Another cigar that you have probably never heard of, I know I hadn't when I stumbled across it at one of my favorite B&M's some months ago. It carries a hefty price at above ten bucks, but the proprietor heavily recommended it, so I grabbed one on a flyer and set it aside for a bit as I reviewed some other, more well known, cigars in recent months. I am always excited when I find cigars that I have never heard of. It is like finding a secret treasure, of course the value of said treasure could be nothing if the cigar turns out to be garbage. There is nothing like perusing the shelves of a chock full B&M humi and finding treats that you have never seen or heard of. I don't understand these guys that just smoke the same thing over and over and over again, there is no excitement in that. Expand your horizons! Try something new and different! Show some cigar courage, or balls, or cojones you choose the euphemism, just do it!
This cigar will never win an appearance contest. The wrapper is drab and light brown. There are no real oils or other appealing visuals to the wrapper, it is just there. The band work is monotone and boring as well. This is not starting out well but, as I have told you many times before, we musn't judge a cigar by it's appearance alone (sadly though, many great cigars lose out because of visual issues and many people miss great cigars based on their own restrictive visual criteria). An examination of the cigar leads me to believe that it will perform well. It is appropriately spongy and there are no voids or tight areas in the bunch. The pre light aroma is full of tobacco notes. The pre light draw is showing some roasted nut and cinnamon flavors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is full of subtle and nuanced flavors. It may actually be too delicate for my palate to pick up all of the things happening here, but I like what I am getting in the opening moments. The core profile is full of graham cracker, cinnamon and light vanilla flavors that are appealing, but not particularly deep or satisfying. The back of the palate is showing a richer profile of crisp tobacco flavors with some nice cedar essence. The draw is excellent for me, there is just the right amount of resistance and ample smoke. The burn is solid and a nice ash forms quickly and seems very solid.
The first half of the cigar continues to show subtle balance and nuance, but I am still wishing for more depth. The core profile is lacing the palate with flavors of lemongrass, cinnamon and vanilla. I must admit that this is my first experience with a lemongrass presentation and it is appealing to me, though very subtle. At the back of the palate rich cedar flavors are booming across the experience and I find these flavors to be an interesting underlay for the main profile. The draw continues to perform very well. The burn is still solid and moving along as it should.
The final half of the cigar warms up a bit in the strength category, becoming a more convincing medium. The core profile becomes a more robust presentation of cinnamon and crisp tobacco flavors and while some of the nuance is gone, solid flavor that is full of depth remains which is an acceptable performance at this point in the cigar. The back of the palate becomes more peppery, but the cedar core remains and provides a nice undertone for the remaining experience.
The finish was long and smooth, showing notes of cinnamon long after the cigar goes cold.
Appearance- 85 very average looking
Taste- 89 I needed more depth and complexity early, but the cigar was still very, very good
Construction- 91 a very nice performance here
Strength- 88 a very nice mild that transitions to medium
Overall- 88.75 a very nice smoke, but for the price I expect 90+
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