This cigar was enjoyed with Water
Pre-Light: 10 Points of 10 Possible
Beautiful shiny/oily colorado wrapper, the cigar feels firm, even, zero sponginess, supple flexible wrapper that holds up to handling well. There are few nicks and digs on the edge of the wrapper where the veins weren't cut completely and took a bit of leaf when the chaveta was used to slice the wrapper from the source leaf. The cap is more rounded, almost pointed even, than conmmonly seen on a parejo. The foot smells great, very enticing aroma. Clean cut with minimal crumbly bits from the binder/filler, no cracking in the rest of the cap.
Lighting and Burn: 14 Points of 15 Possible
The burn started even right out the gate, then transitioneed to a little slanted though nothing concerning. First ash fell off somewhere between 1/2" and 3/4". Ash on the cigar was dark, mottled salt/pepper. Nice volumes of smoke initially. Subsequent ashes fell between 3/4" and 1" and the slightly slanted burn corrected into a even waviness that is right on what you'd like to see. Smoke volumes increased nicely into the middle of the cigar.
Construction: 26 Points of 30 Possible
Nice though not perfect cap, a few dings along the cut line, wrapper was evenly applied though pulled a bit tight at the foot causing a bit of wrinkling. It has an absolutely perfect draw, and the bunching and cut was such that no tobacco came off on my tongue during smoking. The ding in the wrapper at a vein turned into a crack as the cigar burned. Looking at the ash after each ash, the filler is expertly bunched which helped the burn and the draw throughout the entire smoking time.
Flavor and Aroma: 42 Points of 45 Possible
The firsts puffs are amazing, zero pepper, lots of leather and maple. Initial impressions do not remind me of a dominican puro, more like a Nicaraguan, but also not necessarily a Nicaraguan puro either. It has a bit of malt and well cured tobacco. The smell of the smoke rising as the cigar rests is also very appealing, a rich Nicaraguan nose with something else, walnut, marzipan, maybe some spices. The retro varies in how pronounced it comes through, sometimes with a lot of flavor, sometimes a bit smoother and more muted. There is a bit of a cedar and baking spice zip to the retro. Into the middle a hint of butter or blonde roast coffee with cream adds a full mouth feel, coupled with retro notes of anise and raisin. On towards the last third the toasty-buttery profile became more pronounced, a bit more cedar, still a hint of anise on the retro. A purge for the last 3" really helped restore some of the great notes from the middle third.
Summary
This blind review cigar is a familiar profile but I have no idea what it is. Total smoking time was 1 hour, 37 minutes. Its not a power monster, but provides plenty of body and complexity from the first puff to the last. I think anyone would really enjoy this well constructed, complex and flavorful cigar.
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(1 Review(s))