Recently during a silent auction I was able to procure three of these cigars. The rarity of this cigar is nearly unmatched in the industry, they are not available for sale in any retail establishments and are basically available when they are donated to charity type auctions. To say that I was excited to win them would be an understatement, and at a price of about sixteen and some change, I would say well worth the flyer investment for a once in a lifetime opportunity.
The cigar itself is very plainly presented in a box of three with a My Father Special Selection band that sports an S and some of the same artwork of a standard My Father. The wrapper is very familiar to a My Father enthusiast such as myself and is applied flawlessly and shows little veining. The construction feels excellent to me and I can't find a single area of concern. The pre light aroma is leathery with a touch of spice. The pre light draw is a slap in the face as that familiar nicotine burn coats the lips and tongues with a fiery tingle that is bordering on being uncomfortable. I am worried about this being too strong for a first cigar of the day, but I plunge onward.
The smoke opens with a profile that is all nicotine fire and strong tobacco notes. I am immediately on notice and off balance because I was not expecting such power (even after the pre light draw showed me what could be coming), I was anticipating a more My Father like experience early on. At the back of the palate the throat is tingling from the early blasts of nicotine, but there are some very nice notes of dark wood and earth here as well. The draw is nearly perfect for me, providing just the desired amount of resistance to each pull. The burn is very solid and a nice ash develops slowly and cleanly.
The first half of the smoke settles in beautifully, gone are the in your face nicotine and tobacco notes and the cigar begins to show a level of complexity and depth that is seldom experienced in a cigar. The profile smacks of clove and cedar with sublime undertones of bread and salt. At the back of the palate the true champion of this smoke emerges as thundering cannon blasts of pepper and wood come through and provide a strong backdrop to the front of the profile. The draw remains nearly perfect and the burn holds the ash to nearly the half way point.
The final half, yet again, shifts into a more well rounded cigar experience. The core profile segues into a nice presentation of leather and earth with shots of pepper. At the back of the palate there is soft underlay of cinnamon and light coffee that is as pleasing as the day is long. The draw and burn maintain a near flawless disposition throughout.
The finish is a shame, in that the cigar is now done and I only have two others. If you can get your hands on some you absolutely must!
Appearance- 88 kind of plain, but solid
Taste- 94 an excellent smoke, the only drawback was some early harshness
Construction- 100 they don't perform any better that this one did
Strength- 91 a very nice full that was too overwhelming early
Overall- 94.5 a superb smoking experience
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