One of my deepest and darkest secrets is about to come out. I am, and have been for lo these many years, a member of a cult. We are a quiet group, meeting on Tuesday and Thursday mornings most weeks, and we keep pretty much to ourselves. Our rituals are many. Our naysayers few, as we have a way of dealing swiftly and with finality when someone disparages our chosen methods of brotherhood. We use the tools of our trade, known as the Implements of the Brotherhood, with a deft touch and dexterity that is seldom seen in the likes of those that are not initiated. Our sacrificial rituals are heavy on smoke and fire and we deftly remove parts of the sacrificial beings with our various cutting instruments in ways that are numerous and each has it's purpose. We converse in low tones and cast conspiratorial glances at those not part of our inner circle. We have distrust for those that are not part of our exclusive lifestyle, and distaste for those that seek to destroy what we stand for. We are the Brothers of the Leaf and we are proud, strong and numerous.
This cigar presents well and as you would suspect the band is adorned by the word Cult in what appears to be a somewhat bloody script. The wrapper is a nice medium brown and it has very few veins. As I inspect the construction I am struck by how well this seems to be made, I am wondering how this cigar (been around since 2000) has escaped my notice. The pre light aroma is a heady mix of cinnamon and cereal with heavy grains. The pre light draw shows nice flavors of spice and a wheaty tone that has some vanilla sweetness to it.
The cigar opens with a profile that has miles of depth and loads of character. The core profile has some very intense notes of cinnamon and white pepper, there are some very nice vanilla undertones here as well. The back of the palate is being nicely coated with some crisp tobacco flavors and a nice wheat flavor that binds the experience together. The draw is absolute perfection for me, just the right amount of resistance and the perfect amount of smoke. The burn is right on the money in the early moments.
The first half of the cigar continues to impress me. There are some very nice sweet floral and vanilla notes that are developing here. There are also some great flavors of cinnamon and light brushes of wood here that lend to the complexity and depth of this smoke. The back of the palate is a wondrous combination of crisp tobacco flavors and light efforts of white pepper. The draw continues to perform flawlessly. The burn is still sharp and the ash hold until nearly the halfway point of the smoke.
The final half of the cigar slams home what I have been thinking all along, this is a very good smoke. The core profile is a tantalizing melange of light citrus notes with some vanilla, cinnamon and wood. This is a really a unique profile and it plays very well for me. At the back of the palate there are some great shots of white pepper that become more intense as the cigar progresses and there are still very nice flavors of crisp tobacco holding the experience together. The draw is exceptional. The burn is also nearly perfect right until the end.
The finish was full of cinnamon and tobacco flavors.
I am now a member of two cults, and one of them is people that love this cigar.
Appearance- 92 a very nice cigar to look at
Taste- 94, nearly classic for me just lacking slightly from that high standard
Construction- 97 an exceptional performance here
Strength- 91 a nice medium, some more punch earlier in the smoke would have been nice
Overall- 94.25 an exceptional experience
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