This is a cigar that I am revisiting after a long period of not smoking this particular vintage. The cigar presents well with a very dark wrapper cloaked in a cedar wrap. The cigar is toothy and has some prominent veins. The pre light aroma is earthy, with hints of chocolate and coffee. The pre light draw is sharp and bitter with notes of burnt coffee.
The cigar begins with a core profile of charred wood and burning coffee. There is some distinct bitterness at the back of the palate. The draw is thin, but produces enough smoke to be acceptable. The burn is even and a nice white ash forms crisply.
The first third of the cigar is not pleasant. It is bitter, acrid and charred with some notes of chocolate, earth and coffee all muddled by bitterness. The draw is still acceptable, but a but thin. The burn shows some signs of going off track, but to this point is acceptable.
At the halfway point it is all I can do to keep going. The profile is still bitter and charred. There are some notes of earth and coffee, but they are masked by the harsh bitter tones. The burn has stayed slightly off kilter, but it is still acceptable. The draw is opening a little bit, but I wish it would get tighter to spare me the mouthfuls of putrescence.
The final half of the cigar is a complete write off. The profile is almost completely gone, all that is left is charred and bitter flotsam that offends the palate at every turn. Unfortunately the draw opens further, releasing an entirely new vintage of awfulness. The burn is still OK, but it is a fleeting silver lining on an otherwise dark cloud.
The finish is terrible and smacks of burned wood and other harsh bitter notes. This is an experience that makes me wonder why anyone would ever bother with this cigar. I also wonder why it is still on the market.
Appearance- 85 the veining hurts the score
Taste- 70 the lowest possible score for a truly bottom of the barrel experience
Construction- 80 early draw issues hurt the score
Strength- 70 impossible to give and other score due to the bitter and acrid profile
Overall- 76.25 a true waste of an hour and a half
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