On a recent trip to my favorite New Orleans B&M, the proprietor (a very good friend of mine), struck again with something I had not heard of or seen. He excels in this area and it is the reason his shop is always a must when I am in the Quarter, hell even if you're not in the Quarter you need to go see Armando at Crescent City...tell him I sent you, after he gets done laughing he will throw you out. On second thought, don't tell him I sent you, just tell him that the Red Wings suck, he will know right away it was me that sent you. He is a class act, and his shop is fantastic for the boutique enthusiast, and if you aren't a boutique enthusiast what the hell are you waiting for! Get to his shop pronto and become one! Many of my top rated smokes the last three years were found at this shop. Ok, ok enough about Armando, he will get a big head.
This particular smoke was lain into my paws by Armando himself and he said what he always said when he get excited;"this cigar is unbelievable bro!!" I take note when Armando sings the praises, he does not steer me wrong. He put two of these in my hands, one each of a different blend, and told me to smoke them ASAP. Well it is ASAP and I am smoking one up right now. You know what that means, more hard hitting subjective cigar journalism from the Czar...
This cigar presents very well. The wrapper is luxurious and smooth and well applied, it literally seems to drip with chocolaty goodness and there are no veins to mention. The band work is bit too Room 101 and Paul Stulac for me, I mean find a new trend guys! The skulls and script is played, but it is crisp and clean and well presented, it just does not meet my tastes right now in terms of art work. A quick exam leads me to believe that the cigar is well made as I find no voids or areas that are too tight. The pre light aroma has dark wood and spice notes, with maybe a hint of dark fruit lingering around. The pre light draw has a coffee note that has some grassy tones to it. Grassy tones make me nervous.
The cigar opens with a profile that is rich and full of depth. There is not much in the way of complexity or balance here, but the core flavors are doing nicely early on. The profile smacks of coffee bean, dark tea and some light grass notes. The grass notes are disturbing me a touch, as they can tend to get dry and foul an experience, but they are not heavy here and I think they will fade if the core flavors pick up as the smoke develops. The back of the palate is full of dark wood notes and there is some cocoa in the retrohale and at the back of the palate. The draw on this cigar is a dream early on, I love a draw that shows some resistance but allows plenty of smoke to coat the palate, this cigar provides just that. The burn is razor sharp right from the start.
The first half of the smoke develops very nicely as it develops nice complexity to match the depth and richness of the opening moments. The grassy notes are slowly moving on, which is a great thing, and the core profile is developing very nicely. The main flavors are now coffee, some dark chocolate and a cinnamon like spice that is very interesting and adding a layer of depth that is much needed. There is also some hint of orange zest coming through here and the palate is tantalized to continue on. The back of the palate and the nose show some strengthening of the dark wood flavors and there is some toothy earth coming in here as well, to top it off there is a mingling of white pepper that gives the cigar some zip and keeps it from becoming too rich. The draw remains solid and continues to impress me. The burn is still right on the money to this point.
The final half of the cigar, sadly, is not as good as the rest of it as the profile comes unhinged a little bit. The core flavors are shoved to the back of the pack as a serious dose of pepper comes rushing forward to join the party. This is not always a bad thing, but here it obscures the rest of the profile and that is a shame. There are still some notes of coffee and chocolate, but they are overwhelmed by the not so subtle pepper bully. The nuance of the back of the palate is similarly lost as the pepper overwhelms everything except for the return of some grassy notes that are dry and bothersome. The draw and burn are solid to the end.
The finish is full of pepper and dry grass notes, which leaves me pondering all that could have been in this cigar that started so strong.
Appearance- 89 very nice looking, aside from some unoriginal art work
Taste- 87 a very strong start derailed by a poor finish
Construction- 93 absolutely superb
Strength- 88 medium trending full
Overall- 89.5 still a very good score, but it could have been so much more
Friday, September 27, 2013
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Sam Leccia White 552 (5x52)
As I have said in previous reviews fanfare and hype about cigars is often misplaced, and when listened to by the average Joe, can cause mediocre cigars to become the stuff of legend. I have experienced this many, many times in my days as a cigar smoker, 25 years and counting by the way (and I am only 38). Some hot person in the industry has all the cache and attention and everything he makes is going to be gold right? Wrong! As with any industry, when someone tries to trade on their image, and glory gone by, the consumer can take the shaft as inferior products are used, things are rushed to market and the overall experience and the artistry of the pursuit are lost in the good ole dollar bill shuffle. The cigar industry falls prey to this wanton disregard for heritage and the integrity of the product just like any other.
Along comes Sam Leccia, if you haven't met him you should, he is a really nice guy. Sam has been hot in the industry for some time now and he has moved around a bit, but he landed on his feet and started another new and fresh cigar venture. I have smoked several of these new offerings over the past couple of months and I am finally getting around to reviewing it here.
