Monday, October 19, 2009

El Martillo 2009

I was unable to find much information about the lineage of this cigar, but it appears that it is something due to be released soon. The cigar is big, dark and oily. The wrapper has no flaws and the veining is slight, the cigar is beautiful to look at. The construction appears to be solid, and a quick roll through the fingers shows no signs of any issues. The pre light aroma is distinctly of raisins. The pre light draw is sweet and has notes of tobacco, earth and hard candy.

The cigar begins with notes of rich tobacco, earth and a light sweetness. The draw is acceptable and the burn is sharp. The first inch of the cigar maintains the above profile and burn characteristics.

At just past the one third point the profile develops with notes of dark wood, earth and straight blasts of rich tobacco. There is a slightly dirty or ashy flavor that is sneaking onto the back of the palate and I am worried about some nasty aftertaste on the finish. The draw and the burn are holding up well, but there is some labor in both, it almost seems as if the cigar is moist.

The final half of the cigar continues to show notes of wood, earth and tobacco. The ashy notes have become prominent and they are detracting from the overall experience. The burn and draw continue to be laborious, and are getting more so, the closer to the end of the smoke I progress.

The finish is short and dirty, with ashy flavors and a muddy undertone.

Appearance- 92 an excellent looking cigar
Taste- 77 the ashy notes in the profile and the muddy finish hurt the score
Construction- 79 some burn and draw issues caused labor to produce a pleasing amount of smoke
Strength- 83 a full offering that did not compliment the profile well
Overall- 82.75 not very good, saved by the appearance score

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