Along comes another new review and with it another review of the Ortega Wild Bunch offerings. This time I tackle the ponderous and downright huge Big Bad John. It is not a secret that I hate, yes that's right, HATE cigars in this ring gauge. However, as always, in the interest of the cigar consumer yours truly soldiers on and smokes all things no matter how gimmicky, how large, how strangely shaped, how double or triple wrapped, how bad or how good. It is a calling and I am up to the challenge, even when I am sent looking for the nearest discreet place to toss my lunch...
Now I am not saying this cigar was bad, but the word is in the name so I will let you draw your own conclusions when you smoke it. It presents in gigantic log fashion like most cigars of this ring gauge, it is huge and packed with tobacco. The wrapper looks wonderful, it has very few veins and I can't find a single defect anywhere on it. An examination of the smoke reveals some areas where there are voids in the bunch and I have often found this to be common in huge ring gauge cigars. The pre light draw is a bit tight, but shows some slight hints of wood and pepper. The pre light aroma is dusty, and has some loamy mushroom qualities.
The cigar opens with a profile that is actually better than I anticipated. The core flavors have some very nice light spice qualities and some crisp tobacco notes. There is also a brush of dark tea and some nice pepper notes that round out some complexity and depth that I wasn't expecting. The back of the palate has some sharp cedar notes, but overall it is not overwhelming my palate at this point. The draw is tight right at the open but loosens slightly as the burn opens the cigar up. The burn is solid and I don't have any concerns in this area.
The cigar chugs along nicely through the first third or so, and I am enjoying the experience (shocking since it is a large ring cigar). In the second third the cigar really flies off the rails for no apparent reason. The core profile becomes sour and shows some really foul and bitter notes of vegetation and loamy earth. There are some ideas of pepper here, but there is nothing redeeming coming through at all. The back of the palate and the retrohale show sharp cedar notes that have become far too sharp and border on bitter. The draw has improved at this point, I only wish it hadn't. The mouthfuls of sour vileness have me begging for a plug or some other reason to launch this rocket. The burn is still solid, but I see the beginnings of a run and wonder what this development will lead to.
The final part of the cigar actually returns to something enjoyable and I am happy I didn't chuck it. The core profile moves into a nice presentation of pepper and spice, with a wheaty finish that interesting. The back of the palate begins to show some sweet floral concepts and there is a brush of cedar along with some nice vanilla tones that interest me. I have seldom smoked cigars with this type of split personality, and I can never recall a cigar that was so terrible in the middle while flanked by solid flavors. The draw really becomes acceptable late. However, the burn is a complete mess by the end and I let it go a little before I normally would just to end on a high note.
The finish was middling, but showed some nice pepper notes with complements of wood.
Appearance- 88 not bad for a big cigar
Taste- 82 I can't do any more for it because of the horrific middle third
Construction- 83 again I would like to do more, but the tight draw early and the burn issues late killed the score here
Strength- 85 a middle of the road medium
Overall- 83.75 below average and not something I would consider again
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