As I travel about the state of Florida I like to stop into B&M's whenever and wherever I can find them. I am know to many of the owners and long time employees in many of them because of my frequent visits and many of them know that I am only interested in the new and different and they direct me thusly when I walk through their doors. However, I occasionally come across a store or associate that I have not been in or have not met and the fun begins. I like to test the knowledge of staff inside these stores because if I am going to recommend a store to the beginning or intermediate cigar smoker I have to know that the store and it's employees know what they are talking about. There is nothing more frustrating for a new cigar smoker than to be incorrectly informed about his or her purchase. Additionally, some of these stores have ulterior motives behind what they promote and why they promote which can lead to an undereducated cigar consumer buying things that they should not buy.
I recently walked into a B&M that I had not been in and the employee, a nice chap, approached me right away and without asking questions about my level of experience, my likes and dislikes and my price preferences started to direct me around the humidor as if I had never been in one before. After a few moments we stopped in the ultra premium section and his eyes lit up as I started making rapid selections out of the cabinet that was chock full of things that I rarely see and have wanted to try. As my hand settled on this Garmirian offering he sighed contentedly and pulled me quietly aside to inform me that this cigar was as close to a Cuban as you could get. I raised an eyebrow and asked him which Cuban he thought it was like, and he squirmed for a bit and then said all of them. I chuckled some and he looked at me as if to say, what could you possibly know about Cuban Cigars? I chuckled some more and paid the clueless man and made my way from the store. If you own a B&M I implore you to please train your staff!
After that long digression we can turn to this cigar, which is why I believe you all read this blog, not to revel in my puffed up self importance about all things cigar. It presents in a stunning fashion. The wrapper is a rich brown color, like well tanned leather, and it is flawlessly applied to the cigar providing a fabulous visual. The band work is mundane, but with the cigar speaking so loudly for itself I hardly notice the rest of the presentation. The cigar is perfectly kept, with a slight spongy give at the foot and a solid firm head, implying that someone at the store knows how to keep cigars at least. The pre light aroma is an intoxicating mix of pepper and cinnamon. The pre light draw lights the mouth on fire spice and nicotine tingle and I can see right away that this will be nothing like a Cuban cigar, I am under the impression right away that this cigar will be an in your face thrill ride.
The cigar opens with a profile that is all cinnamon and black pepper. These two flavors are almost overwhelming so early in a smoke and I was really not prepared for something so full right off the bat. The depth is fine, but I would like a mitigating flavor to help with some of the complexity and strength. At the back of the palate the flavor is all pepper and this cigar becomes a real palate bomb in just minutes after lighting. This is not for the timid. The draw is absolutely flawless, it is very seldom that I find a cigar that meets my exacting draw standards, this one does. The burn is sharp and even right from the get go.
The first half of the cigar continues to bitch slap my palate and I am reeling from the experience. The core profile becomes dominated by black pepper notes. There are some occasional shows of cinnamon and other spice notes, but the pepper is the king here and it is not giving up it's crown easily. The back of the palate is also being assaulted with pepper bombs and I am still dying for some other flavors that will make this experience less one dimensional. The draw continues to be fantastic and the burn is solid all the way through the first half.
The final half of the cigar really comes home. The core profile becomes a more muted presentation of pepper and some floral sweetness, this mediating flavor is something I have been looking for since the beginning of the smoke. The balance just from that one additional flavor makes this a phenomenal taste experience in the closing half. At the back of the palate there are some excellent flavors of chestnut and hickory that are mixing well with the pepper flavor that is still hanging around. The level of depth and complexity at this point is extremely satisfying. The draw and burn perform very well throughout.
The finish is long and savory with notes of pepper, hickory and chestnut.
Closest thing to a Cuban? Not even close, but still an excellent cigar.
Appearance- 94 an excellent looking cigar
Taste- 92 some early lack of depth and complexity hurt the score, but the final half of the cigar is legendary
Construction- 100 one of the most well constructed cigars I have ever smoked
Strength- 90 this is a full flavored strength bomb, I thought it was actually too strong in a couple of spots taking away from the profile
Overall- 94.75 an absolutely wonderful experience
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