Saturday, September 17, 2016

Warped La Colmena - Cigar Review

B"H
THE CIGAR
Warped La Colmena
Amado No. 44 5 1/2 x 44 
Corona Extra Pig-tail, closed foot
w. Ecuadorian DeFlorada
b. Ecuador
f. Nicaraguan and Dominican

INTRO
No spring nor summer’s beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one Autumnal face."
John Donne, Elegy IX: The Autumnal

"It's cold, damp, and I have a headache." 
Kaplowitz, Warped La Colmena - Cigar Review
K A P L O W I T Z SCALE
K least, Z most
Construction I
Combustion I
Flavors O
Body L
Strength L
&
Sweet W
Sour W
Salty P
Bitter O
Umami A
&
Complexity O
Nuance W
Transition L
Balance I
Smoothness W
&
Animal K
Spicy O
Woody L
Vegetal W
Earthy O
Chemical K
SUMMATION
Mildly yet notably acidic with a salty attachment developed in the second half's onset. Not bitter, per se. Sweet but not a la a desert stick -- more of a crepe brunch. No bite. Middle of the road sour, but 'nuff to balance the light bt many sweetnesses. Verily smooth, even as creaminess does dial back from its initial high onset. Light all told, but well-rounded with plenty of meat on its bones. Not rich, but not poor -- got some moolah in the bank. Where this La Comena shines is in its rather delicate balance (although it doth wobble on fleeting occasion toward sour acidity) of rather delicate notes. Lively... like a lace curtain in front of an open window on a windy day. Nuanced, check. Complex, sure. Transitions, not so much. A kind and attainable stick that'll show ya a subdued good time. What's not to like? Pair it with a snootful of Loganberry Manischewitz.

[Flavor notes in order of appearance] White pepper, creamy. Cream. Earth, sweet but too a tangy attachment. Tobacco, mild. Butter, clarified. Hay, sweet golden. Sugar. Caramel, wanes. Cedar. Fruit, pale melon. Citrus, grapefruit. Honey, thin orange blossom. Pith. Apple core. Floral, chamomile. Spices, orange complected. Tea leaves, white. Salt. Coffee, blonde. 

Smooth even draws throughout with just a nice tick of resistance. Nicely satiating in a light creamy texture to smoke-hole. Mouth-feel is of perfect moisture level and finish is short-lived white pepper'd floral cedar with a sweet earth under-belly. Ends cleanly though somewhat acidic just prior. Room-note is a sweet somewhat dried earth behind a delicate aromatic tobacco with some a' that orange colored spice rack. The aroma is actually a selling point here. Burn-line needs no re-touch, but never quite finds perfection. Ash is white tight ladder-rung/sheath combo with some heather grey marbling. Won't reach quite an inch, but in this vitola, that's acceptable. Pack softens but only a tick and only a half-inch off char. Seams hold well, although they look a bit sloppy pre-light. No real complaints as far as performance. Excellent pacing gives ya a good hour away from the wife. Nub is structured but squishily so, smoke there is cool is a cucumber.
SMOKE TIME
65mins

FINAL GRADE
****B+****

OUTRO
L'shalom