I will start with an interesting observation about this smoke. It does not appear on the AJ Fernandez website. As part of my smoke and review rituals I always check the manufacturer site for information or interesting tid bits, in this case there just weren't any. I'm not sure why this is and I did not waste much energy trying to figure it out, but I did find it to be strange. This cigar has a lot going for it in my mind. It is a lancero, my favorite size, and a size that you just can't find in the marketplace very often. It is a San Lotano, I have recently become a real devotee of these offerings as they have been a pleasant addition to my lineup of new and exciting smokes which is often lacking additions. Finally, it is a maduro, I have always been a fan of this wrapper.
The cigar is pleasant to look at, I always like the diminutive majesty of this size, most guys don't like this vitola, I think they believe that it is feminine. I have told fellow BOTL's for years that true flavor from a wrapper can only be experienced fully in thinner vitolas alas, my assertions have long fallen upon deaf ears. The band work is interesting to look at and there is a second back that identifies the wrapper. An inspection reveals that the cigar is soft in the middle third and I am worried about what that will do to the performance of the smoke. The pre light aroma is woody and has a nice tobacco nose. The pre light draw shows some notes of pepper and cola.
The cigar opens with a profile that is too thin for me, it really has no depth or complexity. The core is showing some pepper and dark wood flavors, but they lack nuance and balance in the opening moments. At the back of the palate there is a nice earthy tone, that would be very nice if complemented by the front of the profile. The cigar draws like an absolute dream, this is the perfect draw for me, I can only wish that it were delivering the dream profile. The burn is slightly wonky, but it evens out well before the first third passes.
The first half of the cigar continues to wallow in mediocrity. The profile is still showing some pepper flavors and some dark wood, but there is no development or added subtlety at this point. At the back of the palate some nice earthy flavors continue and there is some light coffee here too, I feel like if it were more robust it might be a missing link for this cigar. The draw continues to perform very well and the burn has evened out without issue. I have also come into the soft middle section that I noted earlier and there have been no issues to this point.
The final half of this cigar starts to deliver what I would have liked from the beginning. The core profile becomes a more robust presentation of pepper, cocoa, dark fruit and wood. I am also experiencing the taste of cola as I noted in the pre light draw, this is very interesting to me as I have never experienced this flavor in a cigar before. The back of the palate is sweeter, almost floral, but continues to show earthy tones that are binding the experience together at this point. The draw has stayed as previously noted, but the burn has stated to jump around a bit again but requires no attention.
The finish was earthy, but a touch short.
Appearance- 88 a little rustic looking as the wrapper was lumpy, but a nice smoke
Taste- 87 some nice late flavor saved the score
Construction- 93 a superior effort here, without the slight burn issues I would have gone higher
Strength- 88 a solid medium that complemented the cigar nicely
Overall- 89.25 based mostly on very solid construction
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