The blend: Nicaraguan filler, Ecuador Sumatra binder, Nicaraguan Habano wrapper.
Size: Sabrosos 5 1/2 x 52. Picked it up at my local B&M last week for $11.
The wrapper is perfect with a nice oily sheen to it. Once clipped, the draw seemed to be too open, but it got better during the smoke.
The first thing I noticed after lighting was how smooth it was with no bite. It started with a slight touch of spice and a lot of thick creamy smoke. The flavor was very light and had a perfume like aroma. I wasn’t expecting it to be so mild, but it was so smooth and well balanced that it seemed to be a mild cigar. For the first inch or so, I wasn’t sure that I liked it, but it kept hinting at better things to come. The flavor continued to develop with hints of cocoa and maybe cinnamon along with just a hint of spice. At the halfway point it started to burn funny with the top burning faster then the bottom. I touched it up several times, but that didn’t help. Rotating it so the longer part was on top didn’t help and almost caused it to go out. At this point, it’s no longer a mild cigar and has started to show some strength. The flavor just kept building up and it has developed into a wonderful cigar. At the last inch, the strength is finally hitting me pretty hard, but some of that might be the bourbon I’m drinking.
This is hard cigar to put a number on. I think it needs a little more rest and maybe that will fix the burn problem. I will definitely be buying some more of these in different sizes to see how they taste. It’s a smooth cigar from start to finish with a lot of thick creamy smoke. I would put it in the medium to full category. The initial flavor is very light and intriguing which then builds to a really smooth but tasty finish. At the end, I would say it had a touch of cocoa and cinnamon along with a toasted nutty flavor. Between the price and the burn, I would give it 8.5 out of 10.
