I have had 9 cigars from a 10 pack purchased in 2009 sitting in my humidor aging for over a year now. My initial impression was put in a review last year and I wanted to see what over a year of age had done for this smoke. I think I am in for a treat.
The cigar presents with nice oils and a wrapper that has an excellent sheen and few veins. I recall that this cigar was nearly dripping oils when I put it in the humidor some months ago and I was relieved to see that it still had nice sheen without appearing to have dried out. The construction appears to be excellent as I can detect no areas of softness or undue tension in the roll. The pre light aroma has some light coffee notes and some rich earthy fragrances. The pre light draw shows a nutty sweetness and leaves a nice peppery taste on the palate.
The cigar opens with a very subdued profile for a cigar that looks like it will be in your face. There are some very nuanced notes of sweet nuts and light wood in the foreground and I find myself settling in for what could be an excellent experience. At the back of the palate there is a satisfying zip of pepper and earth that balances the front of the profile beautifully. The draw is excellent and I am relieved as I have smoked samples of this vitola before and found issues with it. The burn is also sharp, and again I am surprised because I have smoked many of these that burn poorly.
The first third of the cigar transitions and the core profile shows nutty qualities with some sweet grassy notes in the mix. At the back of the palate there are some solid flavors of dark wood and black pepper that are showing through with gusto. The draw remains above average, imparting ample smoke with each draw. The burn stays solid into the main body of the cigar and I am certain I will not encounter any issues, very rare in a Salomon.
The middle third of the cigar flattens out a bit for me. The core profile is still showing some nutty tones, but they are sparse. The profile transitions into a more metallic presentation and some of the depth and character go away. At the back of the palate there are still some nice showings of pepper and wood, but there is a strange sweetness coming out that is like sugar cane. The draw stays consistent and the burn continues to be strong to this point.
The final third of the smoke shows some excellence. The profile takes on a more coffee infused flavor, but there are some hints of dark fruit, spice and wood on the palate as well. At the back of the palate there are sharp blasts of pepper and anise that ratchet up the strength quotient nicely. The draw remains steady, but the burn goes askew a few times and requires a slight tap of some excess wrapper that did not burn correctly.
The finish is long and powerful showing notes of nuts, dark wood and some sugar cane sweetness.
Appearance- 89 a very bold looking cigar, but it is a but ruddy
Taste- 87 I would like to go higher, but the middle third hurt the experience
Construction- 90 aside from some minor burn issues this performed well
Strength- 91 very nice medium that transitioned to full late in the smoke
Overall- 89 a nice experience and I think with more age it will improve
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