This is a cigar that I've tried in the past and was not impressed with. The first one was from a freshly opened box at a B&M and was on the harsh side throughout the entire smoke. Was in a rather mellow mood tonite and decided to have at another that was kindly gifted to me by some fellow inmates. Must have been the gorgeously dark wrapper and awesome pre-light aroma!
This stick likely had some sleep time on it and was a totally different experience. First off, it was on the dry side, which I prefer. Toasting and burn was superb. No need for touch-ups at all. First few draws were on the rough side, but that isn't uncommon on some sticks. After the first half inch or so, things smoothed out a lot and flavors were excellent. Loads of mildly sweet notes - coffee, dark mellow tobacco and bitter chocolate in the aftertaste. Taste changed up a bit with the flavors fading and returning throughout the smoke. At the 2/3 point, sweetness and coffee faded and were replaced by an earthy, leather, cedar finish. Things got a bit warm at the 2" point, so I ended what was a pretty good cigar. I'd rate this stick as medium in body and strength. Very impressive for an such affordable cigar. Recommended!
