A cigar from the past is a lot like a woman from the past. There are some fond memories, good times, wistful reminiscences of a simpler time during younger days when there was less to choose from but it seemed to all be of quality. Alas, we grow and move and expand our horizons and these ideas from the past get left in the dust bin of history. You meet the hotter woman, you smoke the hotter cigar and this lasts for a while, but then more maturity hits and another transition is upon you. You meet the woman that is right for you, she puts up with all of your B.S. on a daily basis, she bears your children, you build a life together. You smoke the cigar that is right for you, it relieves stress, it becomes the steady go to in your humidor. Sure you still branch out every now and again, but the old cigars that you once had a relationship with fall by the wayside and occasionally you see someone smoking one and think, they still make those? Occasionally you see the old relationship, you see her with a date and you think, people still date her? Maybe there is a reason for all of this.
This monster cigar was sent to me to do a guest review, never one to turn down the opportunity to put the hairy eyeball on something I decided to get right to work when they arrived. Then I remembered the size, this thing is labor intensive. At over eight inches, this is more than a nine holer (to use a golf reference). It is everything, visually, that I remember. Dull brown wrapper that has some dusty qualities with some prominent veins? Check. The standard old RyJ band work, red with the white, so classic? Check. The cedary aroma? Check. Some wispy notes of cinnamon and cedar in the pre light draw? Check.
I fire it up, and much like taking an old flame to lunch after ten years, I start to think about all the times we had together. During the boom years (both in cigars and in my dating life), I smoked this cigar all the time. It was stable, it was known, it was good, it was a shining beacon in a field of cigars that were so crappy you went out of your way to get one. Something most people won't say anymore about this smoke. It has nice flavors, nothing of real impact, but a steady dose of light cinnamon, cedar and some hints of wheat. The back of the palate shows more cedar impressions and I settle in for this seemingly nice walk down memory lane. The burn is workmanlike and plods along nicely. The draw is solid and delivers plenty of smoke with ease.
The first half of the smoke is much like the first half of the lunch date I mentioned above. There is some remembrance of times past, almost some chemistry and excitement, as the two of us explore old worlds and old times. The flavors continue to deliver nicely, as does the conversation. There are hints of cedar and cinnamon still present in the cigar. There are mutual hints of prior romps and jaunts with the old partner at the lunch table too. The back of the palate still shows mostly cedar notes as well. The back of the mind is nagging at you about the woman sitting across from you, there was something wrong with her! Remember! Similarly the back of the mind is whispering the same thing about the cigar. The draw and burn still perform well.
The final half of the smoke is where it all flies apart. The cigar is now just too mundane for my aggressive palate, I like spice, I like profile shifts, I like ligero. The woman is also just too mundane for my aggressive palate as well, I like adventure, I like aggressiveness. I realize that neither the cigar or the woman offer what I need now. There is an awkward moment near the end when everything I remembered and everything I now know collide in my head. I decide sometimes it's just best to move on and leave the past in the past. With women that is. As for cigars the occasional walk down memory lane is just fine, just be prepared for the possibility that your journey has carried you away from what you once new and the reminiscence will leaving you wanting for something more.
All in all this is still a sturdy cigar that delivers exactly what you would expect. Unless of course you are new to the game, then you should buy some and begin the love affair.
Appearance- 87 nice, but nothing special
Taste- 86 a solid performance that needs to be more, but it never will be
Construction- 91 very well made
Strength- 85 very mild for my tastes
Overall- 87.75 an above average smoke, I just want more out of my cigars right now
