This is another new release from Pete Johnson and I had been looking forward to smoking it, upon completion of the cigar I have some different ideas about what I could have done with the time spent anticipating and smoking this cigar. For example, I am long overdue for a trip to the dentist. I have some lecture invites to listen to Health Insurance Actuaries discuss life expectancy tables and I could have gone (apparently that lecture has no date or time, it just keeps going). I have a garage that needs cleaning and office that needs painting, I could have done either one of those. Alas, I wasted time and mind resources dreaming of the day I would smoke this offering with grand expectations of the next great Tatuaje. It was not to be.
The cigar presents in an odd figurado presentation that reminds me of a Fuente Hemingway on roids. This cigar is bulky and heavy feeling to me, the wrapper is dull and unexciting. The construction appears to be well done, but I am not wide eyed at the presentation here. The pre light draw is of heavy tobacco. The pre light aroma is earthy and full of barnyard odors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is of all tobacco, good old fashioned straight forward tobacco. No complexity, no depth and no character presents at all here and I find myself wondering what Pete was thinking. I have been so spoiled by Tat's over the years that I am visibly shaken at this point because I am flummoxed. At the back of the palate there are some serious flavors of dry grass and bitter balsa wood. This cigar has no finesse at this point and my palate is being clubbed by ill defined flavors that are slogging about the mouth. The draw is a shade tight, but cigars with this particular shape often draw poorly until past the tapered foot. The burn is off as well, but I am not overly concerned here.
The first half of the smoke is all straight tobacco with some earthy and mineral flavors that are not very solid. The back of the palate is dry and full of burning grass and hay notes. If it is possible, it is actually getting worse as the cigar develops. The draw is open now, but I wish it weren't. The burn has evened out and I anticipate no issues.
The final half of the cigar becomes so dry and lacking in character that I am sure I am smoking a Cheap Bastard and that someone got the drop on me and switched my cigar. I determine it could not be so and that the cigar is actually that bad. The core profile becomes of charred coffee and loamy earth, there are still some tobacco notes here, but they can't save it. At the back of the palate the dryness continues as grassy flavors coat the palate is a smoke that has a dusty texture. My mouth is starting to feel like I slept with it open all night while one foot away from a box fan. The draw is fine and the burn continues to be acceptable.
The finish is not great and I am so disappointed with this cigar that I can hardly believe my notes that indicate this was a terrible smoking experience throughout, my first such experience while sampling a Pete Johnson smoke.
Appearance- 86 nice vitola, that is all
Taste- 76 some nice tones, but overall not good
Construction- 88 pretty good for a complex vitola
Strength- 85 medium and not remarkable
Overall- 83.25 very sub par, I expect way more
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