So there ya have it and thus lettuce have at it...
The best-laid plans of mice, men, and myself often go awry. Upon cutting the cap, the stick's assemblage whoopsies nigh catastrophically to the tune of me looking at binder where my lips go. I shall soldier on long as soldiering on remains pleasant 'nuff. I am immediately struck by three characteristics: 1. the draw is a tick airy/hesitant, 2. the burn operates on a curve. This pair of things had occurred each when I smoked the old branding offering. 3. The profile is much more light and sunny... zestier although the same spiciness as in the old one as opposed to this new one. Livelier, less somber. cleaner. Nevertheless and to digress, the burn here grows heather-grey marbled ash in a somewhat loose stack a' dimes that eventually makes an inch. Left-side of moderate smoke out-put till ya really tug on the thing, then voosh. I covered the draw, and that does wobble to and fro twixt corrected and airy. The pack density seems not as stiff as the prior stick and softens yet again against its progress, tho un-egregiously-so.
KAPLOWITZ SCALE
<K=least, Z=most>
(new packaging)
sweetness: O
sourness: W
saltiness: P
bitterness: O
savoriness: O
pungency: W
KAPLOWITZ SCALE
<K=least, Z=most>
(old packaging)
sweetness: O
sourness: L
saltiness: P
bitterness: I
savoriness: T
pungency: I
Compared further? Atop a' what I made mention to above, I'll say it again: this is a much more sour-sided stick than the one I smoked yesterday, gentlepersons. Is there a conspiracy afoot? Was the blend changed on we? Seasons change and people change and too, leaf changes seasonally. My guess is that a different harvest is at play. A thing worthy of note too, is that there seems to be different presses employed herein... this Oval is lesser ovally than the older iteration, or so it appears. This can undoubtedly hit a palate as delicately refined as mine quite differently. All told, humsoever, I'll reiterate re: this iteration that I am currently smoking is a much sourer noted stick which delivers itself in a lighter, livelier manner with far less backbone. I like the old one. I always like the old one. Another belated Bday best wishes to Betty White. Don't we just LOVE HER?!
WRAPPER: Habano 2000
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Dominican
STRENGTH: Medium-Full
FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
Finally, I reviewed this San Lotano in its pre-2017 packaging in a Toro format. Looksie that HERE. I truly feel as though we accomplished something here, Gentlepersons. As long as there are no follow-up questions.
s/o Cigars on 7th.
Keep me going.
Keep me GROWING.
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