Legendario Bertha

A friend gave me this gargantuan cigar some months ago and I only got around to smoking it now. I find it very difficult to find a place in my rotation for a 54+ ring gauge cigar, I typically find them too time consuming for my routine. However I was watching a hockey game and has about two and a half hours so I decided to give it a go.

The cigar is a log and it presents in the finest tradition of log lore. It is dark, firm and knotty looking, like any piece of lumber one might find on the forest floor. I inspect carefully and find some flaws near the head, and I worry about burn issues as cigars with this particular attribute often unravel. The pre light aroma is loamy and has some notes of wet earth. The pre light draw shows notes of pepper and earth.

The cigar opens with a profile of wet earth and some pepper notes. At the back of the palate there are some notes that smack of mushroom and grass. Needless to say I am unimpressed with this particular opening salvo. The draw is passable, but I am worried that it is too loose and will cause heat later in the smoke. The burn is off, but I am not seeing any signs that it will be a huge issue.

The first third of the smoke shows no real signs of improvement. The profile still lacks depth and complexity and maintains notes of wet earth, some pepper and some thin flavors of wood. At the back of the palate the grassy notes overwhelm the senses and impart an unappealing dry quality to the smoke. The draw continues to pass, but only barely, as the looseness causes some early heat to enter the mix and causes me to back off. Backing off makes the burn more wonky, but I am persisting without a retouch to this point.

The middle third gives me hope for some redemption. The profile morphs slightly into something more pleasant with notes of pepper and dark wood, there are still some undertones of damp earth but they are not causing any displeasure. At the back of the palate the grassy notes have sweetened and the dryness has left the smoke for now. The draw continues to impart unnecessary heat into the smoke, but it is still tolerable. The burn has evened out and a nice ash is forming.

The final third of the cigar backslides. The profile once again shows some notes of wet earth, but there is a sourness that has crept into the presentation. At the back of the palate the grassy notes are prevalent and show some bitter qualities. The draw is still loose and the heat in the final third makes me discard the smoke earlier than I normally would. The burn is acceptable throughout.

The finish is bitter and shows notes of charred wood.

Appearance- 87 slightly above average
Taste- 80 a very sub par profile that lacked desirable flavors, complexity and depth
Construction- 83 the draw was below average
Strength- 85 a medium bodied smoke that was somewhat blase
Overall- 83 a very disappointing use of two and a half hours of time