Initial Thoughts: The wrapper has some visible veins and is applied very well. Overall the stick looks well constructed, with only a few minor soft spots.
First Third: The pre-draw brings notes of cut hay and a little vanilla. After the light the first few draws bring notes of hay, roasted nuts, and some light pepper. After it settles down there are some notes of buttered toast and some earthy, woodsy notes that I’m having trouble pinning down. Some slightly sweet caramel notes are mixing in nicely with some light black pepper notes. The draw is fantastic, not too loose and not too tight, and the burn is very good too, only needing one touch up (which I’m not entirely sure wasn’t my fault when I lit the cigar). The ash is a light grey color and is a little flaky, so it only holds to about a half an inch.
Second Third: Starting into the second third the cigar has really calmed down and is really starting to shine. The buttered toast, sweet caramel, and pepper notes are still hanging around. The mild and creamy nature of the Dominican filler really makes this cigar.
Final Third: Starting in on the final third it’s calmed down a bit. More toasted almonds and sweet cream than anything else. It’s stayed mild and smooth throughout the cigar, which I’m impressed with since a lot of retail cigars don’t do that. Finishing the cigar with no bitter notes and the sweet, creamy smoke really leaves a good impression overall.
Total Smoking time: 1:05
Final Thoughts: I enjoyed this cigar, a lot actually. Andrew’s rolling skills were impressive, as was his choice of tobacco blend. I'm ready to go out and buy some of my own tobacco to try my hand at this
