Jerry's Cigar Shop Northeast

Perdomo

TL;DR: A notch above a one-trick pony; it started well enough, but I got bored quickly. ——— 64% RH @ foot - Home humidor aged 6 months. ——— Initial observations - Everything about the presentation of this cigar exudes class, from the gold cellophane to the colors, size, and font of the band. All of them complement the shade wrapper very well. The wrapper itself is decent; the seams are hidden well enough and there are veins, but they are not so prominent. The stick is firm enough, but there is some give that implies that it could have been filled just a little more. The foot is clean cut with no cracks and shows the filler tobacco well. The cap is clean and tight and the torpedo point is sharp. The scents I got off the unit wrapper were cinnamon, hay, and a touch of barnyard. The foot gives the same. ——— Cold draw - I choose to V-cut figurado vitolas, and this was no different. The cigar handled the cut well and the draw was good if not slightly loose. Unlit flavors included cinnamon and hay. ——— Light up - Light up was done with a soft flame and handled easily. Immediate flavor notes were almonds, peanuts, cashews, black pepper, and a touch of honey on the palate. The retrohale had black and red peppers, a floral note, and a slight touch of cream. The finish was too light and short to detect flavors at light up. ——— First third - Almost an inch into this Churchill length torpedo and the burn was doing well. The burn line was even, if not slightly tilted. The ash was medium gray and solid, not flaky, and had some “stacking” but not much. Palate flavors included the nut mix, mainly, and some undertones of honey and a slight vegetal earthiness. I didn’t find the main tones of this cigar to be very sweet at all, contrary to what I was expecting. The better flavors were certainly in the retrohale, where I found red pepper still scraping through my sinuses, that floral note, a faint honey, and an even more faint citrus zest. The finish started to show up more, even though it was still short, and it had that citrus-floral combo and a little sweet tobacco. The cigar ashed itself at about 1.25”, well before the second third. The quicker exposure of the cherry, I feel, changes the smoking characteristics, and to that end, the flavors didn’t so much change as the blend did. The burn line also got a little unstable at this point. I was also a little surprised at how quickly this stick was burning as I was nearing the second third after only 20 minutes. I think this was most attributed to the packing density. There was plenty of smoke, to be sure, but the texture wasn’t thick and velvety; it was lighter. However, once a half inch of ash built back up, the remainder of the first third began smoking like the beginning. A mellowing of the primary flavors signaled the initiation of the second third. ——— Second third - An evened out burn line returned in the beginning of this third. The primary flavor notes were still peanuts and almonds on the palate, floral, and honey in the retro, and citrus nuts in the finish. However, in the retro I got new notes of cumin and nutmeg. I removed the band very easily in this third. It didn’t affect the ash, though. The finish length increased and began to include an ashy note more than sweet tobacco. The cigar ashed itself again after about 1.5” had built up. It was here that I found the retrohale had a toasted bready note included, but there was no notable transition to the final third. ——— Final third - I ashed the cigar at the beginning of this third to see if the flavors would shift. They didn’t. About halfway through the final third, most of the flavor notes turned bitter and somewhat off putting. I powered through it to finish the cigar, but my level of enjoyment dropped off significantly. ——— Other notes - I found the strength of this one to be a solid medium. I’ve definitely smoked lighter connecticuts (ands heavier ones, for that matter). The room aroma was of a typical cigar, not off putting, nor especially pleasant. One other note, this stick wasn’t as creamy as I was anticipating. I’ve heard a number of people suggest this cigar as a good entry stick, but I disagree. I think this is a good transitional cigar from typical connecticuts to sun grown habanos due to its strength, complexity, and peppery retrohales. 1 hour 25 minutes smoke with a 1” nub. ——— Personal Final Score - 76

Foundation Cigar Co.

