It is no secret that I have a black heart towards Rocky offerings, when they ruined the original Olde World Reserve with some crappy re blend I left the fold and have never been back. Then along comes a friend with a respected palate and some solid reviewing chops and recommends this smoke. To top it all off she gave me one and asked me to smoke it. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I accepted it and sat in my humi for a long time just never getting around to smoking it. Well it is now ash and my thoughts follow.
The cigar presents well with a nice solid wrapper visual that is unmarred by veins or flaws. The band is somewhat bland, but who smokes the band anyway (as a side note I have seen some drunks, they will remain nameless, smoke the band as well, but that is a story for another time)? Construction seems to be ok and I can't detect any areas of immediate concern. The pre light aroma has all the pungent attributes of a hot barnyard. The pre light draw is woody, but shows some hints of pepper and spice.
The cigar opens with a profile that is middling to me. There are some nice dark wood flavors and a hint of raisins, but overall there is not real complexity or depth here. The back of the palate is showing some rich tobacco notes, but I find myself wanting more from the get go. The burn is wonky from the start, but I am resisting an immediate touch up. The draw is nice and fluid and delivers plenty of smoke.
The first half of the cigar is a study in duality. There are moments when this cigar wows me, these are when there are deep and rich flavors of wood, earth, raisin and spice. Then there are moments that are flat and lacking, these are when there are papery flavors with some bitter soap like tastes. Thankfully the wow moments are more numerous, but I am sad when pondering what this cigar could be with wow factor type consistency. The burn levels out some, but is still lopsided. The draw continues to be excellent.
The final half of the cigar settles down nicely. The profile morphs into a nice presentation of wood, cocoa and spice flavors that are pleasing. My only complaint would be that I would like some more power, but that is me being nit picky I guess. At the back of the palate there is a satisfying earthiness that is melding the whole experience together. There is one touch up required as the burn canoes in the last third so there will be some deductions for that, but the draw stays solid throughout.
The finish was long and earthy. All in all this was a nice smoke. Would it make me reconsider my Rocky position? Probably not, but I might smoke one of these on rare occasion.
Appearance- 87 a nice looking smoke, but nothing over the top
Taste- 88 a nice experience toward the end, some deductions for issues in the first half\
Construction- 86 all burn related
Strength- 87 I would have liked more than the medium presented here
Overall- 87 a solid smoke that could have rated much higher with some consistency
Showing posts with label Sumatra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sumatra. Show all posts
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Le Reloba Sumatra Toro (6.25x52)
This is a newer release from My Father cigars and is purported to be blended by Don Pepin's son, Jaime. It presents in a bulky Toro format that is less delicate than what I expect from this maker. The wrapper is a deep brown and has some prominent veins. I note that this wrapper is very toothy and has a dusty coating to it that I find interesting. An inspection leads me to believe that this cigar will perform well as I detect no soft spots or areas that are too firm. The pre light aroma has strong cedar notes and some mild coffee tones. The pre light draw portends dark wood and rich tobacco flavors.
The cigar opens with a very nice profile that is replete with a dark, woody character. As the opening progresses there is the development of a sweet coffee note that is pleasing when contrasted with the rest of the profile. At the back of the palate there is a dusty coating of flavor that I could only compare to sweet corn, there are also some undertones of tobacco flavors here. The draw is excellent, imparting plenty of smoke and flavor with minimal effort but not showing any signs that it will burn hot or deteriorate. The burn is a touch wonky, but it does not require any touch ups to this point.
The first half of the cigar continues to show well. The profile has settled into a nice presentation of dark wood, but there are some salty notes as well. The sweet coffee note has transitioned into a more straight forward presentation of rich tobacco at this point. At the back of the palate there are some interesting things afoot. A soft bitterness has crept into the presentation and there is a sharp note that has a citrus tang to it. There are still some hints of tobacco flavor here, but they are cloaked by a predominantly bitter flavor. The draw continues to be exceptional, but the burn has not evened out as I would like.
The final half of the cigar deteriorates for me. The sweet notes in the profile have not transitioned into anything of note and they become cloying. There are still some flavors of dark wood and some nice tobacco notes, but they have not developed well. I am disappointed in the lack of depth at this point, and there is not enough complexity for this cigar to stand up against other blends. At the back of the palate the bitter notes have become charred and I find it off putting. The draw remains excellent, and the burn finally evens out.
The finish is a bit short and has some bitter notes, but some lingering sweetness.
Appearance- 86 a bit ruddy for me
Taste- 84 slightly below average and lacking in complexity and depth
Construction- 90 aside from some small burn issues, this cigar performed very well
Strength- 86 a very non-descript medium/full
Overall- 86.75 a very middle of the road experience
The cigar opens with a very nice profile that is replete with a dark, woody character. As the opening progresses there is the development of a sweet coffee note that is pleasing when contrasted with the rest of the profile. At the back of the palate there is a dusty coating of flavor that I could only compare to sweet corn, there are also some undertones of tobacco flavors here. The draw is excellent, imparting plenty of smoke and flavor with minimal effort but not showing any signs that it will burn hot or deteriorate. The burn is a touch wonky, but it does not require any touch ups to this point.
The first half of the cigar continues to show well. The profile has settled into a nice presentation of dark wood, but there are some salty notes as well. The sweet coffee note has transitioned into a more straight forward presentation of rich tobacco at this point. At the back of the palate there are some interesting things afoot. A soft bitterness has crept into the presentation and there is a sharp note that has a citrus tang to it. There are still some hints of tobacco flavor here, but they are cloaked by a predominantly bitter flavor. The draw continues to be exceptional, but the burn has not evened out as I would like.
The final half of the cigar deteriorates for me. The sweet notes in the profile have not transitioned into anything of note and they become cloying. There are still some flavors of dark wood and some nice tobacco notes, but they have not developed well. I am disappointed in the lack of depth at this point, and there is not enough complexity for this cigar to stand up against other blends. At the back of the palate the bitter notes have become charred and I find it off putting. The draw remains excellent, and the burn finally evens out.
The finish is a bit short and has some bitter notes, but some lingering sweetness.
Appearance- 86 a bit ruddy for me
Taste- 84 slightly below average and lacking in complexity and depth
Construction- 90 aside from some small burn issues, this cigar performed very well
Strength- 86 a very non-descript medium/full
Overall- 86.75 a very middle of the road experience
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