Every once in a while I come across something that I just can't find out much about. This cigar fits that bill, however, I am not easily deterred and I was able to find out some things about this smoke. They were blended 10 years ago, according to some Internet information and they were blended by Rolando Reyes himself. As an aside, Rolando Reyes died last year, it was the loss of a legend in the cigar world and all cigar smokers should research his contributions to the industry whenever they can. I found these cigars recently in a Tampa B&M and I grabbed a couple. It should be well known by now that I am always looking for something that I just can't find anywhere, the only problem I have is there really isn't anything I can't find anymore, or that I haven't heard of. This cigar is one of those rare exceptions.
The cigar presents well. It is large and bold looking with a fine looking wrapper that has some prominent veins, but also has a nice oily sheen. The band work is traditional for the Reyes family of smokes as it has the standard Puros Indios green color to it. There is also a fine portrait of the bygone legend himself on the band, almost as a nod to the smoker that he/she is about to embark on something special. The construction appears to be top notch, I can't find a single issue anywhere. The pre light aroma is of dried apricot. The pre light draw shows some nice light wood and dried fruit flavors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is surprisingly subtle, balanced and full of flavor. The core profile shows nice apricot and wood notes and there is a creamy vanilla essence here that is very interesting. The subtlety does not mean that the cigar does not have depth, the flavors run very deep in this cigar and the complexity of all these subtle flavors is quite something. At the back of the palate there is a very nice platform of light wood upon which the unique flavors can rest and show their full color. This opening is so out of the ordinary that I am sitting in reverence of all that it implies about what I know about my own palate, namely that I like bolder flavors as the norm, but in this case I am taken away by flavors that would never be described as bold. The draw is exceptional and the burn is very solid from the start.
The first half of the cigar actually declines slightly for me as it moves on. The core profile becomes too sweet for me. The dried fruit and vanilla flavors continue, but a sweet grassy note comes on here as well and I find it to be all just a little too sweet for me. The back of the palate and the nose continue to show some nice light wood flavors, but I would like something more bold here. Apparently what I know about my own palate is holding true in this area of the smoke. The draw continues to perform very well. The burn is very strong at this point.
The final half of the cigar picks up steam again.. The core profile morphs into a very nice array of dried fruit, but there are some bolder citrus flavor here that was not present in the early stages of the cigar. There is also some very nice light pepper coming into the mix here and it provides just enough punch to to make the cigar intriguing again. The back of the palate has transitioned into a more robust presentation of cedar flavors and there are some nice brushes of cinnamon here as well. The draw continues to be excellent right on until the end. The burn was very solid all the way as well.
The finish was a little bit sweet, but showed some nice citrus flavors with some cedar undertones.
Appearance- 90 a very nice looking cigar, extra points for the visage of a legend
Taste- 89 a very nice experience that lost some points in the first half of the cigar, at times the profile was just too sweet
Construction- 97 a very well made and fantastically performing cigar, the only points I removed were for some heat in the last third
Strength- 93 a fabulous mild/medium
Overall- 92.5 a wonderful experience and a cigar that should be smoked
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