TL;DR: A good but simple blend. Don’t overpay for one of these. ——— 68% RH @ Cap, 67% RH @ foot - Home humidor aged 5 months. ——— Initial observations - A fine toothed, dark brown, oily wrapper with hidden seams, but obvious veins is what I noticed first. It looked good under the simple, but effective band. Top marks for the complex cap as it was cut neatly, set square, and extended deeply onto the wrapper. On the opposite end, I found a closed foot, albeit messy and haphazard. I expected to get a blast of wrapper flavor right on the light up. The cigar was as firm as it should have been and felt good in the hands. Rich scents of coffee, leather, hay, and cinnamon came off the entire cigar, including the foot since it was closed off by the wrapper. ——— Cold draw - After a quick double guillotine straight cut, the resistance felt spot on. Cold flavors included coffee, chocolate, and untoasted wheat bread. ——— Light up - Straight into light up, no toasting, and I immediately got espresso and leather with a touch of vegetal earthiness. There were red and black peppers in the retrohale along with a hint of cream and sweet tobacco. The flavors quickly began to settle and I was into the first third. ——— First third - A razor sharp burn line kicked things off. The ash was light gray, solid, stacked, toothy, and not very flaky. The main flavors on the palate I picked up were espresso, leather, cocoa powder, a green vegetal note, and earth. There was more balance in the retrohale with black pepper only, a good amount of cream, nutmeg, and walnut. The finish left earth, espresso, and some faint cream and pepper on the tongue. Smoke was thick and plentiful. As I made my way through this third, the cream mellowed more into an almond butter, which announced the beginning of the second third. ——— Second third - The burn powered on razor sharply, and the ash held on until the beginning of this third (1.75”). Flavor notes on the palate didn’t change too much, but the earth-coffee 1-2 punch began to step out more than the other notes, like cocoa. The pepper pulled back even more on the retro, and it kept notes of almond creaminess and cedar. The finish stayed coffee, peaty earth, and leather. However, as I got mid way through, a citrus zest joined the finish notes. What was interesting in this third, when it came to the flavors, was a sweet floral note that was left on my lips. Nicotine strength was a solid medium throughout. I noted that the room aroma wasn’t foul by any stretch, but it was a little more pungent than I’m used to from cigars in this price range. The cigar ashed itself again midway through this third. I noted that, after this ashing, it got more flaky and the burn line started to wave up before the final third. The band came off very easily and that announced the beginning of the final act. ——— Final third - The creaminess was completely gone at this point, and the smoke became dry. Cocoa powder as a flavor note came back here, but it was subtle. Aside from that, the cigar’s tasting notes didn’t change. ——— Other notes - I honestly thought this cigar was going to be more complex than it was. It was fairly simple to the point of being boring by the final third. It wasn’t a bad stick, but I found myself wanting to just be done with it by the time the last couple of inches came around. There are more complex, interesting, and just plain tastier cigars at this price point, and while you could certainly do worse, it wouldn’t take much to do better. I took 1 hour and 20 minutes to get down to a 1” nub and let the cigar die there. ——— Personal Final Score - 79

