This is the latest offering from EPC in his new endeavor. I have loved some of the prior smokes, like the Inaugural 2009 and the Short Run so I was anxious to smoke one of these and see what old Ernesto could do with some Connecticut leaf.
The cigar presents well with a nice wrapper, but it seems a bit dry to me and it has some veins that I am concerned about. I feel some areas of tension in the roll and I am concerned about some potential burn issues as the cigar progresses. The texture is somewhat dusty and I am left a bit confused about what to expect, cigars with these attributes typically perform very poorly in all areas. The pre light aroma is light, with floral hints and some notes of dry wheat and oatmeal. The pre light draw is grassy and shows some light nutmeg essence.
The cigar opens with a profile that is decidedly dry and a touch bitter. There are some interesting flavors here, most notably some sharp lemon and other assorted citrus flavors. There are also some dry wood and light spice notes in the mix here, but they are not helping with complexity or depth. At the back of the palate there is a cardboard that is very poor and threatening to define the experience in a very negative way. The burn is off from the start and a big, lopsided, ash is hanging on for life very early in the process. The draw is fine to this point.
The first half of the cigar shows some transition, but it is really nothing to alert the Cigar Hall of Fame about. The profile shows some hints of wheat and grass, but there is nothing particularly interesting here. The dryness of the smoke continues and I am very disappointed that this persists to this point, in my opinion dryness kills an experience. At the back of the palate there are still some papery and cardboard like notes that are not doing anything for me. The burn continues to run amok and I have touched up several times in the first half. The draw continues to perform well to this point.
The final half of the cigar shows some marked improvement, but it will be too little too late. The profile begins to soften in terms of dryness, and some nice flavors of brown sugar and vanilla impress themselves on the palate in fleeting shows of sweetness. The main core continues to be wheat and grass but the other elements are now complementing this area nicely. At the back of the palate the smoke has transitioned into a nice light wood tone that is more interesting. The burn was a mess right until the end. The draw stayed acceptable throughout.
Alas, this cigar showed far too little to late. I am very disappointed in this effort.
Appearance- 87 a moderately attractive smoke
Taste- 83 some nice notes in the end, but sub par for the first two thirds or better
Construction- 73 constant burn issues and retouches galore
Strength- 85 a very middle of the road mild/medium
Overall- 80.75 just not very good
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