I picked this cigar up while nosing through the humi at my favorite New Orleans B&M, I knew nothing about it at the time except that it had been made by A.J. Fernandez. A.J. Fernandez usually means that I will like the cigar, but I have had some that I did not care for. The proprietor of the establishment couldn't tell me much about the cigar, but I liked the looks of it, so I decided to grab some. Smoking a cigar that you know nothing about can be a real leap of faith, and I have many more of these leaps lead to disaster than I have had lead to nirvana.
The cigar itself is a bit too thick for me, it is well established that I much prefer the thinner ring gauge cigars, but sadly there just aren't that many new cigars that offer a thin ring vitola and if they do B&M's don't seem to carry them. Note to B&M's; you are letting smokers like me down! The wrapper is beautiful, smooth and supple with a light brown coloration like a lightly creamed coffee. There are very few veins and it is very inviting visually. The band work is simple, yet interesting. An examination does not lead me to believe that there will be any issues with the smoke as it seems solidly constructed. The pre light aroma is a heady mix of spice and fruit. The pre light draw shows pepper and wood.
The cigar opens with a profile that shows scads of depth and complexity. The main flavors are cinnamon, citrus and light tobacco. The mix of these flavors is sublime in the opening moments of the smoke. At the back of the palate there are savory and satisfying flavors of light wood and black pepper. The mix and balance of this total profile is extremely rewarding early on. The draw is a little bit tight, but I can perceptibly feel it loosen up as it goes on. The burn is right on the money and the ash is very solid.
The first half of the cigar loses some of the opening depth, but is still a very solid presentation of flavor. The core profile settles into a more relaxed presentation of cinnamon and light coffee, there are hints of light tobacco flavor here as well, but I would have liked more to add further depth. At the back of the palate a more intense flavor of wood has come on strong, but it overpowers some of the nuance from earlier in the smoke. The draw continues to improve as the smoke progresses. The burn is still very solid.
The final half of the cigar really touches all the bases for me. There is a significant increase in strength in the back portion of the cigar, something that I don't experience much any more, and it is very refreshing and exciting to have in this cigar. The profile shows excellent flavors of cinnamon, leather, coffee and tobacco and the mix is deep and complex. I really like when a cigar saves a surprise or two for the closing gambit, and in this case that leather flavor is a real kicker. The back of the palate shows excellent and balanced flavors of wood and some light earth in the closing moments. The draw is now firing on all cylinders and the experience is made more enjoyable because of it. The burn is solid through to the end.
The finish is long and smooth and shows some wood and leather notes well into the night.
Appearance- 92 a very attractive smoke
Taste- 94 an excellent profile that loses out on being classic due to some slippage in the first half
Construction- 91 some points reduced due to early tightness in the draw
Strength- 93 this was magnificent, transitioning from medium to full as the smoke went on
Overall- 92.5 a fabulous smoking experience that I would commend to any full flavor enthusiast
Showing posts with label Capa Habano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Capa Habano. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Padilla La Terraza Capa Habano Serie 2010 (5x54)
Having just reviewed this cigar's maduro brethren, to the tune of a much deserved 90+ rating, I was excited to see what this smoke was all about.
It presents with a heavy looking Habano wrapper that has some spots that seem dry to me. There are some large veins running the course of this smoke, but I don't think they will be causing any issues. The construction seems a touch firm near the head and I am speculating that there may be some draw issues as this smoke progresses. The pre light aroma is decidedly leathery, but there is odd sour note that touches the nose every so slightly here. The pre light draw is tight so I lightly do some work to loosen the smoke by rolling it through my fingers. As an aside, this is not something I would recommend to anyone unless you absolutely know what you are doing, if you apply too much pressure you will crack and unravel the wrapper. There are no real significant flavors in the pre light draw, but there are some fleeting touches of wood and leather.