My Father

TL;DR: Decadent flavors and a great presentation support an aptly named cigar. One of my favorites from this brand. One of my favorites, period. ——— 70% RH @ Cap, 65% RH @ foot - Home humidor aged 1 month. ——— Initial observations - My Father bands are second to none in the cigar industry. So when they name a cigar “opulent”, of course the band has to match that name. The script definitely is. The colors are. The design is beyond. The only simple thing about this cigar is the foot band. Yes, it’s the color of money, but it’s a strip of non-expensive silk(ish) material, held in place by a piece of clear tape. Granted, all of My Father’s cigars’ foot bands are like this, only varying in color from one blend to another, but still, with that name… As for the wrapper, the dark chocolate color is enticing and is a perfect contrast to the bands. The seams are hidden, but almost everything is hidden under the bands. I was still able to spot a few veins though. The cap is one of the few things that are not hidden, and it’s a good thing; it’s cut well, placed straight, and set deeply. The foot displays a neat cross section of densely bunched filler, binder, and wrapper. The stick is firm with just a slight amount of give. I got deep scents of coffee, hay, and a touch of barnyard from the wrapper. Add cinnamon to that list from the foot. ——— Cold draw - The cap was cut with a double guillotine straight cutter and didn’t show the slightest hint of tear or unraveling. The cold draw itself is slightly restricted, but most cigars open up with heat. Flavors I got included leather, coffee, and wheat. ——— Light up - After removing the foot band and toasting the cigar to light, I tasted notes of milk chocolate, black coffee, and walnuts on the palate. There was cream, a floral note, and leather in the retrohale, and a nutty, coffee-y, earthy finish. ——— First third - A slight canoe started this third, but I gave it time to correct itself. Very light gray ash with tooth in it from the wrapper; it started off stacked and non-flaky. The flavors presented were certainly picked for their sumptuousness. On the palate was milk chocolate, cooking spices of nutmeg, a slight cumin, and cinnamon, coffee, and some leather. The retro held notes of white pepper, cream, cinnamon, and cedar; while the finish consisted of earth, creamed coffee, and hay. This blend was quite delicious, especially in the first third. The room aroma was decently pleasant as well for a cigar. As the first third gave way to the second, a background fruit note of plum emerged. ——— Second third - The lower band with the blend’s name came off easily. Almost as easy as the smoke, and the cigar ashing itself, which happened not long after the band removal. Flavors here blended even better than the first third. Coffee notes were darker, chocolate was richer, creams were creamier. Cedar notes were as apparent as oak notes. And that was indicative of all the flavor notes; everything was extremely well balanced, including the pepper on the retro, which increased to black pepper. While the burn line was initially slanted, it was here in the second third that it started evening out. As it did, a subtle note of lime zest came through. Nicotine strength was a solid medium plus heading into full bodied. Coming to the end of this third, the chocolate note receded while the woods increased. The final band came off as easy as the previous one. ——— Final third - Most notable in this third is that the retro retained a creamy flavor with more oaky and earthy notes. The finish was cedar and mixed nuts. The strength was decidedly full in this third. Coffee, earth, leather, walnuts, cream, nutmeg, and citrus notes all continued to mix and present in their turns. Burn stayed consistent. The sweet tobacco note joined the party with an inch left, but didn’t overpower the other notes. Anise was the flavor left on my lips along with peaty earth and a touch of chocolate. Occasionally purging the cigar opened up a slight sour dough flavor. I wish it was more prominent and consistent without purging though. About halfway through the final third I got a little salty mineral kick. Final notes before letting the cigar die were black pepper, tobacco, and…wine. That was a surprise and a new note I’d never experienced before (organically, that is, not including flavored cigars). ——— Other notes - I can see why this was a #2 cigar of the year by C.A. I smoked mine until I couldn’t hold the nub (less than 0.5”) which took 1 hour and 30 minutes. I want more of these, and I’d love to get my hands on the toro vitola. ——— Personal Final Score - 91

