11:40am
Yesterday was Yom Kippur. I fasted. Just in case Hashem reads this blog.
Prior to this review, I ate Milk Toast. Just in case Food Network execs read this blog.
I feel my bases are now covered and can comfortably address
The Cigar:
Acme Cigar Co.
Premier San Andres
San Andres wrapper (Maduro)
San Andres & Esteli Habano binders
Nicaraguan blend filler
5 x 50 Robusto
Pre-light:
I really dig the Acme bands, not just for design, but for quality. Nice thickness, embossed. Not like some others I’ve mentioned which look and feel a lot like they were run off someone’s home ink jet.
The cigar itself is a very dark matte finish chocolate hue. Some quite noticeable seams, one in particular has given me some concern re: burn. Some slight toothiness, not sandpaper-y, but far from oily.The packing is firm and the leaves at the foot, quite dense.
Not a whole lot of nose on the wrapper, of which I am surprised to relay. The foot smells like the puro Nicaraguan filler it is, deep dark chocolate tobacco with a hint of warm spices.
A cold pull shows espresso notes in addition to the nose. Some nuttiness, too. The draw is a bit to the tight side of medium.
Light:
The light itself is a simple and quite eager affair. The first hot pull is of peppery spices and quickly roasted nuttiness. A retro-hale next shows some more delineated black pepper and a near full-bodied tobacco. Now, on the third hot draw, comes the espresso and its crema into the draw mix, along with a note of Baker’s chocolate.
Act I:
We start here with a very hearty whole grain bread being baked around that roasted wal-nutiness. That bread is the predominant backing now, which showcases rotating notes of cocoa and black pepper. The finish is very long, lasting til the next pull and is a nice hold-over of the toasted nutty bread mixed with baking chocolate. The pepper does not linger long, and actually seems to be subduing. In fact, it is and too, is allowing a raisin/dried plum to come in.
The pull is now dead-perfection medium and the burn, even enough. The ash is a grey/black flaky San Andres affair on its outside, but the typical dense Nicaraguan affair at its center.
Too subduing is the breadiness, or perhaps the nuts (now a party mix of varieties) and baking chocolate (now bordering on dark), have further distinguished themselves. The pepper exists mainly at a retro-hale and lingers the first few beats of the finish on my palate.
Another retro-hale, because the black peppers are quite pleasing, shows the addition of a cumin note. Act One ends with a further emergence of cumin to the draw, and a new-found savoriness that I find umami-liscios.
Prior to this review, I ate Milk Toast. Just in case Food Network execs read this blog.
I feel my bases are now covered and can comfortably address
The Cigar:
Acme Cigar Co.
Premier San Andres
San Andres wrapper (Maduro)
San Andres & Esteli Habano binders
Nicaraguan blend filler
5 x 50 Robusto
I really dig the Acme bands, not just for design, but for quality. Nice thickness, embossed. Not like some others I’ve mentioned which look and feel a lot like they were run off someone’s home ink jet.
The cigar itself is a very dark matte finish chocolate hue. Some quite noticeable seams, one in particular has given me some concern re: burn. Some slight toothiness, not sandpaper-y, but far from oily.The packing is firm and the leaves at the foot, quite dense.
Not a whole lot of nose on the wrapper, of which I am surprised to relay. The foot smells like the puro Nicaraguan filler it is, deep dark chocolate tobacco with a hint of warm spices.
A cold pull shows espresso notes in addition to the nose. Some nuttiness, too. The draw is a bit to the tight side of medium.
Light:
The light itself is a simple and quite eager affair. The first hot pull is of peppery spices and quickly roasted nuttiness. A retro-hale next shows some more delineated black pepper and a near full-bodied tobacco. Now, on the third hot draw, comes the espresso and its crema into the draw mix, along with a note of Baker’s chocolate.
We start here with a very hearty whole grain bread being baked around that roasted wal-nutiness. That bread is the predominant backing now, which showcases rotating notes of cocoa and black pepper. The finish is very long, lasting til the next pull and is a nice hold-over of the toasted nutty bread mixed with baking chocolate. The pepper does not linger long, and actually seems to be subduing. In fact, it is and too, is allowing a raisin/dried plum to come in.
The pull is now dead-perfection medium and the burn, even enough. The ash is a grey/black flaky San Andres affair on its outside, but the typical dense Nicaraguan affair at its center.
Too subduing is the breadiness, or perhaps the nuts (now a party mix of varieties) and baking chocolate (now bordering on dark), have further distinguished themselves. The pepper exists mainly at a retro-hale and lingers the first few beats of the finish on my palate.
Another retro-hale, because the black peppers are quite pleasing, shows the addition of a cumin note. Act One ends with a further emergence of cumin to the draw, and a new-found savoriness that I find umami-liscios.
Act II:
Before we continue, this is a medium+ offering, as far as body and flavor. Perhaps medium as to strength -- but I expect that to come on shortly.
The savoriness continues and I can half be made to believe there is a nice brisket cooking in my oven. Just as I note the burn evening out, the ash flakes off at around an inch with no warning, and I forgot to place my darned shmata upon my darned lap. Very powdery ash. I cannot pick it up sans it taking further powder.
A meaty and savory smoke now. The smoke whirls heavily off the foot and has in it the hint of a red citrus. A black pepper returns on the retro-hale to join the cumin on the draw. Chocolate sweetens a beat to counter nicely. The nutty notes diminish.
It is now that I realize this Acme offering via a Texas cigar company, is mimicking Seder dinner at my Uncle Leon’s Brooklyn brownstone. You see, you arrived to Trail Mix platters, then were adjourned to the dining room for brisket. A nice brisket. Aunt Stella was a real balabusta! Toward the end, though, she resorted to instant potatoes and gravy. We all pretended to not notice as she coyly smiled.
It is now, too, that I realize the cigar’s strength has went to medium+, as I turn my head and get a lil comfortably woozy.
If this all holds true, I know what to expect in...
Act III:
We begin firstly and again with a nod to construction: same as it ever was. My lone ‘complaint’ is that the head is not softening to a decent chew as of yet.
I turn down my classical music, streaming from my laptop. I’m back at the kid’s table at my Uncle Leon’s house. I strain to hear the whispered political talk from the adults. Bunch of stinkin’ Socialist Jews. My Uncle Leon was a ham radio operator and put out many a Pinko thought in his day “Workers of the world unite,” indeed.
The women slowly gravitate to the kitchen and I smell coffee brewing…
And I taste coffee now. The burn slows and the other kids go to the upstairs den to watch TV. I slide over to the adult table. “Noach!” They note and I wait to be chased away, but I am not and the coffee comes. My dad pours me a glass of milk. But now on my porch...
The coffee is sweet with milk and sugar and the toasted bread has returned less dark but with more yeast and a definite honey note -- a honey cake. We have again transitioned to a desert affair.
I shall ride this out, kind reader, and greatly recommend you try this cigar for yourselves.
Notes:
Hard to beat a three course meal in a single cigar. Not to mention the trip down memory lane. What a deal!
A Seder, gentlepersons, calls for Mogen David. Although it was later revealed that Uncle Leon drank the MD and replaced it with Manischewitz for company.
Final Grade: B+.
(A+ for a more even and less flaky burn and ash. Too, gets ‘bitey’ at the nub.)
Epilogue:
12:51pm
I feel this was a very Jewish post. Far from apologizing, I’ll now run with that. Did you know that Manischewitz modeled their matzo packaging after cigar box designs -- in order to convey classiness?
*
Once again, my sincerest of thank yous to the Texans for their sampler. Got one more review a-pendin'.