I have been none too complimentary of Dude B's (frequent readers get this, if it is your first time read some other posts of mine, or don't and stay in the dark), recent cigar efforts. I feel like he has jumped the shark a bit and I think he has removed the Pepin's from the blending process in all the areas that matter, like taste and complexity and depth, you know, all the things that make a cigar....SMOKEABLE! I am hoping that this offering will change my recent opinions and I have been hearing some good things about this blend.
I sidled into one of my favorite B&M's, yes sidled, which for a man of my size and girth is really quite impressive and the spectacle is breathtaking, in that you would be laughing so hard you would be unable to breathe. Anyway I selected the toro size of this blend and decided it was time to put the hairy eye on it and see if held up to the considerable pressure I bring to bear (I really am feeling quite full of myself today). The cigar is very impressive to look at with a sexy wrapper that is draped on like milk chocolate. There are some veins, but they actually add to the visual appeal of the smoke. The band work is chintzy, but you can't have everything can you? There are a few soft spots in the bunch, but they don't feel major to me. The pre light aroma is floral and full of dark fruit notes, kind of like the pot-pourri your grandmother used to keep on the coffee table, you know, the one you used to think smelled terrible but you smelled it anyway to make yourself sneeze. The pre light draw has some peppery flavors, but has some odd spice as well, that is leaning toward being moth ball like.
The cigar opens with a profile that smacks of odd spice and pepper. There are some nice flavors here, but the complexity is not very noteworthy. At the back of the palate the profile is all nicotine and dark wood flavors, I am a little surprised by the strength shown in this cigar so early on. The draw is very nice and it delivers plenty of smoke with each draw. The burn is a touch off, but I don't believe that it will be an issue.
The first half of the cigar is amongst the strangest I have ever smoked. There are some very nice flavors of pepper and wood in the main body, but there is some strange aftertaste that I can't put my finger on. At the back of the palate there is an eclectic mix of coffee and hickory. The draw continues to be very nice to this point. The burn has evened out nicely and is performing very well.
The final half of the cigar continues to show some nice pepper and wood flavors, there is a nice earthy tone showing through here as well. The aftertaste continues to permeate, but I am still unable to isolate a specific flavor here. The back of the palate has started to show some pepper as well, but there are some vegetal notes showing up now as well. The draw and burn stay very satisfactory through to the end.
The finish is long, but it has some scorched flavors that linger.
Appearance- 91 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 86 a generous score, there were some nice flavors but the profile never came together
Construction- 92 a very nice performer
Strength- 88 a nice full presentation
Overall- 89.25 construction pushed the score up
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