AVO

TL;DR: An almost perfect cigar save for the appearance. Easily one of my top 5 favorites of all time. ——— 67% RH @ Cap, 60% RH @ foot - Home humidor aged 1 month. ——— Initial observations - The wrapper has a nice dark brown color to it, but the seams aren’t smooth and a few of the veins are very prominent. The complex cap is cut sloppily but placed straight and deeply. The foot is clean, but the filler is not exactly even with the binder and wrapper. Avo has clearly “spared expense” and it shows here, but that’s where it stops. I’ve always liked the beautiful design of their bands and logo, and this is no exception. Even when they use different colors, they’re always tasteful. The feel of the cigar is as firm as its price and classification as a premium cigar brand would suggest. The buncheros are doing their job; the rollers…could use a little more practice (or care, whichever is the real reason for the external looks). Finally, this cigar smells of cinnamon, hay/wheat, coffee (all standard), and a faint chocolate. The chocolate is even more pronounced on the foot. ——— Cold draw - The cap took my double guillotine straight cut with ease. The draw itself is good, and the flavors I got were cinnamon, coffee, and musty leather. ——— Light up - Easy light up and the initial flavor notes I got were black pepper, walnuts, black coffee, wheat, and a faint raisin note that disappeared quickly. The finish has cream and coffee lingering with a vegetal note. Retrohales gave red pepper, cream, and chocolate to start. ——— First third - From early on, the burn rate seemed very good. The draw is dialed in well too. Ash is a light gray, almost white, and solid with just a touch of flake to it. As for taste, whatever this cigar lacks in looks, it makes up for in flavor. On the palate is a hearty wheat bread note, perhaps with a slight toast to it. There’s also coffee, walnuts, cooking spices like nutmeg and a faint cinnamon, and a touch of sweetness that comes across as dried fruit or vanilla. The flavors mix so well from the start that it’s hard to separate them individually. The retro has an abundance of cream, along with milk chocolate, a mildly pungent cumin, hay, and coffee. The finish leaves a lingering leather and hay. I quite enjoy all of these flavors, especially when I can taste the difference between cream notes and milk chocolate notes. And the blend is so smooth. The first third here is better than many cigars’ best third, and I imagine that it will only get better. An inch and a half in and the ash was still holding on well. A sweet tobacco note gradually showed up, signaling a transition to the second third. ——— Second third - My mouth was watering from all the flavor notes in the first third, and I didn’t find the smoke to be arid at all, so I barely sipped any water through the first third. I did take a sip here just to reset my palate, and the cigar ashed itself. Returning to the cigar, I noticed the walnut flavor shifted to add almonds, and both tasted toasted. A woody note of cedar and oak joined the party in this third as well. The coffee became more pronounced on the palate and the finish, and the spices (pepper, cumin, and nutmeg) picked up a little in the retro. The smoke output was plentiful. While the burn line wasn’t razor sharp, there was nothing really to complain about. The strength was a medium, and flavors were really pronounced. My cigar ashed itself right at the band, and I took the opportunity to remove it and bring in the final third. ——— Final third - The band resisted removal a bit, even with warmth from the cherry, but I got it off without damaging the wrapper. I noticed some of sweetness falling away in this third, though the cream and spices kept going full steam ahead. I also found the woody notes to have a little more “char” to them instead of just “toast” in the previous third. Still, I found most of the flavors very consistent from light up to final act. The smoke did dry out a bit, so I ended up sipping my water a bit more, but that just refreshed my palate more often. While that washed away the finish, it allowed me to pick up a new yeasty dough flavor in the retro. That’s one of my favorite flavor notes that I don’t find in many cigars outside of Plasencia’s. I also picked up some enjoyable leather here in the final third. The final tasting note before putting down the nub was a good anise. ——— Other notes - Extremely well balanced! Consistency was great too. Spoiler alert, this is one of my favorite cigars, period. I smoked this until I couldn’t hold it anymore (less than 0.5”) and took 1 hour 5 minutes to smoke this robusto vitola. ——— Personal Final Score - 93

My Father

TL;DR: A curious collection of flavors from the middle of My Father’s lineup. ——— 69% RH @ Cap, 64% RH @ foot - Home humidor aged 1 month. ——— Initial observations - Very nice milk chocolate looking wrapper. It’s oily, but not as toothy as I was hoping. My Father brings it again with the bands, and the script for “La Promesa” looks like it could be beautiful graffiti. When you add a pink foot band to the whole presentation, the cigar better be excellent! It came off easily enough and revealed a clean, tightly packed foot. The whole cigar felt tightly packed and was firm with a good spring back. Seams were visible, as were a few veins, but neither looked like they would affect the smoke. The scent off the cold stick has hay, cinnamon, and chocolate. The foot scent trades the chocolate for more cinnamon. The triple cap is set neatly, straight, and pretty deeply. I appreciate the care taken to place this cap correctly. It could withstand near any cut, and took my double guillotine well. ——— Cold draw - I got walnuts, cinnamon, hay, raisin, and chocolate off the cold draw, and was curious to see how much of that translated to the smoke. ——— Light up - Initial flavor notes were peanuts, milk chocolate, and raisin on the palate, with white pepper and milk chocolate on the retrohale. The finish let hay and creamed coffee linger. ——— First third - Excellent draw, and the burn line was clean at that point. The pepper died down on the retro almost immediately. Smoke texture was noticeably silky smooth and creamy, even though cream itself wasn’t so much a flavor note. The ash was medium gray, solid, and non-flaky. Individual notes were a little lighter than I usually get from a My Father cigar. Instead of dark chocolate, I got milk chocolate. Instead of walnuts, I got almonds, and instead of cream I got more of a milky character. It was like a light chocolatey almond milk with a touch of raisin and hay. The retro was easy on the sinuses with its mild white pepper, cedar, almonds, and a sweetness that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. The room aroma was that of a light cigar, which was fitting to how smooth and easy the cigar smoked. At the end of the first third, the cigar ashed itself, leaving less than 0.5” to burn until the first band had to be removed. ——— Second third - The burn as a whole was straight, but the edges waved up slightly. A new flavor note showed up as a buttery toffee. It played well with the semi sweet chocolate, nuts, milkiness, and light woods. I noticed the draw tighten up slightly. First band removal was easy. The vegetal, hay note became more prominent about halfway through this third. Towards the end of the third I got a light mineral saltiness, a touch of nutmeg, and a some oak. The final band came off easily as well. Ash got a little flakier before falling off and bringing in the final third. ——— Final third - The pepper kicked back up on the retro. Earthiness, pepper, and leather lingered in the finish. The sweetness all but vanished on the palate and left the darker, more intense notes like earth and leather. Anise showed up earlier than expected with about 1.5” left to smoke. Strength kicked up to a medium plus here where it had been a solid medium for the rest of the stick. Plentiful smoke output! There was a touch of bitterness at the end, but it faded and the nub was wholly enjoyable. ——— Other notes - 1 hour 55 minutes smoke to less than 0.5” nub. This was a nicely slow smoke. Overall, this may not be My Father’s best cigar, but the flavors were tasty early, and the transitions kept things interesting. ——— Personal Final Score - 83

