Aesthetics: 4.5/5
A couple thick veins, but an otherwise nice looking chocolate brown wrapper again. Probably my favorite of the samples aesthetically.
Pre-light Construction: 5/5
Cap cuts cleanly. A dark earthy tobacco scent from the foot, similar but with a kick of spice on the cold draw.
Post-light Construction/How it smoked: /5
Burn starts out fine, so no complaints there. A nice bit of smoke just keeps coming off the foot. A nice very light grey ash, that has become a bit flaky about an inch in and the SOB just ashed on my keyboard as I typed this. Burn has been fine through out the stick, a couple fixes here and there, but thats just my OCD about burnlines showing.
First Third: 4.5/5
A nice earthiness to the initial light with a light bit of spice. The spice retreats afterwards leaving the dry earthiness. The spice works its way back in about a half inch or so in. The spice disappears again, but a nice sweetness comes in toward the inch mark. Nothing really new to report as the first third rounds out.
Second Third: 4/5
More of the same into the second third, this really is more one dimensional than I remember it being. And nowhere near as spicy. Not necessarily a bad thing, but different. I no longer think this is a Pepin, not sure whose it is any more. Maybe an AJ blend, or could even be a Jaime blend. The earthiness gets a bit more chocolatey to the end of this second third.
Final Third: 3/5
Again, more of the same, but a bit of the spice I've been waiting on starts to come back in. Getting kind of boring here to the end. Had such high expectations after the first stick and it isn't even close to living up to them.
Aftertaste/Finish: 3/5
Theres a touch of an almost licorice flavor to the finish throughout the first third. The finish more or less disappears into the final third, not really getting any aftertaste.
Aroma: 3/5
Nothing good nor bad on the aroma, granted I blame that on being in a shop with about 7 other guys smoking.
General Comments:
This wasn't a bad stick, but it was not what I experienced the first time through at all. The flavors hit my palate well, but I feel I would have enjoyed it a touch more if I could have just zoned out and watched the game with it rather than try to pick out the flavors.
Overall score for the cigar: 3.5/5
Recommendation:
Recommended, but how highly depends on the price.