Every once in awhile I stand in front of my humidor, much like a woman in front of a closet claiming nothing to wear, saying aloud that I have nothing to smoke. After some derisive snorts from the wife and the accompanying rolling of the eyes I usually decide that it might be time to plumb the depths of the the monster humidor and find out what is lurking in the dark corners. Recently I came across this artifact from cigar days long past. I am not even sure when I got it, or how long it was hiding waiting for it's name to be called, but there it was like the ever ready soldier waiting for it's call to glory.
To say that I was excited would be an understatement, how often do you get to smoke something like this? The only thing sapping my enthusiasm was the hefty price tag that was still on it, north of $25 bones. Cigars of this price often scare me because I so seldom smoke one that I think is worth the price. As I remove the fittingly yellowed cello I take in the smoke. It is breathtaking. This is the highest form of Fuente craftsmanship, beautiful wrapper, perfect bunch, perfect cap and elegant band work that implies this is really something special. The pre light aroma is full of luxurious cedar essence and has some wonderful spice notes as well. The pre light draw shows some wonderful spice notes, cinnamon mostly, and has a very nice cedar flavor as well.
The cigar opens with a profile that has depth and complexity running wild. The core profile shows wonderful cedar notes that have a sharpness to them that is incredible. Additionally, there is a crisp tobacco note here that is so clean and tasty that I can't recall ever having an experience like this before. Through the nose there is an excellent note of cinnamon that rounds out the front of the experience very nicely. At the back of the palate there are excellent tones of wood and spice that only add to the depth of the experience. The draw is dead solid perfect, if I could design my ideal draw this would be it. The burn is also stellar, nary an issue and razor sharp.
The first half of the cigar continues to please. The core profile morphs from a show of cedar to a more muted presentation of cinnamon and light wood, there is also a light creamy note in this portion of the cigar that adds some depth and nuance to the overall presentation. The back of the palate shows some nice spice and there is a light pepper note coming in here as well. The draw stays perfect to this point. The burn continues to be excellent as well.
The final half of the cigar is where the money is. The core profile takes on a more sweet flavor that has some floral essence, there is also a creamed coffee note here that adds to the overall experience nicely. The back of the palate delivers wonderful pepper notes that ratchet up the strength quotient a few notches, there are also some more fully developed wood notes here. The draw and burn are spot on right to the end.
The finish was an absolute dream, showing lingering notes of cedar, coffee and wood.
I do not hesitate to rank this in the top 25 cigars that I have ever smoked.
Appearance- 95 an absolute beauty
Taste- 93 excellent, not quite classic
Construction- 100 the finest example of cigar craftsmanship
Strength- 97 a wonderful array of mild, medium and late trending medium/full experiences
Overall- 96.25 and an instant classic in my world
No comments:
Post a Comment