Camacho

TL;DR: Not overly complex dark coffee and creamy stick that’s just “okay”. ——— 70% RH @ Cap, 67% RH @ foot - Home humidor aged 6 weeks. ——— Initial observations - Dark brown wrapper that barely implies broadleaf heritage. Looks like it could stand to be aged longer. It has very prominent, visible veins and seams. The foot is very neat and the stick is well packed. There’s a firmness and spring back that supports the packing. The cap looks to be fancy like a triple, but closer inspection shows it’s a single. Still, it’s deep and should hold up to a cut well. The band is nice. The simple trick works here and the bronze color is a good choice. It’s a little larger than it needs to be, but that’s just a matter of taste. As long as it doesn’t take some of the wrapper off when the time comes. The smell off the wrapper is of a standard hay, coffee, and cinnamon. The foot removes cinnamon, but gives copious amounts of milk chocolate. After cap cutting, the cold draw is good. Here’s to hoping it stays that way. ——— Cold draw - Flavor notes included wheat, dark chocolate, a touch of cinnamon, and maybe a slight hint of pepper ——— Light up - Start Time - 7:45 - On the palate, the main flavor notes upon light up were dark coffee and walnuts. No sweetness, floral, fruit, or wood. The retrohale was just as linear with black pepper and dark coffee being the only 2 notes I could detect. ——— First third - The first new flavor note to appear was a floral hint on the palate once the cigar settled down. Soon after, the cream I was expecting from the broadleaf wrapper made an entrance. In the retro, I got black pepper, cream, and dark coffee. The finish left a nice coffee taste on my palate as well. About a half inch into the first third and a nice graham cracker note surfaced It was here that I noticed the ash was a light gray, stacked, non-flaky sort. No telling how long it would hold. The burn started to canoe, but I gave it time to adjust itself. The room aroma was nice as I could smell a hint of coffee in it among the standard cigar tobacco smell. I know I keep mentioning coffee, but it’s important to note that this is NOT a flavored cigar; the coffee isn’t prominent like a Drew Estate Java, it’s a subtle flavor and scent note that is characteristic of the tobacco used. Not much change in the first third once the flavors settled. The cigar ashed itself at the end of the third (about 2” in), ushering in the second third. ——— Second third - Not much change in flavors. Still dark coffee, walnuts, and a little bit of cream on the palate; black pepper, a generous amount of cream, graham cracker, and hay on the retro; and coffee, hay, and little floral note on the finish. Strength of nicotine is a medium, and flavors are medium as well. Smoke output was plentiful. The burn continued to canoe, but not so badly that I felt the need to touch it up. It was about mid way through this third that I realized that getting the best flavor from this stick was to retrohale. Unfortunately, not everyone can, or likes to do this. Band removal was easy once it was heated. After the band was removed, I noticed an oak note. That’s about it. ——— Final third - Ash got noticeably more flaky. Also, I finally gave in and touched up the burn. Even though I did, the burn still waved up. About half way through the final third a green vegetal note showed up that gradually became a simple tobacco flavor. I also got a mineral note lingering in the finish that wasn’t bad, but not exactly enjoyable either. Oily anise showed up at the end, as expected. ——— Other notes - 1.5 hour smoke to a 1” min. Overall, not a bad stick per se; I just think I was expecting more. Not a lot of transitions. Wasn’t a 1-trick pony, but not overly complex either. I’d smoke it again, but I’d reach for a number of others before this one. ——— Personal Final Score - 79

