This was a cigar that was in my top ten for 2009, I thought I would give it another chance to be on the list for 2010. I pawed around in my humidor before deciding on this one, I always hesitate when I am smoking a cigar for review that I know has been great in the past. My irrational fear is that once I subject it to the hairy eye of criticism that I will lose a memory of bygone excellence. This cigar presents well, with a medium brown wrapper that is applied without flaw. There are some minor veins, but the wrapper is beautiful and has an oily sheen that is appealing. An inspection reveals a couple of areas that are a bit tight, but I do not believe that they will be an issue once flame hits tobacco. The pre light aroma is heady, there are notes of leather and spice that carry hints of things to come. The pre light draw shows some pepper and nice spice at the back of the palate.
The cigar opens with an excellent profile of leather, tobacco and spice. At the back of the palate there are some nice earthy tones that have some sweetness in the mix. The draw is very smooth and produces excellent amounts of thick, savory smoke. The burn is a bit wonky at the start, but it evens out in the first half inch.
The first half of the cigar really opens up nicely. The core profile shows a very balanced and nuanced array of flavors including spice, tobacco and leather. At the back of the palate there are notes of cedar and earth that add depth and complexity to the smoke. The draw continues to be impressive and shows no signs of be flawed at any point. The burn is even and produces a nice heavy gray ash.
The final half of the smoke develops further, showing tobacco and heavy leather notes. At the back of the palate some notes of spice are showing through some earthy undertones that are very pleasing. In the final two inches there is an excellent blast of pepper that really leaves it's mark as the cigar closes. The burn and draw were excellent throughout.
The finish is smooth but powerful showing notes of pepper and leather.
Appearance- 93 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 92 a very nice profile that had depth and complexity
Construction- 90 some early burn issues lead to some deduction
Strength- 94 an excellent full bodied experience
Overall- 91.75 an excellent smoking experience
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