It has been some time since I have reviewed a Habano on this blog, I made the decision in 2011 to smoke all of my Cubans for enjoyments purposes only, recent demands for some reviews from this region have inspired me to get back to it.
This particular cigar was offered by a good friend of mine in celebration of my coming nuptials, after I had asked him to be a groomsmen at the event. I have never smoked this cigar before, but I have always been fascinated by the uniqueness of the Upmann flavor profile. The cigar is absolutely stunning visually, it has a deep brown wrapper that is unmarred by veins or flaws. An inspection shows me some firmness that has me concerned in a few areas, but this is a hallmark of Cuban cigars in my experience and they always smoke fine. The pre light aroma is leathery and rich. The pre light draw is tight, but there are wonderful impressions of wood and leather.
The cigar opens with an excellent core profile that contains nice arrays of leather and wood. Upmann's are usually floral to me, but this one does not have that impression at all. Instead it is a well balanced, if lacking in complexity, blend of flavors. At the back of the palate there are some very nice tobacco flavors and an earthiness that can only come from a habano. The draw is way too tight at this point and I can only hope that it will open up some as the cigar progresses. The burn is slow, I'm pretty sure this has to do with the draw difficulties, but it is not running or showing a canoe.
The first half of the cigar really settles into a presentation of a core profile that is full of pleasant leather flavors mixed with some darker wood impressions that continue a nuanced balance of flavor. I would like some more complexity at this point, but the cigar is really well done for something that is really two dimensional at this point. At the back of the palate there are still some nice impressions of tobacco and earth that are still providing a nice backdrop for the core profile to rest upon. The draw has opened, but it is still a little too tight for me at this point.
The final half of the cigar is really amongst the finest I have smoked in years. The profile shifts into a deeply complex and rich experience that shows flavors of graham cracker, light cinnamon, leather and some brushes of roasted nuts. This level of complexity and depth is not often seen in cigars from anywhere other than Havana. The back of the palate is full of earth and tobacco flavors that are still the glue that bind the cigar together. The draw is ok, but still not what I would like at this point. The burn stayed solid, but slow throughout the smoke. I did lose the last inch or so because the draw completely shut down.
The finish was a bit short, but there were some lingering notes of wood and leather that were pleasant.
Appearance- 93 a wonderful visual specimen
Taste- 92 really very good, but limited depth and complexity in the first half limit the score
Construction- 83 big deductions for draw issues
Strength- 91 a nice medium
Overall- 89 severely reduced due to construction
Showing posts with label Edicion Limitada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edicion Limitada. Show all posts
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Monday, October 5, 2009
Trinidad Edicion Limitada Toro
Altadis has several new Edicion Limitadas out and this is one of them. I have always liked Trinidad offerings in the past, but have always thought they were about two dollars over the price they should be.
The cigar presents with a tawny taupe wrapper and is finished with an understated pigtail cap. The wrapper is expertly applied and the cap is exceptional, the cigar is not too firm and appears to be well constructed. The pre light aroma is subtle, but has hints of leather and coffee. The pre light draw shows a character of light pepper.
The cigar opens with a mild/medium profile that has notes of leather and a light floral essence. The burn is excellent and the draw produces ample smoke. The cigar progresses on this course until just after the first third.
At just past the one third point the profile is maintaing notes of leather, but the floral essence has transitioned into a nice note of spice. The burn has stayed strong and the draw has stayed has stayed consistent.
The final half of the cigar shows notes of leather, spice and some light earthy notes. The burn was strong throughout the smoke. The draw faltered slightly towards the end of the smoke, but it did not seriously detracting from the experience.
The finish is a bit short, but has a pleasant note of leather and light pepper.
Appearance- 91 an attractive vitola
Taste- 87 the profile was nice, but lacked complexity and depth
Construction- 88 aside from the minor draw issue at the end this cigar was well made
Strength- 85 a nice medium presentation that could use more punch
Overall- 87.75 a cigar worth smoking
The cigar presents with a tawny taupe wrapper and is finished with an understated pigtail cap. The wrapper is expertly applied and the cap is exceptional, the cigar is not too firm and appears to be well constructed. The pre light aroma is subtle, but has hints of leather and coffee. The pre light draw shows a character of light pepper.
The cigar opens with a mild/medium profile that has notes of leather and a light floral essence. The burn is excellent and the draw produces ample smoke. The cigar progresses on this course until just after the first third.
At just past the one third point the profile is maintaing notes of leather, but the floral essence has transitioned into a nice note of spice. The burn has stayed strong and the draw has stayed has stayed consistent.
The final half of the cigar shows notes of leather, spice and some light earthy notes. The burn was strong throughout the smoke. The draw faltered slightly towards the end of the smoke, but it did not seriously detracting from the experience.
The finish is a bit short, but has a pleasant note of leather and light pepper.
Appearance- 91 an attractive vitola
Taste- 87 the profile was nice, but lacked complexity and depth
Construction- 88 aside from the minor draw issue at the end this cigar was well made
Strength- 85 a nice medium presentation that could use more punch
Overall- 87.75 a cigar worth smoking
Monday, September 14, 2009
Camacho 10th Anniversary Edicion Limitada
This cigar is in a weird figurado configuration that is not symmetrical. The foot is narrow, the middle is oblong and the head is thicker that than the foot. The wrapper is a mottled brown, and there are flaws, veins and cracks down the length of the cigar. The pre light aroma is of light tobacco and raisin. The pre light draw has notes of citrus and spice.
The cigar opens with some notes of light wood, cedar and light spice. There is a metallic undertone at the back of the palate that is distracting. The burn is sharp and the ash is solid and white. The draw is perfect and produces big, booming clouds of smoke.
At the half way point the profile develops a floral quality with notes of raisins, however there is still a metallic flavor that is hurting the profile. The burn has stayed strong and the wrapper flaws are not affecting the experience.
The final half of the cigar does not change too much. The profile has maintained a character of raisins and has a floral essence. The metallic undertone is showing signs of turning bitter. The burn is still strong and the construction has stayed true despite my early misgivings.
The finish is short and has floral notes and a bitter undertone.
Appearance- 80 an unattractive cigar
Taste- 83 the metallic undertones hurt this score
Construction- 92 the cigar performs well, just a little unevenness
Strength- 84 a medium bodied smoke that does not compliment the character of the smoke
Overall- 84.75 just average for me
The cigar opens with some notes of light wood, cedar and light spice. There is a metallic undertone at the back of the palate that is distracting. The burn is sharp and the ash is solid and white. The draw is perfect and produces big, booming clouds of smoke.
At the half way point the profile develops a floral quality with notes of raisins, however there is still a metallic flavor that is hurting the profile. The burn has stayed strong and the wrapper flaws are not affecting the experience.
The final half of the cigar does not change too much. The profile has maintained a character of raisins and has a floral essence. The metallic undertone is showing signs of turning bitter. The burn is still strong and the construction has stayed true despite my early misgivings.
The finish is short and has floral notes and a bitter undertone.
Appearance- 80 an unattractive cigar
Taste- 83 the metallic undertones hurt this score
Construction- 92 the cigar performs well, just a little unevenness
Strength- 84 a medium bodied smoke that does not compliment the character of the smoke
Overall- 84.75 just average for me
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