This smoke presents with a wrapper that is somewhat mottled in appearance and has a dry texture. The wrapper is not dry, quite the contrary if you know what you are looking for, but the texture has tooth and seems dry. The band work is a little shoddy, but it has a nice design and the eye catching white band is pleasant. As I examine the cigar I can feel some loose spots in the bunch that have me concerned, but I don't believe that they will kill the cigar if I take my time. The pre light aroma smacks of wood and spice. The pre light draw shows some sharp wood and a sweeter spice note that I can't place at the moment.
The cigar opens with a profile that has tons of toasted wood notes, this smoky taste is not often found in many cigars that I smoke and I find it interesting. There are also some less prominent ideas of spice and maybe some nutty qualities as well, but the toasted wood flavors dominate early on. At the back of the palate there is a robust presentation of wheaty flavors that are interesting, but not particularly complementary to the front of the profile, something more weighty would be better here in my opinion. The draw is very loose, but so far I don't notice any undue heat or have any concerns that I will. The burn is very solid right from the get go.
The first half of the cigar settles into a fairly straight forward presentation of dark woods that have a smoked quality to them. This one dimensional presentation is not what I usually look for in a cigar, but similar to the earthy presentation of a Padron I find myself being drawn into this profile aspect. I think this will be a cigar I smoke when I want this particular flavor in my lineup, there is something to be said for a smoke that fills a niche. The back of the palate and through the nose still show some wheaty flavors but there is also a sweetness here that has a hint of cinnamon to it. While not complex or full of depth, the flavor is satisfying. The draw is still too loose and there is some heat creeping in, I slowed down the rate of combustion with a purge and some slower smoking going forward. The burn is still very solid to this point.
The final half of the cigar shows no development at all, the profile stays much the same as it has throughout. This really is a cigar for a specific spot in a lineup, and only when you want this very smoky presentation. The draw was too loose all the way to the end, but the burn was excellent all the way through.
This cigar is really a very interesting display of a niche cigar. This profile, while not what I usually look for, was pleasant and could find a place in my lineup on a semi regular basis.
Appearance- 88 a nice looking smoke, somewhat rustic
Taste- 87 a good profile that fits a particular taste
Construction- 87 the draw was too loose, but the burn was excellent
Strength- 88 a nice medium smoke
Overall- 87.25 above average
Along comes Sam Leccia, if you haven't met him you should, he is a really nice guy. Sam has been hot in the industry for some time now and he has moved around a bit, but he landed on his feet and started another new and fresh cigar venture. I have smoked several of these new offerings over the past couple of months and I am finally getting around to reviewing it here.
This smoke presents with a wrapper that is somewhat mottled in appearance and has a dry texture. The wrapper is not dry, quite the contrary if you know what you are looking for, but the texture has tooth and seems dry. The band work is a little shoddy, but it has a nice design and the eye catching white band is pleasant. As I examine the cigar I can feel some loose spots in the bunch that have me concerned, but I don't believe that they will kill the cigar if I take my time. The pre light aroma smacks of wood and spice. The pre light draw shows some sharp wood and a sweeter spice note that I can't place at the moment.
The cigar opens with a profile that has tons of toasted wood notes, this smoky taste is not often found in many cigars that I smoke and I find it interesting. There are also some less prominent ideas of spice and maybe some nutty qualities as well, but the toasted wood flavors dominate early on. At the back of the palate there is a robust presentation of wheaty flavors that are interesting, but not particularly complementary to the front of the profile, something more weighty would be better here in my opinion. The draw is very loose, but so far I don't notice any undue heat or have any concerns that I will. The burn is very solid right from the get go.
The first half of the cigar settles into a fairly straight forward presentation of dark woods that have a smoked quality to them. This one dimensional presentation is not what I usually look for in a cigar, but similar to the earthy presentation of a Padron I find myself being drawn into this profile aspect. I think this will be a cigar I smoke when I want this particular flavor in my lineup, there is something to be said for a smoke that fills a niche. The back of the palate and through the nose still show some wheaty flavors but there is also a sweetness here that has a hint of cinnamon to it. While not complex or full of depth, the flavor is satisfying. The draw is still too loose and there is some heat creeping in, I slowed down the rate of combustion with a purge and some slower smoking going forward. The burn is still very solid to this point.
The final half of the cigar shows no development at all, the profile stays much the same as it has throughout. This really is a cigar for a specific spot in a lineup, and only when you want this very smoky presentation. The draw was too loose all the way to the end, but the burn was excellent all the way through.
This cigar is really a very interesting display of a niche cigar. This profile, while not what I usually look for, was pleasant and could find a place in my lineup on a semi regular basis.
Appearance- 88 a nice looking smoke, somewhat rustic
Taste- 87 a good profile that fits a particular taste
Construction- 87 the draw was too loose, but the burn was excellent
Strength- 88 a nice medium smoke
Overall- 87.25 above average
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)