H. Upmann

Lots of dark, rich, well-rounded notes. Coffee, leather, hints of raisin and chocolate. Flavors shifted a bit between the thirds, but nothing that made me say, “wow”. Typically, blends by AJ Fernandez are right up my alley, but not so much in this one. It was decent, burned well, okay aroma, but it was largely a forgettable maduro.

Baccarat

The presentation is nice. Seams are hidden well and there aren't too many veins. The foot is neat and the "triple cap" is squarely placed, if not slightly irregularly cut. The yellow and red band is nice and seems unchanged from decades past. The scent off the wrapper is a standard, tobacco, cinnamon, coffee, and very slightly nutty. The cap took the guillotine cut from my cutter well and gave me flavor notes of creamed coffee, hay, and light cinnamon on the cold draw. In retrospect, I probably should have punched or V-cut this as the cap is sweetened, and I only got the tail end of that with the straight cut. Upon light up, I immediately got flavor notes of cedar, hay, and creamy coffee. White pepper and a vegetal "green" note were present on the retrohale. Initially, the burn was a bit wavy, but it did fix itself. It never became razor sharp, but it was clean. In the first third, the flavors settled down a bit. The "green" note became grassy, and there was more hay on the retrohale that was somewhat like wheat. A creamy flavor showed up about half way through the first third, but disappeared by the end of it. The foot smoke was not aromatic, unfortunately, and smelled slightly cheap, but it did get more pleasant as the smoke went on. When the second third came around, the flavors were more or less unchanged; this was not an overly complex cigar. The ash was gray and a little flaky. The finish was definitely short throughout the entire stick. The final third was much like the first two with flavors unchanged. Eventually, they died out to a rich, smooth tobacco only. Pepper notes kicked up a notch on the retrohale, but that was it. The lack of aging showed up at the end; it never got bitter, but the smoothness decreased. Overall, the flavors were a medium, but the strength was mild. The ash fell off in thirds (around 2" chunks) and showed it was a well-rolled stick. The draw was slightly tight, though. I smoked mine down to a 1" nub. It wasn't bad, but there are other Connecticuts and inexpensive cigars that I'd reach for first.

AJ Fernandez

Over the last several cigars, I’ve found myself a fan of AJ’s work. This was my first figurado of his, but I had no qualms about trying it and expecting excellence. To start, the wrapper looked nice. It was a rich, dark brown, maduro wrapper. Like other AJs, this one was box pressed, and I usually enjoy a good box pressed cigar. I also appreciate a foot band, and this stick had a decent one. It smelled of barnyard and coffee once it was out of the cellophane. For most of the figurados I smoke, I typically V cut, and this was no different. Cap held up nicely. Upon light up I got notes of toasted wood (oak), cedar, dark coffee, and dark chocolate, with black pepper and cocoa on the retrohale. The draw was okay, but I found it to be a little too loose. The ash was initially bright and non-flaky. Getting into the first third and the burn started to get wavy. All the same, the flavor notes were a good amount of dark chocolate and charred wood. A new note popped up of wheat bread, but the darker, more robust flavors were still most prominent. Then the ash started to flake and before long the burn canoed. Around the end of the first third, the flavors mellowed and blended better. In the second third I noticed middle strength, but bold flavors. It was also at this point that I realized that the finish wasn’t long, or at least not as long as I wanted. That, and it was smoking fast, probably because of loose draw. At that point, the dominant flavors were earth and leather, and it didn’t change very much. Once the burn reached the wrapper, it came off easy. Toward the end of the third the spice kicked up and the strength did too. The retrohale notes stayed the same. For all of the burn issues that occurred, I will say they each corrected on their own. The final third had the same flavor notes plus floral and citrus. That was interesting. They weren’t obvious, but they were noticeable. The tobacco dominant notes came through with an inch left on the stick, but it was not bitter. Overall, this was a good cigar, but oddly enough it’s my least favorite of AJ’s.

