HDA (Hemanos de Armas) Cigars Sentinel LE in Review

BRAND: HDA
BLEND: Sentinel

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (650)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua (Rojas)
INTENSITY: Med./Medium-full
SPICE: 3.5/5

Black Pepper | Black Licorice | Dark Chocolate

NOTES:
Dark chocolate mousse. Fluffy. A fluffy-smooth profile, really. Even with the front-loaded cracked b. pepper that trails off near-completely before the final third. Till then, there are some jazzy unplayed notes; after then, it's a tick empty. A singed airy salted caramel swirling, does its thing in keeping attns.

Between then, it's a smooth but interesting trip which includes vegetal umami notes of alfalfa grass and fungal tidings of mushroom bullion powder. Pumpernickel bread is pulled from the oven and left to cool on rich top-soil. Hits no notes in err. Does at times feel a bit like shadow boxing in the dark.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars DTT 10th Jubilee in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: DTT 10th Jubilee

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sumatra Negra
BINDER: Mexican Claro
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: 5.63x48 pig-tail cap
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2/5

Bright spices | Praline | Brushed Leather

NOTES:
Sumac & Coriander sounds like an over-priced 'Gastropub' that operates sans menu. Notes italicized above are laid atop a sand castle underbelly. The praline is of a French varietal with the added amuse-bouche amusement of subbing-out more typical nuts for macadamias. Brushed Leather is NOT suede.

Combustion starts on a stutter-step stride, smooths continuously throughout. As it does milk chocolate and a yeasty maltiness become apparent. As do wildflower and flinty nods. Nice 'nuff complexities; could use a tick more depth. Olfactory does important and good work in building harmony via filling blanks.

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

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

Should receive an honorary mention in the next Cigars of the Month listing.

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars Red Meat Lovers Spicy Beef Stick in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: Red Meat Lovers (RML)

WRAPPER: US Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: San Andres Negro
FILLER: Nicaraguan, American

FORMAT: "Spicy Beef Stick" (648)
closed-foot&flat-head
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Med.-Full/Full
SPICE: 4.5/5

Black Pepper | New Orleans Coffee | Leather

NOTES:
A no bull-shit straight-shootin' son-of-a-gun. Sometimes I like being lied to, though. Very consistent smoke; dutifully earning its nom de puff with each and every puff. Cracked black pepper. Boots, belts, and saddle leathers. N'awlins style Cafe du Monde Coffee (& Chicory). Minerality-laced powdery underpinning at back-end--a taste of tzimmes right prior that.

Not exactly my cup of tea, but a sterling example of that kinda cuppa.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars Sobremesa Tapa Negra in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: Sobremesa Tapa Negra

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Shade | Nicaraguan Sungrown
BINDER: San Andres Negro
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro (652)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Mild-med/Medium
SPICE: 1.5/5

White chocolate | Macadamia Nuts | Buttery Suede

NOTES:
Takes a couple ticks to calm down and open up. How is your mom? There's a learning curve to drawing in something quite different than what's on your lips (Shade/Sungrown). Makes full sense sometime in the opening-third. Becomes a nice creamy-sweet thing with nuff white pepper to keep one honest.

Still smooth to the point of lacking some in structure. Complexity is nice but mellow and needs looked for. A quiet smoke. Hints of lemon cleanse well. Slight dandelion dalliances. Salted caramel comes on in a mid-way shift toward dessert notes. Ends in a black pepper shot of espresso at the nub.

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

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

::: very :::