This is the final blend of the Curivari line that I will review for now, not because I am tired of them, but because I have reviewed all that are available right now. Curivari is by far my runaway winner of boutique of the year. Who knew that when I stumbled on these about four months ago I would be finding some of the best new cigars in recent years? I certainly didn't know and it proves my long standing theory that a true cigar smoker should smoke everything, you might be missing some real gems.
This cigar is very similar to the other Curivari offerings. The wrapper is beautiful and applied expertly, there are some veins, but they will not be an issue. Sadly there is a little split a the foot, I am hoping it does not open up when flame is applied, these are the perils of cigar smoking sometimes. My examination reveals one area of concern in the middle of the smoke, there is a slight hard spot here and I worried about burn issues when I get to this area. As the name suggests the pre light aroma is full of coffee and chocolate notes. The pre light draw is thin, but shows some nice tobacco and coffee essence.
The cigar opens with a profile that is all coffee and light cocoa notes, this is an excellent opening to a cigar and I can't recall ever experiencing this type of flavor so early in a cigar in such a profound way. At the back of the palate there is a very satisfying base of wood and tobacco that builds a fine foundation for the cigar. I would like some more balance in the flavors, the wood can overwhelm the subtleties of the coffee flavors in spots. The draw is too loose for me at this point, and there is actually some effort involved in getting a mouthful of smoke. Upon reflection I realize that this could be because of the split in the foot allowing too much air in the opening moments. The burn is solid despite the split that I noted in the examination.
The first half of the cigar loses some zip. The profile becomes somewhat lackluster as the flavors become more shallow and less complex. There are some coffee flavors present, but there is not enough here to make any real impressions. At the back of the palate the wood has taken on a definite cedar tone and the tobacco flavor from earlier has faded into the darkness. The draw has become more acceptable at this point. The burn has begun to deteriorate as I approach the hard spot I noted earlier and I fear that my concerns may have been well founded.
The final half of the cigar is plagued with burn issues, I don't retouch the cigar, but I certainly could have many times over. I choose instead to allow it to even out on it's own, and it eventually does, but I lose about a third of the non-combusted wrapper in the process. The profile has actually become a very nice array of chocolate and tea flavors, the balance of the tea with the chocolate is a nice change of pace. The back of the palate has become a fully involved cedar explosion and it is on the borderline of becoming too sharp. The burn is just a mess, but it does even out with about an inch left in the smoke. The draw is fine through to the end.
The finish was full of cedar that became too sharp in the closing moments. This was the most disappointing of the Curivari line for me.
Appearance- 88 a nice smoke to look at
Taste- 87 some middle inconsistencies hurt the score
Construction- 78 the burn disaster in the last half with the loose draw in the front half killed this cigar
Strength- 85 a nice medium, but I would have liked more punch
Overall- 83.75 very disappointing
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