This is a cigar that I sometimes smoke in the robusto size, but I was given this one at a recent event with some friends so I decided to smoke the larger size. The cigar presents with a dark brown wrapper that has plenty of tooth, but has a very ruddy exterior appearance. The cigar feels under packed and it lacks the heft of a usual Churchill sized smoke. The pre light aroma has notes of cocoa and light coffee. The pre light draw shows some thin cocoa notes and some nice tobacco and earth flavors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is distinctly earthy with hints of coffee in the mix. At the back of the palate there are some thin notes of cocoa, but there are some heavy notes of earth here as well. The draw is extremely loose and I am worried about heat in the main body of the cigar as it develops further. The burn is slightly wonky, but is not causing me any concern. (In the interest of full disclosure I am already predisposed to the thought that this burn will go south as I have smoked over a box of this cigar in different sizes and every last one has burned horribly)
The first third of the cigar shows little development. The core profile is still heavily earthy, but shows some hints of pepper and coffee that are fleeting at best. At the back of the palate the dense earth tones continue and I am reaching out for more, but not finding it in this cigar. The draw is still loose and some heat is creeping in already, I am forced to slow it down to not char the experience. The burn is still off, but not as badly as some that I have smoked in the past.
The middle third shows some interesting shifts. The main body of the profile picks up decidedly peppery notes that mingle with a weakening coffee essence. The back of the palate moves into a nice presentation of rich tobacco as the earthy density falls away. The draw is still loose, but I am managing the issue without ruining the smoke, however I will deduct because of relights that had to take place as I slowed down to manage the heat. The burn is even, but I lend that more to my relights than the cigar itself.
The final third shows no real development of anything resembling depth or complexity. The core profile shows notes of pepper, coffee and some wood. At the back of the palate there are still some tobacco notes, but there is a strange sweetness that has crept into the presentation. The draw was loose throughout, but the burn was at least average this time around.
The finish was smooth, but short, with notes of pepper and earth
Appearance- 82 the ruddy looks kill the visual experience
Taste- 85 I would rate this as very average
Construction- 80 the draw was a real issue for me, I like to enjoy a cigar at my pace not have my pace dictated by the cigar's construction
Strength- 85 a very average medium that could use more pop
Overall- 82.75 a very poor showing, construction issues and a weak profile doom this cigar
No comments:
Post a Comment