This cigar was part of a prize from a contest and I
was told it was around 10 years old. That makes
it the oldest NC I’ve ever had. It’s a short, stocky
robusto at 4 ½” with a 54 ring gauge. The wrapper
was oily, smooth and completely blond in color as
only a Connecticut shade leaf can be. The cigar was
firm but felt light in the hand. The body smelled
of sweet, mild tobacco, and the pre-light draw was very sweet.
The initial flavors upon lighting were an almost
overpowering, floral sweetness, with a creaminess
to the smoke. I was trying to place what kind of floral
aroma it was (hops maybe?) when my wife came out
to say goodnight. She asked me what the hell I was smoking
and came over and sniffed the cigar. She told me it smelled
like I was smoking weed out on the patio. That was it!
The cigar had a taste very similar to real hashish, or some
really good chronic smoked with a vaporizer. It was
certainly one of the strangest and most unique flavor
profiles I’ve ever had in a cigar. The finish was very
short and clean, with a bit of tea to it, and there
was quite a volume of smoke.
The second third continued with this floral/weed flavor
that was very nice to snork, probably the most snorkable
of any NC I’ve had. In fact, this cigar was probably the
smoothest and most mild cigar I’ve ever had. The sweetness
was a little cloying at times, and the middle third started
to get a slightly metallic hint to the finish, that reminded
me of the zinc lozenges my mother gave me when I got sick as kid.
Along with the zinc flavor, a bit of grassiness started
to give body to the floral aromas.
Luckily, the distracting metallic tones faded by the last third,
which had an intensified grassiness, with a little bit of
a creamy almond sweetness. There was the faintest hint of spice
and a less distinct floral bouquet in the nose.
All in all, this was a very unique smoking experience, not something
I would necessarily seek out regularly, but an enjoyable experience
nonetheless. This cigar was the first NC I’ve smoked
that had a predominately floral flavor profile. While the profile
was different than say, the Medaille D’ Or series from Cuba,
it was distinctly floral. A big thanks to Ryan for this interesting smoke!