I will give you a rundown of the circumstances that led me to choose this cigar from the oft perused, but recently much maligned singles trays. It was hot and I was looking forward to a White Sox game on the lanai with some scotch and a smoke. I hate it when the heat claims one of my puros so I often look for something sturdy and less expensive for summer lanai smoking dalliances. This cigar seemed to fit the bill for me, it had the appropriate visage of mediocrity for the circumstances, and I always know that a poor cigar is better than no cigar at all.
The cigar presents in a lopsided torpedo presentation with a wrapper that could only be described as rustic at best and downright cheap at worst. There is a dryness that permeates this cigar from first sight to first touch and I am concerned that exposing it to the heat will cause it to unfurl like a New Year's Eve party favor. The construction seems loose to me, but I don't think it is terrible based on the inspection. The pre light draw is loose and full of cardboard notes. The pre light aroma is grassy and vegetal.
The cigar opens with a profile that can only be described as drying hay. The smoke is exceptionally dry and I find myself heading for the water bottle. There are some hints of sweet spice here, but the predominant flavor is of dry grass and dust. At the back of the palate there are some very slight cedar notes, but they can't get past the dry front of the palate to materialize into anything magical, or even mundane. The draw is too loose, but there are no issues at this point. The burn is acceptable, but the ash is flaky and loose.
The first half of the smoke shows no development at all. The profile continues to be grassy and dry, so dry in fact that my throat is becoming a barren wasteland in need of irrigation. At the back of the palate there are some bitter notes that are creeping in, and some very dry wood flavors that are not very appealing. There is nothing that is redeeming about this smoke to this point. The draw is still too loose and the burn is still flaky and dry.
The final half of the smoke continues it's death march. The profile has plunged to the depths of dryness and the flavor has become acrid and putrid. There are few readily identifiable flavors here, but I am still detecting dry grassy notes. The back of the palate is still showing bitter flavors and not much else that would lead to make any passing comment, either positive or negative. The burn and draw stay the same as noted above throughout the smoke.
The finish is short, bitter and full of dry grass and hay flavors.
Appearance- 82 very rustic and cheap looking
Taste- 73 nothing here worth much of anything
Construction- 75 the draw was too loose and the burn was flaky and messy
Strength- 85 a very non-descript mild/medium
Overall- 77.25 a very poor smoke
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