Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Felix Assouline Cigars Black Cat - Cigar Review

B"H
THE CIGAR
Felix Assoulne Cigars
Black Cat Cigars
(Puros Gato Negro)
"The Toro 6x54 Honduran Jamastran Habano wrapper Habano with Honduran Jamastran and Nicaraguan fillers are carefully blended for a medium to full smoke. An incredible smoke at any price at any time of the day." -- from www.FelixAssouline.com
ACT I
Some normal softening of -firm pack density happens off lighting, no big whoop. Hand-feel is a slightly less-than-ripe peach. Seams are uneven in ticks, but none are loose, per se, and too tighten whenst heated. Oils cook up nice-like and quickly into a sheen over the leaf's brick red complexion. Goodly tooth atop top-leaf. Some minimal lumps along shaft. Espresso bean marbling under aforementioned sheen. Draw is a very smooth medium with just a hair of resistance as to not worry 'bout being over-smoked. Combustion is a notable cumulus cloud of smoke out-put culminating in a room-note of a sweetly spiced earth/wood/leather concoction. Burn-line is even and from it doth grow a heather grey and dense stack a' dimes burnt offering which holds the entire opening third. Very nice pacing to burn.

Flavors start as an up-front pepper spice of black pepper with hint of red and cumin cinnamon led spices riding tandem. Never such a kick in the mouf as to mask other notes of smoked woods -- hickory, mesquite, and cedar -- as well as a thick maple syrup which rises on the body of the finish. That finish s quite lengthy and consisting of an extension of the draw but with even greater complexities. Leather seeps oils and again the body is upped. Medium-full toward medium out of gate in terms of flavors. Body is a spot-on medium-full. Strength has yet to register about an inch in.

An inch in -- therefore the above mentioned complexities are not via transitions, but nuance. Verily nuanced on a scant few notes which play exceptionally well together in their deep underneaths. Superbly balanced and calmingly nigh luxuriously so. First third is a lot like I picture Canada at night... calm, rustic. Maple syrup, trees. New notes at the close of first-third are French roasted coffee and a burgeoning nuttiness. Funny. My morning was French roast coffee and a burgeoning nuttiness, as well.

ACT II
Construction presents samesies as first-third. Draw has stiffened upon another half-hair of tension, still in medium spectrum. Delivers same amount of smoke to saturated and satiated smoke-hole. Pace mayhaps up-ticks a bit. Burn wobbles some off a tick of wrapper which lags; needs a slight retouch which is readily accepted.

Flavors see a cinnamon upswing and cumin downswing, and I'd say we hit medium-full. A roasty toasty influence grows in the profile, emanates from wood pile. A baking chocolate addition to dark earthy under-belly. Chugging along is that medium-full body with a new addition of some toasted sweet cream. All told, an excellent middle-act transition. Forced to describe the strength, I'd say mild-medium. Texture is smooth but with a nice gentlemanly gruffness. Balance is beautiful. As is that dang maple syrup note which seems to be pulling up a black licorice vibing. We are officially decadently rich, gentlepersons -- pinkys up, please!

At second-third's closing, there is a new whipped chocolate note, separate from the baking stuffs. Peppers dial back and sweetness flows -- braced from sinfulness by hickory and mesquite. Leather thickens and softens in a meaty fashion. Mouth-feel flirts with Chewy like a drunk Han Solo. Also, dark grains -- a buckwheat... with a malted attachment. Hot dag, gentlepersons, hot dang. Mid-point to nigh final-third is one whopping transition of which Caitlyn Jenner would be proud.

ACT III
I begin the final-third by rolling off the collected second-third ash. Wrapper/binder/filler at char is exposed to see all are burning in sync. Nice rolling job. New ash is a shade darker. Smoke stays cool. A lil tongue tingle develops. Pack softens nil. A bit of top-leaf lags but self-corrects. Seams loosen  hair at char.

A pumpernickel note is added. Coffee dials up. Still and now supremely balanced. Lip-smacking thicknesses on drenched palate. Flavors/body are each pushing boundaries of medium-full. Under-belly rises richly and baking chocolate becomes a dark chocolate with it's own malted attachment. To heck with flirting -- Chewy and Han Solo are an item. Chabad won't touch their union, but a Reconstructionist Rabbi smiles broadly. Complexities, nuances, and transitions are note-worthy to say the least. Finish now exhibits a cocoa butter note on its far-reaching end. Then sweet spiced earth. Then clean.

Nub-time: Cool and firm and I see images of a Black Forest cake served with a Mexican Latte. I'm sitting in a wood paneled room on a leather chair. Nice image.
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EDITOR'S NOTE
You may notice I did not include a final grade for this offering. I find it questionable 'nuff to be reviewing, let alone grading, a brand I am an ambassador for. But gentlepersons, hey -- I'd not have begged aboard the team at FAC if I didn't think they were fantastic smokes and that YOU should try 'em. Grab a Black Cat fiver (or any other offerings) HERE at the company site and make sure to use the code KAP at check-out for a lil extra gift.
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Too, give these two pals a' mine a couple looksies:
www.FelixAssouline.com Let it go to your head.
www.CigarsCity.com What's not to like?
L'shalom