ash is a bit flakey but it holds its own. Mid way I’m enjoying this cigar. It demonstrates how diverse cigar flavors are these days. It’s a unique flavor profile. As I progress I’m starting to lose some flavor, but the cigar has a nice creamy quality. So far it’s a fairly mild stick. At the nub, the flavor has pretty much petered out. This is a stick that starts out unique but ultimately ends up an average cigar with a minty finish.
Jim 90 – Appearance is veiny but also very oily. I am smoking this outside and in the sun I can see the oils glistening in the direction of the veins. I also see that the edge of the wrapper leaves are oddly darker on the edges making me suspect possible color additive but we’ll see. Appears to be triple capped. I draw on the cigar before lighting and wow… strong oily taste. I gotta say I’m intrigued and I haven’t lit it yet. I was expecting something strong with all the oils but initially it is simply a medium bodied smoke with some black pepper in the finish. Smoke is billowing off this oily wrapper all on its own. As it heats up I’m getting a hazelnut flavor mixed in with some other spice. Burn is uneven and I will have to level off. It sort of reminds me of when you are drinking a fine glass of red zinfandel. You got this full flavored smoke that hits your palate then a nice black pepper finish that is nicely balanced. A lot of smoke still billowing. Slight feathering and a lot of cracks in the ash crown. I’m a little more than an inch and a half into it and it transitioned. It really changed, I’m now getting a lot of cedar in flavor and more of a nutmeg spice finish. The black pepper is gone. It definitely mellowed out. This was a real good cigar and I enjoyed the complexity. I just wish it burned more even (had to even out several times).
