Dunbarton Cigars StillWell Star Aromatic Dulce Dark in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: StillWell Star Aromatic Dulce Dark

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian
BINDER: San Andres Negro
FILLER: Black Cavendish, Golden Virginia, Burley (Cornell & Diehl). Nicaraguan (cigar leaf)

FORMAT: Petit Robusto
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Medium-Full

Corner Brownie Piece | Red Spices | Candied Almonds

NOTES:
Ingredients seem cooked a tick too. Maillard reaction +. Tightly huddled notes-on-notes won't untangle. Still a good smoke though; ultimately more noise than nosh. Intriguing room-note.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Dunbarton Cigars StillWell Star Aromatic Dulce Claro in Review

BRAND: Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
BLEND: StillWell Star Aromatic Dulce Claro

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Shade
BINDER: San Andres Negro
FILLER: Cavendish Burley, Virginia (via Cornell & Diehl) and "Black Cigar Leaf" (Nicaraguan)

FORMAT: Petit Robusto (548)
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Mild/Mild-Med.

NOTES:
I know this. For I am a winter baby who's had winter birthdays. Hot cocoa and confetti cake with vanilla icing. The deftly side-stepped threat of Mom's upside-down pineapple cake somehow looming like a spectre. Years later, getting half-drunk off a pastry chef's egregious rum cake at the start of a shift.

Smooth, mostly. A quarter tick throaty as it heats. Cloying but comfortably-so. Lemon meringue? Madeleines, slightly over-baked. I've never been to a ski lodge nor have I worn the appropriate sweater. I couldn't pull that look off any better than plaid flannel. Smokes like a Hallmark holiday movie.

If a Labradoodle were added to Dogs Playing Poker, he'd be smoking this cigar.

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

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

::: very ::: 

Happy Columbus Day!

Kaplowitz Media. posting returns to schedule Friday the 16th. New posts are published every Monday and Friday (unless a US Federal holiday). Book-end your week-end (as I did this brief paragraph) with Kaplowitz Media.

::: very ::: 

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 :::