I am a recently lost disciple of Pete Johnson. I used to go out of my way to get my hands on his smokes. I would search high and low, no price was too high, I just couldn't get enough of them. I still can't get enough of the Tat Reds and Browns, and I also love Cabaiguan, Triunfador and La Riqueza. Recent releases just haven't been very good though, and I find that disturbing, so I have left the Pete Johnson fold, at least in terms of new releases.
This is not a new release, but it is a cigar that I had not smoked or reviewed before so it is new to me. It presents well, the wrapper is silky and shows little veining. The bandwork and overall presentation is sophisticated, but understated and classy. The cigar appears to be constructed well, I can't find any issues when I inspect it. The pre light draw is full of wheat, bread and cedar. The pre light aroma is also wheaty and full of cedar notes.
The cigar opens with a splendid array of flavor that is both complex and deep. There are some nice flavors here; bread, wheat, cedar, spice and citrus. The interplay between all of these flavors is excellent early on and this cigar is really ramping up my expectations at this point. I am being transferred back to the halcyon days of early Pete offerings, when every cigar was nearly a masterpiece. At the back of the palate the smoke is heavy and lingers sweetly on the palate with a brush of vanilla flavors that has some white pepper kick to it. The draw is a bit tight here, but I am thinking it will open up as the smoke progresses. The burn is rock solid, nary a run or issue.
The first half of the cigar is excellent, though some of the early promise is gone. The profile settles into a more simple array of wheat and cedar, but the depth is still nice. At the back of the palate the vanilla flavor becomes muted and the pepper notes really take over to provide a kick to a profile that really needs it in the opening half. This is a very pleasant experience up to this point, and I am thinking I may need to get some more of these. The draw opens slightly, but it is still not where I want it to be. The burn stays solid to this point.
The final half of this smoke really brings it home. The profile morphs into a dizzying array of flavor and complexity that is seldom experienced in a cigar. The core profile shows notes of vanilla, cedar and pepper. This mixes together in levels of complexity that are mind blowing. At the back of the palate there are some very fine notes of wheat and some light caramel flavor comes through here as well. This combination of flavor is unique and, in my opinion, fantastic. The draw opens even further and in the final third is exactly where I want it. The burn stays solid throughout.
The finish luxuriates the palate with vanilla and cedar flavors well into the night.
Appearance- 91 elegant
Taste- 92 a very nice palate that lost some zip in the first half
Construction- 90 some early tightness in the draw hurts the score
Strength- 93 a very nice medium
Overall- 91.25 a very nice smoking experience
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