On a recent Friday at a favorite B&M the cigar that was in everyone's lips was this new offering from La Flor. I am often skeptical of these hyped up blends, as I have said here before, but I always succumb to the curiosity and buy some anyway. You see, despite all my cigar knowledge bravado, I am just one of the cigar sheeple bleating my way into line to smoke what ever everyone else is smoking, even if it is baaaaaad. All farm animal jokes aside, I have always been a fan of the La Flor offerings, particularly when I am looking for something full and spicy. I will admit, I was flummoxed by a Colorado Oscuro offering, I did not think such a thing was even possible. I guess the old adage that one learns something new everyday holds true in the world of the cigar smoker as well. Dammit, just when I thought I knew it all!
This cigar has all the usual hallmarks of La Flor. The wrapper is oily and draped beautifully across this vitola. It has some veining, but they are neither prominent or problematic looking. My examination reveals a cigar that might be too soft in some spots, but I will not be able to tell until later in the smoke. It is a thick cigar, the 50 ring seems like an understatement to me, but a quick measure with my handy cigar ring gauge app on my iPhone shows me that 50 is the number. The pre light aroma is of heavy earth, pepper and tobacco. The pre light draw is full of pepper flavors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is full of pepper flavors and some nice spice that is sharper than cinnamon, it's almost an artificial cinnamon like in a schnapps. At the back of the palate there is a very distinct impression of rich and dark tobacco flavor that has some earthy undertones to it. The flavors early on are intense, which is exactly what I expect from this maker. The draw is a little thin, but I am not really laboring, I would just like more smoke for my effort. The burn is solid and slow, almost as if the cigar is moist, but I know that it is not, La Flor's often combust this way.
The first half of the cigar is one dimensional for me. The core profile continues to show pepper and spice notes, but I would like some complementary flavors here to provide a more complex and robust experience. At the back of the palate the earthy tones have become more prevalent, but again they are one dimensional. I often find that amongst stronger cigars one dimensional presentations can become the norm as the strength can outweigh any attempts at subtlety in the profile. This by no means a poor cigar, it is just too straightforward for me to this point. The draw has opened up at this point and the smoke is flowing evenly. The burn is still slow, but the ash is sharp.
The final half of the cigar really picks up some steam. The core profile becomes a more complex melange of flavors as pepper combines with spice, dark fruit and some anise to provide a nice balance of strong flavors. The back of the palate continues to be a nice backdrop of earth, but there are some nice woody flavors along with some tobacco essence that is nice. I am really enjoying the final third of this cigar as the balance of all these flavors finally comes together. The draw is solid throughout the last half and the burn stays straight through to the end.
The finish is spicy and long showing some real teeth for many minutes after the cigar is a memory.
Appearance- 91 just a real nice smoke to take in visually
Taste- 88 some early issues were saved in the last half when the flavors married well together
Construction- 89 some early draw issues reduce the score here
Strength- 87 very full, but in the first half the strength takes away subtlety
Overall- 88.75 a very nice smoke that I could add to my full flavored lineup
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