4:45ishpm
170lbs??? Looks like I need to re-evaluate my calorie-counting. If you'd have told me a year ago, when I weighed in at three bills, that I'd now be looking to keep my weigh up, I'd have called you a monkey's uncle, gentleperson. But before caloric reconfigurations and fine-tunings -- let's have a
Then darkness, inky and thick.
Perhaps what will knock the 1/2 cow the rest of the way through me is
The Cigar:
Oliva Serie G
African Cameroon wrapper
Nicaraguan Habano binder
Nicaraguan Habano fillers
4.5 x 50 Robusto
Very rich touch with a bit of grip by way of slight tooth and no shortage of sheen. Dark chocolate complexion with baking chocolate mottling in spots. Foot tobacco is rich dark chocolate with caramel highlights. The rounded corner box-press is evenly packed and to the soft side of medium.
Smells of cedar and leather at the wrapper, with an addition of rich chocolate at the foot. Very rich tobacco throughout. Cold pull is dried red fruit traces sharpened by a crisp cedar. Leather notes, rich as Ricardo Montelban's Corinthian leather accent.
Light:
Toasting the foot is a leathery experience in terms of schnozzola. Mechanically, the light is a simple affair, because as I've pointed out before -- cigars are flammable. First full hot pull is a heavy, wet yet still crisp cedar and a hearty dose of leather with a baking to dark chocolate note that ends on the finish and meets with a somewhat salty espresso crema. The second hot pull is retro-haled to show a dark tobacco with sharp and full cedar and mild spice accompaniment. Third hot pull is a tad creamier and the finish sets in nicely to a sweet cream with sharp cedar and medium leather counter-balance.
Burn is imperfect but not at all problematic. Burn-line is average to thin. Ash is toothier than wrapper appears and is mottled within the spectrum of medium grey. It's nicely dense and not oily nor dry. It stacks evenly atop a slow-side burn of average heat.
Nice spiced cedar zing, in particular on the retro-hale and finish. On the finish, it tends to dry the palate a bit. There is a red fruit in the distance and up closer is a very rich tobacco that sports a quite leathery note.
Draw is medium+ tighness with a good bit of resistance, but nice. The smoke is thick and and smells of a rich tobacco and leather and, lesser of cedar. The quintessential odor of a cigar lounge.
Medium+ flavor and body on account of the dense leather and cedar notes. Light strength.
Act II:
A bit of dark molasses comes in to play now. It's on the draw but leaves before the finish. The finish itself is unchanged and of -medium length. The burn unevens a bit and at an inch+ I roll off the ash, dry and densely packed. It seems to wish to canoe and I back off from pulling. The foot smoke has tapered off considerably and quickly since backing down and I believe this is not a stick which would allow itself to be put down and picked up again minus re-light.
Molasses amps up, cedar and leather from the rich and darkening tobacco continue to hold. A chocolate gains prominence on the now medium length finish with traces from baking to sweet dark. The ash takes on a slightly unhealthy rust-complected tint.
Halfway now, and aside from an uneven burn, construction holds. Medium+ flavor/body and almost but not quite medium strength. The burn seems to be correcting itself and the burn-line, thinning. Room note sweetens and deepens on the back of the molasses. I'd say it's a fairly ballsy medium all-around, even given its -medium strength.
Cedar spices, leather, rich chocolate, and a dried red fruit, in quite particular order. Medium finish of molasses sweetened chocolate and earthy cedar/leather mingling.
Act III:
Box pressing loosens here and smoke output grows. Flavors remain unchanged and heat up. Strength is a hair from medium. A darker tobacco leads the finish now.
It's all fairly straight-forward and I do not expect any changes. The color of the ash is a tad healthier and the burn even enough. A good and uncomplicated smoke. A very decent everyday affair, unless you require more strength than almost medium. Chew is average+.
Mouthfeel was a touch onto the dry side, as stated prior, and while not egregious--I would recommend a drink. Which drink, I shall tackle in the upcoming portion. I did a cola.
Hot to hold in the 3/3.
It's a cigar. Not a stogie nor work of art, be.
Pairings:
Strongly brewed coffee, maybe iced. Cola was a bit beaten-down. Manischewitz Concord Grape might have pulled some more red fruity dimensions.
Final Grade: B
(Not a must-try, but too won't disappoint unless you are wishing for a more complex affair.)
Epilogue:
5:49pm
I must go burp. Loudly. Or have a heart attack. Will let ya know. #meatsweats