Every once in awhile a cigar comes along that transcends what you know about cigars. It becomes legendary amongst the Brethren of the Leaf, seemingly overnight, as cigar cognoscenti scramble to find all they can before they run out. It becomes the topic of every conversation in every corner of places where cigars are enjoyed as people whisper quietly while producing a four finger travel case asking all their friends if they have seen these before, there is a collective gasp from those assembled as the rare jewel is shown. If you are one of the lucky friends of said whisperer you may be offered one, you tremble as you accept this fine gift and can hardly stand the anticipation before you light. Ahhh sweet forbidden smoke, I may never get another chance to smoke something like this, you may think to yourself. You all know this feeling I assume?
Well this is not that cigar. Not even close. However, if you have been listening to these conversations in corners, as I have, you would think this cigar is the second coming of attainable cigar nirvana. I have rarely heard so much hype over one cigar (I credit the marketing genius of Johnathan Drew and Steve Saka), leading me to believe that this cigar must really be something special, maybe even classic or legendary. I waited until they arrived at the local B&M and I selected one. Funny, no one came running over to me to watch my glorious selection. Likewise, no one whispered to me when I went back to my smoking corner with it. No one looked on with rapt anticipation as I cut and light it. I was sure that with all the hoopla about this cigar I would hear a chorus of angels at some point....crickets....
The cigar itself presents in a middling fashion. The wrapper is dark, nearly black, tobacco does not look like this so I know it has been treated somehow. There are some prominent veins along the way, but I don't think they will cause any issues. An examination leads me to believe that the smoke is well made, I can't detect any areas of concern. The pre light aroma is exactly what I expect, very similar to Liga Privada, with strong tobacco notes and some spice. The pre light draw is actually non-descript, but there are some light tar like notes that are sour.
I steal some quick glances, still no one paying any attention, I thought I would have to dodge reporters from Cigar Press in order to smoke this. The profile is nothing to talk about. The flavors are middling and not particularly complex. The core shows some nice tobacco flavor, but it is not very refined or deep. There are some brushes of spice here as well, but they never meld well into the main body of tobacco flavor. At the back of the palate there are still some niggling tar flavors that have a back drop of bitter wood. The draw is fine at this point, and I am giving some high marks for performance to this point. The burn is also sharp and a crisp white ash forms.
A friend sits down and asks what I am smoking, when I tell him, he exclaims that he hated it. I look around for surreptitious listeners, I don't want to be associated with a cigar blasphemer, but no one seems to have heard his sacrilege. The cigar has progressed, in that it is now nearing the midway point. The profile continues to show nothing but tobacco flavor, there is no complexity or depth here at all, I am surprised that the buzz was so loud about a cigar this mundane. At the back of the palate there are still some tar like qualities, but they are beginning to blessedly fade, there is a slight pepper note creeping in here, and it may redeem the experience somewhat if it intensifies accordingly.
The final half of the cigar is smoked without interruptions from curious onlookers, because there aren't any. The profile remains staid and uninteresting. The tobacco flavor, while solid, is not complex or deep, plus there are no complementary flavors to bind the experience together. At the back of the palate there are some definitive peppery developments, but they come on too late to do much for the smoke. The draw stays solid throughout the smoke, and the burn performs well all the way through.
The finish is actually sharp and contains hints of pepper and tar in the aftermath.
So much hype, so little delivery. Good thing I learned long ago to never listen to cigar hype.
Appearance- 86 a slightly above average visual presentation
Taste- 83 slightly below average with no depth, complexity or flavor change
Construction- 90 performed very well in this area
Strength- 85 I think they went for full and missed, this is medium at best
Overall- 86.25 slightly above average, construction helped
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