The cigar opens with a profile that is decidedly sour in the early moments. I am not sure what this is about, but the taste is somewhat akin to the smell of a musty basement, not really where I want to be during the smoking experience. At the back of the palate there are some mushroom like flavors and some hints of dark wood, but nothing here is making me think that this will be a masterpiece of any kind. The draw is acceptable, but just barely so. The burn is solid and slow, there is a nice white ash forming that seems heavy.
The first half of the cigar show little improvement, with the exception of the exit of the basement tastes. The core profile is muddled and shallow, showing flavors of wood, earth and some leather, but there is nothing here that shows any character or depth. At the back of the palate there is an odd spice note that has a nutmeg tinge to it, but it is hard to isolate exactly what I am experiencing here. The draw is loosening more as the cigar heats up, but it is delivering the depth less flavors so it is no blessing. The burn is acceptable to this point and I will not have to retouch this cigar.
The final half of the cigar picks up some steam, but it would prove to be too little too late for this smoke. The core profile begins to sweeten, showing some sugarcane ideas, there is a satisfying leather tone to the smoke here as well. While these flavors are better, they are still neither complex or deep, which leads to a cigar that becomes less than palate compelling. At the back of the palate there are some nice shots of dark wood, but some horrible blasts of wet vegetation. The draw is fine now and the burn was consistent throughout.
All in all this was a disappointment. I would fully recommend the Maduro version of this cigar, but this one misses the mark by a wide margin.
Appearance- 87 not as nice to look at as the Maduro
Taste- 83 very subpar, a couple of points more due to the closing flavors, but still poor
Construction- 86 early draw tightness precludes a higher score
Strength- 85 a very mundane medium that did nothing to complement the experience
Overall- 85 an average score for a slightly below average smoke
It presents with a heavy looking Habano wrapper that has some spots that seem dry to me. There are some large veins running the course of this smoke, but I don't think they will be causing any issues. The construction seems a touch firm near the head and I am speculating that there may be some draw issues as this smoke progresses. The pre light aroma is decidedly leathery, but there is odd sour note that touches the nose every so slightly here. The pre light draw is tight so I lightly do some work to loosen the smoke by rolling it through my fingers. As an aside, this is not something I would recommend to anyone unless you absolutely know what you are doing, if you apply too much pressure you will crack and unravel the wrapper. There are no real significant flavors in the pre light draw, but there are some fleeting touches of wood and leather.
The cigar opens with a profile that is decidedly sour in the early moments. I am not sure what this is about, but the taste is somewhat akin to the smell of a musty basement, not really where I want to be during the smoking experience. At the back of the palate there are some mushroom like flavors and some hints of dark wood, but nothing here is making me think that this will be a masterpiece of any kind. The draw is acceptable, but just barely so. The burn is solid and slow, there is a nice white ash forming that seems heavy.
The first half of the cigar show little improvement, with the exception of the exit of the basement tastes. The core profile is muddled and shallow, showing flavors of wood, earth and some leather, but there is nothing here that shows any character or depth. At the back of the palate there is an odd spice note that has a nutmeg tinge to it, but it is hard to isolate exactly what I am experiencing here. The draw is loosening more as the cigar heats up, but it is delivering the depth less flavors so it is no blessing. The burn is acceptable to this point and I will not have to retouch this cigar.
The final half of the cigar picks up some steam, but it would prove to be too little too late for this smoke. The core profile begins to sweeten, showing some sugarcane ideas, there is a satisfying leather tone to the smoke here as well. While these flavors are better, they are still neither complex or deep, which leads to a cigar that becomes less than palate compelling. At the back of the palate there are some nice shots of dark wood, but some horrible blasts of wet vegetation. The draw is fine now and the burn was consistent throughout.
All in all this was a disappointment. I would fully recommend the Maduro version of this cigar, but this one misses the mark by a wide margin.
Appearance- 87 not as nice to look at as the Maduro
Taste- 83 very subpar, a couple of points more due to the closing flavors, but still poor
Construction- 86 early draw tightness precludes a higher score
Strength- 85 a very mundane medium that did nothing to complement the experience
Overall- 85 an average score for a slightly below average smoke
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