AJ Fernandez

I do love a good cameroon wrapper. The Oliva Serie G, Fuente Hemingway, etc. So this has a lot to live up to. It starts by looking good. Wrapper is toothy. Cap is deep and well set. The box press is nice as well. Double bands, but not one on the foot. It smells of rich chocolate and coffee from the unlit foot and wrapper. Guillotine cut is handled well. Cold draw gave chocolate wheat bread. Upon lighting, tasting notes for me were black pepper, wheat, chocolate, and coffee. The retrohale gave more pepper, and a little coffee with cream. The burn line started to wave up almost immediately but it never was too bad. Flavor notes during the first third for me were pepper, milk chocolate, leather, almonds, and wheat bread, no fruity notes for my palate. The burn line corrected itself with no touch ups. Ash was solid, white, and not too flaky. About an inch in and the floral notes showed up, a very welcomed tasting note not present in a lot of cigars. By the end of the first third the pepper died down some and a little nutmeg came through. The cigar ashed itself at the beginning of the second third. Also at the beginning of the second third, the first band came off nicely with heat. The second one came off shortly thereafter. It was here that the milk chocolate became delicious on the retrohale, along with a note of sweet vanilla, almost like vanilla extract. Foot smoke was aromatic here too. A bit of saltiness jumped in and out, but overall the flavors melded together beautifully. Long, nice finish. This was the money third indeed. The second band is large, and as anticipated, the side closest to the burn came off easily, but I had to be careful with the back half so as not to damage the wrapper. I noticed a scent of hickory coming off the foot on the draw, but didn’t taste it as much. Draw was perfect throughout. Still a great experience going into the final third, where the cigar ashed itself again. It was here that the chocolate turned into graham cracker, and hay came through. Strength increased a little bit and the nutmeg became more pronounced. Anise started coming through along with good barnyard. I smoked it until I couldn’t hold it anymore (a little less than a half inch). Wonderfully complex smoke with great output. Flavors were medium through the entire stick. Strength was medium to full by the end. Highly recommend!

Rocky Patel

Nice looking wrapper. Rustic, with seams and veins, but a really nice, rich color. Mine wasn’t oily or toothy, but it smelled terrific. Very wheaty, with hay, and coffee. Light up was easy, but the burn was ridiculously uneven. The canoe was bad from the start and I fought it for the entirety of the cigar. I don’t THINK it affected the flavor notes as this wasn’t so complex, but it was definitely more interesting than, say, the Nica Rustica. The cigar was smooth and bready along with its earthy-ness. Quite interesting. Unfortunately the draw was tighter than I like. The second third continued the smoothness, and the flavors began to blend with each other really well. A new sweetness appeared that was almost like honey. Definitely black pepper on the retrohale, but the finish ended with a buttery flavor and texture, no doubt from the mineral note that shows up from puff to puff. That was the most enjoyable part of the cigar. The final third removed the complexity it had, but I was still able to enjoy the cigar down to a half inch nub. Not bad overall, and for the money, I’m not upset at all.

JC Newman

Mild tobacco and raisin on the wrapper. Wheat bread on the cold draw. Perfect draw after lighting. Black pepper immediately on the retrohale. Notes didn’t change much throughout. Mineral notes in the end. Razor clean burn. Nice smoke if not slightly over priced.

Nub

Loose draw, spicy, strong flavor and strength (nicotine), canoed on the burn, but tons of thick smoke.

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust

Slightly creamy, oaky, cedar, walnut, leather, black pepper on retrohale, pleasant foot smoke, razor sharp burn, perfect draw