Sometimes cigars give me something to think about in addition to the relaxation already inherent in the process. This is one such smoke...
I have smoked this cigar several times now, something I don't usually do, and I am somewhat flummoxed by my findings. Usually I can make a determination within a cigar or two whether or not I hate something, or love it (anyone that reads this knows it is usually hate), but this cigar is a mystery wrapped in the shady cloak of enigma. I just can't figure the damn thing out! Finally I just had to sit down and put thoughts to blog and get it out there...
The cigar always presents well. The band has a regal design concept and appearance, there is something to be said about a band that is not cheap looking. The wrapper is luxurious in appearance, the hue of nice milk chocolate, the wrapper just seems to drape this cigar in a cloak of dark richness. I am somewhat off put by the box press, but hey that's just me, some people like it. I just have never been able to figure out what the point of it is. There are very few veins here and the construction in every one of the cigars seems to be right on, without any voids or plugs. The pre light aroma is earthy and has some tobacco richness to it. The pre light draw shows some slight pepper tones and some strange spice that borders on being sour.
Every cigar I have smoked opens with the same profile. The core profile has distinct pepper notes, but they are shallow and not very well formed at this point, there is also an odd spice here, similar to the pre light experience but with some sour notes and a metallic aftertaste that is not very pleasing at all. The back of the palate and through the nose shows a nice earthy tone that at least lends some depth to the experience in the early going. The draw on all of the cigars I smoked was acceptable, but not exceptional. It was actually a little bit too loose for on the first several so I adjusted my cut depth and it was still loose, perhaps a punch would be better in hindsight. The burn was also acceptable on all of the smokes to this point.
It is in the first half that I have some variance in the experiences. In two of the five cigars sampled, including the first which I avoided reviewing because I sensed some redeeming value in the smoke, this opening half was a good awful, bile churning festival of bad flavors. Bitter notes and musty flavors overtook these two cigars early on and ruined them throughout the experience. In the other three though something different emerged. The core profile was a much more delightful mix of dark fruit, chocolate and tobacco flavors. The back of the palate showed nice earth and dark wood flavors as well. In all experiences the draw was still too loose at this point for me, however the burn was still doing nicely.
The final half of the cigar in the two outliers is not worth talking about, it was all just so bad. However, in the three that I enjoyed the core profile became a more complex array of solid flavors as the cigar progressed. There were some wonderful chocolate flavors and very nice crisp tobacco, there was also some nice pepper flavor that came through as well. All in all the cigar became a complex and balanced presentation. The draw was still too loose on all of the cigars that I smoked. The burn was ok throughout.
The finish in the three that were enjoyable was long and had some hints of pepper and earth.
I don't usually give cigars second chances when I smoke a bad one right off the bat, particularly one that was as bad as this, but I sensed there might be something worthwhile and I was not disappointed.
Appearance- 92 a nice looking smoke
Taste- 87 for the ones I enjoyed, the other ones were 70
Construction- 86 the draw was too loose for me
Strength- 87 a nice medium to full smoke
Overall- 87.5 which is not bad considering I absolutely hated two of the five
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