Las Cumbres Tabaco Senorial - Cigar Review

PROLOGUE

I've been waiting a tick of a bit -- perhaps a bit of a tick -- to smoke this thing. I figured now was the time, having just had Mr. Jose Blanco (and others) on a special Radio Herf. You can listen to that here.

"Life is good!" as NJ field reporter Mike Weinstein would say. Yes.

THE CIGAR

Las Cumbres Tabaco Senorial 

7 x 38 Lancero, pig-tail cap

Habano Ecuadorian wrapper

Nicaraguan (Esteli) binder

Dominican Piloto Cubano & 

Dominican Corojo fillers

Sample offering courtesy of Brian Kurland, Cigar Reserve.

PRE-LIGHT

Lettuce break with tradition just this seldom once, and begin herein with hand-feel. Like buttah! I'm trying to find the least bit of impediment and there is none, just more baby's bottom everywhere. Great heft and balance for the given format. Oils from the shaft are light yet thick and transfer well to the paw. Beautiful. Charmin squeeze test is of a lively and even medium density result. 

Eye-balling the Senorial, I get a continuation of the smooth hand. Trace minimal veins. Even nigh invisible seams. Firmly affixed cap. Smooth color palette as well: an even caramel with stirred in java notes. Bits of espresso bean marbling over that, and on-top it all, healthy and even sheen. Underneath fully, there is a goldenrod vibe. Foot tobacco is smooth visual transition via that same artist's palette -- flaxen to red rich auburn complexion. Seems to appear as a medium pack density.

Let's schnoz, shall we gentlepersons? The Senorial's shaft (now there's a good name for a 'certain' sorta bar) yields smells o' sweet aromatic tobacco backed by a creamy hay. Some caramel/nougat type confection vibes, and trace of white pepper. At the foot is a nicer zetz of white pepper, more sweetly delivered tobacco, and a spice rack addition. Lots ado about this offering thus far.

I Xikar Xi2 the cap and take a cold draw... -medium tension -- fairly open. I should say this is a relief, as it don't foretell any potential for this lancero plugging. To be clear, no issues have occurred with that in this label -- simply in others of this format. All that aside: nice dose of red spice rack with white pepper in it, aromatic tobacco, some coffee and cream, and a caramel note with a pinch extra sugar. The extra sugar -- on further cold pulls -- seems delivered via pale fruity notes. Very nice, already!

LIGHT

Wooden matches. Outdoors. I do try, I really do. I finish off the trying process via Djeep aid. Caramel laced light aromatic tobacco with some hardwood shavings -- that there is the foot toasting aroma. First hot tug is heavily toasted and lightly salted caramel. Lots of aromatic tobacco, and white pepper is there, as well. Backing seems a worked leather. Second hottie is retro-haled to big white pepper joining carmel up top in the primary. Middling is all tobacco. Underneath is leather and it's getting those red spices. Third pull is more a' the same and it all seems as brilliantly classical as its oil painted pastoral scene band.

Burn is near dead-even with only the slightest and most forgivable wave. Line is thin+ thickness. Ash is -medium to medium+ grey and building on in tight ladder-rungs. Palate is a pleasant tingle and mouth-feel is a thin toasted cream. Finish is that and a pale fruitiness with a hint of blonde coffee and a bunch of red-spiced tobacco. Hot dang. Draw has stayed consistent throughout. Room-note is a sweet leathery aromatic tobacco with a slight peppery kick -- balance. Balance everywhere! Huzzah! 

ACT I

Profile is a classic and robust medium. Strength is low.  Burn is now on a razor. Fruit flexes to on par with the white pepper. That's underneath the salted caramel and aromatic tobacco top. Underneath, the leather is thicker and more of a suede, mayhaps methinks. Tons of complexities spin off the aforementioned notes. You'll find coffee and cream, boiled pale nuts, white chocolate, floral aspects... I could go on, but I don't wanna make yer palate feel bad about itself.

Ash grows firm and tight, pales. Packing softened none against the lighting. Draw is even. Seams hold. Line thins. I roll off an inch of ash and it's cool and firm against my finaglings. Oily talc when crushed. Tingly palate gets more tingle, and very nicely so. Smoke out-put is medium, -dense, white -- and as aromatic as the notes are flavorful. I'm kvelling over this Senorial, gentlepersons. Strength is up in an easy fashion to a medium. Burn wavers a tick now, and I pull a bit less greedily.

Salted caramel and aromatic tobacco (now with a cedar influence) jockey and occasionally dance up top. Red spiced suede is stoic underneath. Middlings are near dazzlingly complex, and are all the mentioned notes plus a citrus rind. That citrus addition is on the retro-hale also, with a good zetz of white pepper. Drops sweetly to the palate. Finish is lengthening its legs. Burn is evening out. I'd kill for an evening out; with my wife staying home.

ACT II

Careful to not over-smoke, gentlepersons... believe me, you shall want to. A seam loosens a tick at the char, packing softens same tick. Draw holds fast. Smoke to smoke-hole is even-keeled. There is a slight white pepper catch in my throat, but I take my Flintstones Vitamins, so will remain the very picture of perfect health. Caramel dials back to the middling notes. Pale fruit dries and comes up to near primary. White raisin. Lovely aromatic note stays up and suede under-belly loses some spice rack. Middling has a more noticeable coffee/cream. More hardwood, as well. 

As the midway is upon us, hardwood comes up alongside the primary tobacco. Caramel dials far back. Much less sweet, but still -- and perhaps more so -- classically beautiful. Heavy floral notes are on the immediate draw. Profile teases at medium+. Strength medium. Construction is a thing to behold, as is combustion. Ash is a bit flaky, but vastly is firm. My schmatta has the afternoon off, apparently. Although it did sop up some seltzer I haven't needed to sip... I hit the can with an elbow. Oopsies.

A bit of a loose seam pulls a tick of top-leaf from the burn and lags. Catches eventually. Very aromatic tobacco and woodsy now. Quite a clean yet complex finish of a new honey vibe adhering to the last bits of caramel. Floral tid-bits go to the end of draw now. Retro-hale is a white pepper with a salted butter. Salted butter sets creamy onto my lips. Burn-line thickens to a medium, then suddenly -- razor again. Notes smooth and were never not. I get a trace of nutmeg on my palate.

ACT III

Ash darkens a notch. a bit of top-leaf is loosened, but burns straight through. I notice the pace is quickening and I kinda want this Senorial to last longer. Such is life, huh?

White pepper is more noticeable, but kindly so, and mainly due to some sweetnesses falling back. At the band, or at the approaching of thereof, the offering is mainly aromatic tobacco with a rise of the inherent cedar note. Hardwoods are alongside it. Suede goes to leather and rises up in its backing role. Middlings stay, but are lessened in their roles. Finish gets a tannic note. 

Smoke stays cool, Daddy-O. Packing is softened, but holds well. Coffee and cream flex in that middling. Caramel comes on once more there in a final surge.

SMOKE TIME

70mins

NOTES

Classy and classical. Like myself, 'natch.

PAIRINGS

Tea. Coffee. Manischewitz.

K A P L O W I T Z SCALE

Appearance I
Construction T
Combustion I
Flavors/Body I
Strength W

FINAL GRADE

****A****

EPILOGUE

BUY THIS THING. Do it HERE. (Cigar Reserve.)