I have barely had time to smoke, much less write reviews of late, so I have been smoking the old standbys. Alas, yesterday arrived and gave me the opportunity to hit one of my favorite Tampa B & M's and smoke some stuff that is off the beaten path.
I chose this little smoke from Casa Fernandez to kick off the day. There has been alot of buzz amongst BOTL's about this company in recent months, so I decided it was time to give one a whirl.
The cigar presents in a small, fat package that has a wrapper that seems a bit mottled to me and maybe a touch dry. There is a whimsical pigtail finish to the cigar and I am always amused by this little flourish in a cigar, of course it is becoming more and more common and is thus proving what I have always thought....cigar makers are sheep and it is world of monkey see, monkey do. Not that I mind per se, but the gimmicky thing is getting a touch old. Pigtail caps, Dos Capas, Extra and Super Fuertes, big ring gauges etc...it is all getting a bit tired. I digress, this smoke, aside from the wrapper and pigtail cap looks interesting in a small package. The pre light aroma is dusty and has some hints of wood. The pre light draw shows some light spice and some hints of wheat.
The cigar opens with a very interesting profile that is toasty and wheaty. There are some thin hints of some light wood in the smoke here as well, but the toasty notes are the primary essence. At the back of the palate there is a light dusting of pepper and wood flavors that complement the front of the smoke in an interesting way. The draw is a little tighter than I usually like, but it is not causing me issues. The burn is excellent.
The first half of the cigar is one of the most toasty cigar experiences that I have ever encountered. There are also some notes of wheat and bready flavor. My only complaint here is that the smoke is too dry to this point and it is making my throat a bit raspy feeling. At the back of the palate there are still some nice hints of spice and wood, but there is a sour note that is creeping into the profile here and it causes me some concerns. The complexity and depth of this cigar are very average and I wish it was giving me more. The draw opens up slightly and the burn maintains quality.
The final half of the cigar is a disaster. The profile becomes wallowing and shows sour presentations of wood and tobacco. There are some tastes of dirt and vegetation in the final third as well. I don't know what happened, but at just past the halfway point this cigar started to circle the bowl. At the back of the palate there are still some fleeting glimpses of wood, but the sour presentations have taken over. The burn and draw perform well throughout.
The finish was wretched and left oily, sour notes for many minutes.
Appearance- 88 an above average cigar looks wise
Taste- 78 unfortunately the final half was putrid
Construction- 89 some points off for tightness early
Strength- 87 a nice medium
Overall- 84.75 below average
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