I have been eyeing these for awhile, not in a I have to have you way, but in a wary what are you doing in my neighborhood way. This cigar appeared in the new release section of my local B&M some time ago and I have been working my towards it, slowly, with reticence. You see, this is a cigar that I place in my ultra premium category of $10+ per smoke. All of you that frequently read my daily musings know that I place a high expectation quotient on cigars of this nature, as is rightfully so in my view. If a manufacturer want me, or anyone for that matter, to part with a ten spot or more then it better be worthy. If it is not worthy I am likely to be even harder on the smoke.
This cigar presents in a pedestrian fashion with a wrapper that seems a bit wan to me. Upon inspection the wrapper seems a bit too dry, and there are some prominent veins. The bandwork is intricate, but not particularly eye catching. I can't seem to find any issues with the construction visually or with tactile investigation. The pre light aroma is decidedly floral with some odd spice notes. The pre light draw is subdued, but has some flavors of light wood.
The cigar opens with a profile that does not justify any price tag. There are bitter and sour notes everywhere in the opening moments and I am considering the chuck-a-roo at this point, but then I remember I am smoking a $10 bill, so I decide to give it just due. At the back of the palate there is nothing particularly noteworthy either. There are some flavors of light wood, but a sour vegetal note is taking away from the experience here. The draw is too tight for my liking, but I am not going to worry about it because at this point I am not sure the cigar will make it. The burn is passable, but a small runner looks like it's warming up for a marathon.
The first half of the smoke improves, it had nowhere to go but up. The profile transitions into some middling flavors of cinnamon, mint and wood. The profile is shallow and not well defined, and I find myself wanting some more depth and a further examination of the flavors. At the back of the palate there are some more impressions of wood and the vegetal notes have dispersed and a light hay or grass flavor has come into the picture. The draw is still too tight, and there is some heat coming up the bunch that has me worried. The burn has evened out, sort of, there is no canoe but the small runner has continued to hold on.
The final half of the cigar fails to garner any redemptive words from me. The profile continues to be middling with mint and wood flavors predominating, but some bitterness is creeping back in at this point. At the back of the palate there are still some grassy flavors, but there is not much else going on here. The draw stays tight throughout, but I manage to keep the heat from doing any damage. The burn levels off by the end providing for an acceptable combustion performance overall.
The finish is bitter, but there are some hints of wood and grass.
At $10+ I expect way more than mediocre, and this cigar was barely that.
Appearance- 86 an OK looking smoke
Taste- 82 it just never developed and the opening minutes were putrid
Construction-- 80 the draw was too tight and the burn was wonky for two thirds of the effort
Strength- 85 a medium offering that did not complement the profile well
Overall- 82.5 well below average
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