By Humberto Gonzalez
Pre-Light
Appearance is dark and dirty. Shiny wrapper with a few spots and veins. Construction is solid. Appears to be packed well and no well-defined soft spots. Cap is on tight and clean with no ridges. Examining the foot, I see plenty of dark leaf (ligero) so I'm glad I decided to smoke this after lunch as it will undoubtedly be a powerhouse.
The top of the cap sliced off easily, leaving the remainder intact, confirming my initial "good construction" evaluation. I also noted that there was no crumby residual tobacco falling off. (I hate when that happens.)
Draw was a little on the tight side but reasonably easy to drag. Taste was peppery and rich. Considering I usually smoke milder cigars, I was shaking in my boots.
Toasting
Allow me to digress for the newbies who are reading this: The proper way to light a cigar with a torch lighter is to hold the cigar away from your mouth and thoroughly singe the foot of the cigar using just the tip of the flame(s). In this case, I used a triple flame model. Once the foot of the cigar glows like an ember, blow on it once to make sure it's ready to smoke. I follow this ritual religiously. This cigar was no exception and went off without a hitch.
First Puff
If I had to rate the cigar on first puff alone, I'd give it six "Whoa there, babies!" It started out as a powerhouse smoke, as I had originally predicted. Very potent and rich with tons of smoke and pepper. I immediately developed a knot in my throat and my mouth and eyes began to water. Blowing through the nose only intensified the effect.
First half
Overcoming the initial jolt, I was now entangled in a very flavorful cigar. What flavors, you ask? Well, tobacco was one of them. The others were indescribable. The aroma was sublime. I turned to Anne, my sometimes timid roommate coworker and asked of her opinion… "Smells nice.", she said. Which is a very good sign because she is not short on words when she doesn't like something. Ash was solid, gray, with a few black streaks.
Ash remained solid but I tipped it into the ash tray because, IMHO, I believe long ashes affect the cigar's taste negatively. It came off easily and the cigar began to run up the side a bit. I let it go to see if it would correct itself, and it did. Flavors were still there but mellowed out a tad.
I noted a slight bitterness after I did a quick touchup from a second miniscule burn issue. When I dropped ash again, the bitterness went away. I began to taste a little tin, but it was not unpleasant.
Second half
This is where the cigar became extremely interesting. It got a little harder to draw on, but a relight somehow fixed the problem and it OPENED UP for the remaining 2 inches. The flavors changed dramatically. I now had a very complex, far more enjoyable smoke. Flavors were almost barbeque-ish but it soon started getting bitter. Refreshing the cigar (blowing out through the cigar from the head 2 or 3 times) improved the taste tremendously. I nubbed it off enjoyably. Can we still use the word "nub?"
Closing thoughts
I would not buy this cigar for myself. It's far too strong for my palate. Yet, for posterity's sake, I'll say this powerhouse smoke was well-made, full of flavor, refined yet not for the feint of heart and downright enjoyable. On the power meter, I'd give it an 8 out of 10. For the true cigar connoisseur, I'd gladly recommend it as an after dinner smoke for enjoyment in your den or a quiet place while reading a book or newspaper.
Appearance: 7
Construction: 8
Burn (ash, etc.): 8
Draw: 9
Flavor: 7
Aroma: 9
Final Score: 8.0
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