I had not smoked one of these cigars in years and I was recently given one to smoke while I was hosting a cookout at my house, it was quite a gift. The funny part is, this is another cigar that was given to me blind and I had no idea what I was in for as I began to smoke it. It presents well and showed signs of significant aging with a nice light layer of plume. There are some flaws in the wrapper, but I don't believe that there will be any issues. The pre light aroma is earthy with notes of coffee and pepper. The pre light draw shows some signs of power with a full blast of black pepper.
The cigar opens with a nice profile that is extremely refined. There are flavors of pepper, light earth and blasts of coffee in the core profile and I am struck by the complexity of this smoke early on. I am struggling with the identification at this point, but I have narrowed it down to three or four possibilities (none of which were a Padron). At the back of the palate there are some very full notes of pepper and coffee and the strength of this cigar early on is also shocking. The draw is a bit thin, but I am getting enough smoke to work with. The burn is sharp and produces a sturdy white ash.
The first half of the smoke continues to develop complexity and depth. The core profile is showing excellent qualities of rich, crisp tobacco flavors laced with coffee, dark wood and some notes of anise. The profound levels of flavor here are incredible and I am again taken aback by the developments of this cigar as it progresses. I am beginning to believe that it may be an Alec Bradley Prensado, but I am not convinced because the samples of the Prensado I have smoked have not been well refined or as complex and balanced. At the back of the palate there are still full blasts of pepper and coffee that are making this an excellent full bodied experience. The draw opens slightly, making the smoke more enjoyable. Some of the wrapper flaws have perturbed the burn a touch, but I persist without a re-light.
The second half of this cigar continues to impress. The core profile shows pepper and dark wood, losing some complexity but still showing depth. At the back of the palate there are still strong coffee flavors, again losing complexity but still showing nice depth and balance. The burn has evened out and the draw is still acceptable.
The finish is a screamer, leaving the palate stinging from pepper and dark wood flavors lingering on and on.
After I discarded all possibilities, I did identify this as a Padron but did not know the front mark.
Appearance- 89 not the most attractive cigar, but not terrible either
Taste- 94 this profile was profound, but lacked some complexity in the last half of the smoke
Construction- 90 the draw and burn issues hurt the score
Strength- 96 this was remarkable and complimented the profile and body of the smoke beautifully
Overall- 92.25 a fabulous experience
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