Cigar Geeks Geek Critique
93
Cigar Geeks Rating
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Welcome to another Cigar Geeks Critique of a vitola provided to us by our friends at 262 Cigars. Up for review this time is the Ideology Belicoso. A special thanks goes out to Jake (jsnake) for setting this one up.
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This cigar was enjoyed with Water
Pre-Light: 18 Points of 10 Possible
The brown wrapper is quite oily. It shows a couple prominent veins, and has some tooth. The cannon is well packed and has a good heft. It has a good springy feel without being too hard or too soft. There was one area near the tip of the head that felt a little soft, but this is typical of the Belicoso vitola.
I like the black and white band - a simple color palate with impressed lettering that conveys individuality. Overall, the stick looks just a bit rugged in an engaging, even enticing way.
I started with a fairly close snip and was glad of it. The cold draw gave just the right resistance that might have otherwise been too loose. The prelight aroma was all barnyard, with vague hints of cinnamon or something like that.
Lighting and Burn: 14 Points of 15 Possible
I used my high-cap Cohiba triple-burner to give the foot a nice toasting. The cigar lit up easily, giving a good cherry across the full diameter of the foot. The cigar produced huge billows of smooth smoke. The room presence was sweet mellow spice. Very pleasant.
The burn was even throughout, and the burn line was as good as any cigar I have smoked - the occasional wavy moment, but otherwise straight and clean. There were no issues in spite of a couple extended spells in the ashtray. The white ash managed to hang on to over an inch initially, and dropped cleanly around 3/4" inch thereafter always revealing a well formed cone. Impressively, the cigar did not drop a single flake until almost through the nub.
The cigar lasted lasted about 65 minutes.
Construction: 28 Points of 30 Possible
The tobacco was expertly bunched, providing a consistent burn and draw. The slight soft spot in the head never became an issue, and was not noticeable while smoking. The head easily stood up to the abuses of my teeth and saliva, hardly showing a mark. There were no problems at all with the cap or wrapper. The draw was near perfect from foot to nub.
Flavor and Aroma: 33 Points of 45 Possible
The first puff from this cigar reminded me of a well aged 5 Vegas Miami. This cigar is rated as a mild, but it is filled with an abundance of flavors. The smoke is smooth and creamy, with lots of earth and leather. Cinnamon is apparent, and something like a mellow citrus hides in the background. There are also hints of sweet caramel. It gives a little bit pepper in the nose.
2/3 brings a little heat in the cinnamon to awaken the palate, which later fades. The finish leaves a pleasant leathery flavor that coats the palate.
3/3 brought a darker and toastier character to the flavors. I picked up a bit of dark roasted nuts, and an occasional hit of cedar. And the cinnamon-like peppery spice returned. The finish is very long.
Through the nub, a dark sweet caramel came to the foreground, and it left some pepper in the mouth. A wonderful way to finish the smoke.
Summary
In my opinion, this is a first rate cigar. I am a bit surprised that it is rated as mild - the flavor profile is robust and complex without overwhelming the palate, and gave a mouth feel that made me believe it was a medium bodied blend. The construction and burn characteristics were excellent, a testament to the care taken in its construction.
As I singed my fingers at the nub, I discovered my only disappointment with this stick: the experience was ending and I wanted more. This Ideology engages the mind and senses, and deserves a place in any humidor. It will certainly find one in mine!
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(6 Review(s))