It has been two weeks since I last chimed in with a review, I've just been being kept down by the man. You gotta put together some sheckles in this life and lately I've had my earnin shoes on. Don't get me wrong, I have been smoking, I just haven't had time to smoke much new stuff recently as I like to devote real time to that pursuit. For this review I have chosen a cigar that has been around for a while, but one that I never really paid any attention to. I have reviewed some Esteban Carreras offerings before and they have all come out very average for me, but I had been told by many people that this blend was the flagship. My radio co-host also seems to really did this cigar, and I like to see if he has any taste at all.
The cigar is box pressed, this is a down check in my view. I have never understood this attribute and I'm pretty sure it serves no purpose. Things that serve no purpose have very little use in my mind, in fact I think box pressing can sometimes be detrimental to the smoke as it compacts any flaws in the construction of the smoke. The wrapper is nice looking, with some nice tooth and a rugged look, there are some prominent veins, but I don't pay them any mind. An inspection of the cigar leads me to believe that it is well made and I can't find any areas of concern. The pre light draw is a little bit tight, but it shows nice earth and rich tobacco flavors. The pre light aroma is spicy and seems dusty to me.
The cigar opens with a profile that is very heavy in the earth department and the first moments are almost muddy on the palate. There is some nice spice here though and I can see that there might be room for this to be really interesting. The back of the palate shows some middling coffee flavor that could use a little boost and some cedar flavors that are bordering on being sharp. The draw is a touch too tight, but I am getting enough smoke to not have any real concerns. The burn is solid and a nice white ash is forming nicely.
The first half of the cigar really disappoints me. I would love some balance and depth, but the main profile is still earthy with some spice. The flavors are not bad, but they show no development and certainly lack nuance and depth. At the back of the palate cedar flavors remain and they have softened some, which is a blessing in disguise. There are still some hints of coffee here, but the flavor is not giving me much more that a light tap on the palate at this point. I want much, much more out of a cigar at this point. The draw is opening up nicely at this point. The burn continues to be very solid.
The final half of the cigar improves, but it is not dramatic. The core profile shows some very nice spice and cinnamon flavors while the earthy tone softens and provides a platform for the other flavors to rest upon. The back of the palate becomes a nice mix of coffee flavors coupled with a spicy cedar tone that is very interesting. The draw becomes very fluid in the end and the resulting heat is a little bit troublesome. The burn is solid all the way through to the end.
The finish was average with earth and tobacco flavors that linger.
Appearance- 86 box pressing kills my visual
Taste- 87 a very average presentation
Construction- 86 some tightness early, then looseness late hurts the score
Strength- 85 an average medium
Overall- 86.25 slightly above average
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