Villiger Cigars 1888 San Andres Toro in Review

BRAND: Villiger
BLEND: 1888 San Andres

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Ecuadorian Habano
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (650) box-pressed
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 3/5

Wood | Espresso beans | Molasses

NOTES:
Taut, lots of tension. Lively woods (oak & pine) and focused (molasses) sweetness. A waxy dark chocolate fills in the cracks. All rests on a once-dried compost now somewhat moistened with grapefruit juice concentrate. White Pepper is sprinkled atop first, then red is added. Nicely balanced, rigidly defined.

Draw is excellent. Ash builds quite well from a slightly wavy very thin line. Press holds admirably as do tight seams. Even packing. Goodly-built to say the least. Smoke out-put is moderate+ and smells as crisp as it tastes, with a sweet citrusy and leathery aroma. Clean and mean, cuts through the chase. Efficient.

Sufficient and then a fair bit.

TASTE: A
DRAW: A-
BURN: B+
BUILD: A-

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Drew Estate Cigars Undercrown El Tigre Dominicano in Review

BRAND: Drew Estate
BLEND: Undercrown El Tigre Dominicano

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sumatra
BINDER: Connecticut USA Corojo
FILLER: Dominican

FORMAT: Toro (650) Box-press
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2/5

White Pepper | Suede | Honey Malt

NOTES:
Rolling a 3-1 in the Chinese dice game of Heaven and Nine is called Harmony. This could be called that, too. Although some portion of said harmonious quality is arrived at via muted rather than expressed notes. A slight minerality folded into cinnamon & sugar. Milkiest of milk chocolates.

Smokes like all set-up and no punchline... but some set-ups are fun. "A Priest, a Rabbi and an Imam walk into a bar," isn't necessarily any less of note than, "ouch, ouch, ouch."

Good draw, half-tick tight. Burns cool, even, smoky. Rolled on the tight-side with some bumpiness on the shaft. A crack happens in the top-leaf during the 3/3, then the rest bids farewell. Although I'm unsure I didn't knock it sitting in a new set-up and chatting. Also, it's at a point I'd have typically stopped my review.

I also tasted some duck sauce.

TASTE: B
DRAW: B+
BURN: A-
BUILD: B

FINAL GRADE: B
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

PS. For the sake of science, I was lucky enough for the ability to smoke a second sampling. That sampling suffered a crack in the 3/3 too, though it did not split, it did occur earlier.

::: very ::: 

Stolen Throne Cigars Revelry LE in Review

BRAND: Stolen Throne
BLEND: Revelry

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto (554) closed-foot
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Full
SPICE: 4/5

Black Pepper | Raisins | Dark Chocolate

NOTES:
Black pepper and raisins--that's to say an earthy spiciness and natural sweetness tandem--cuts through the rich and near raucous profile. Dense dark chocolate fudge. Barnyard. Salted caramel. Red spice array. The chocolate component picks up a fruit juice attachment.

Heavy and round, yo mama jokes aside. Edgy but within soft confines. I believe it's a vegetarian profile, in the manner of a dal paste; deep and warm. How is your mom? A sating, complete, and balanced blend that also is a close talker, completely without an indoor voice.

::: very ::: 

My Father Cigars La Gran Oferta Toro in Review

BRAND: My Father
BLEND: La Gran Oferta

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (650)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Med.-full/Full
SPICE: 4/5

NOTES:
Pepper-spice | Dark Chocolate | Pluot

A Pluot is a cross between a plum and an apricot. That only matters here after the Pepin blast of pepper dials back, settles into a zesty spice rub. Espresso swirls about and twixt the layers. Much dark chocolate hardens and dries via progression; bricks not mere pips. A slight ashy sense on the far-end. Umami.

Not a delicate thing, nor a subtle thing. A refined yet demanding thing. Excellent combustion and construction highlighted by ash sheath growth and smooth even draw. Superb smoke out-put hits the olfactory as if a chocolate company moved into an old leather works shop just a day ago.

TASTE: A-
DRAW: A-
BURN: B+
BUILD: A-

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very :::