THE CIGAR
Felix Assoulne CigarsBlack Cat Cigars
(Puros Gato Negro)
"The Toro 6x54 Honduran Jamastran Habano wrapper Habano with Honduran Jamastran and Nicaraguan fillers are carefully blended for a medium to full smoke. An incredible smoke at any price at any time of the day." -- from www.FelixAssouline.com
ACT I
Some normal softening of -firm pack density happens off lighting, no big whoop. Hand-feel is a slightly less-than-ripe peach. Seams are uneven in ticks, but none are loose, per se, and too tighten whenst heated. Oils cook up nice-like and quickly into a sheen over the leaf's brick red complexion. Goodly tooth atop top-leaf. Some minimal lumps along shaft. Espresso bean marbling under aforementioned sheen. Draw is a very smooth medium with just a hair of resistance as to not worry 'bout being over-smoked. Combustion is a notable cumulus cloud of smoke out-put culminating in a room-note of a sweetly spiced earth/wood/leather concoction. Burn-line is even and from it doth grow a heather grey and dense stack a' dimes burnt offering which holds the entire opening third. Very nice pacing to burn.Flavors start as an up-front pepper spice of black pepper with hint of red and cumin cinnamon led spices riding tandem. Never such a kick in the mouf as to mask other notes of smoked woods -- hickory, mesquite, and cedar -- as well as a thick maple syrup which rises on the body of the finish. That finish s quite lengthy and consisting of an extension of the draw but with even greater complexities. Leather seeps oils and again the body is upped. Medium-full toward medium out of gate in terms of flavors. Body is a spot-on medium-full. Strength has yet to register about an inch in.
An inch in -- therefore the above mentioned complexities are not via transitions, but nuance. Verily nuanced on a scant few notes which play exceptionally well together in their deep underneaths. Superbly balanced and calmingly nigh luxuriously so. First third is a lot like I picture Canada at night... calm, rustic. Maple syrup, trees. New notes at the close of first-third are French roasted coffee and a burgeoning nuttiness. Funny. My morning was French roast coffee and a burgeoning nuttiness, as well.
ACT II
Construction presents samesies as first-third. Draw has stiffened upon another half-hair of tension, still in medium spectrum. Delivers same amount of smoke to saturated and satiated smoke-hole. Pace mayhaps up-ticks a bit. Burn wobbles some off a tick of wrapper which lags; needs a slight retouch which is readily accepted.Flavors see a cinnamon upswing and cumin downswing, and I'd say we hit medium-full. A roasty toasty influence grows in the profile, emanates from wood pile. A baking chocolate addition to dark earthy under-belly. Chugging along is that medium-full body with a new addition of some toasted sweet cream. All told, an excellent middle-act transition. Forced to describe the strength, I'd say mild-medium. Texture is smooth but with a nice gentlemanly gruffness. Balance is beautiful. As is that dang maple syrup note which seems to be pulling up a black licorice vibing. We are officially decadently rich, gentlepersons -- pinkys up, please!
At second-third's closing, there is a new whipped chocolate note, separate from the baking stuffs. Peppers dial back and sweetness flows -- braced from sinfulness by hickory and mesquite. Leather thickens and softens in a meaty fashion. Mouth-feel flirts with Chewy like a drunk Han Solo. Also, dark grains -- a buckwheat... with a malted attachment. Hot dag, gentlepersons, hot dang. Mid-point to nigh final-third is one whopping transition of which Caitlyn Jenner would be proud.
ACT III
I begin the final-third by rolling off the collected second-third ash. Wrapper/binder/filler at char is exposed to see all are burning in sync. Nice rolling job. New ash is a shade darker. Smoke stays cool. A lil tongue tingle develops. Pack softens nil. A bit of top-leaf lags but self-corrects. Seams loosen hair at char.A pumpernickel note is added. Coffee dials up. Still and now supremely balanced. Lip-smacking thicknesses on drenched palate. Flavors/body are each pushing boundaries of medium-full. Under-belly rises richly and baking chocolate becomes a dark chocolate with it's own malted attachment. To heck with flirting -- Chewy and Han Solo are an item. Chabad won't touch their union, but a Reconstructionist Rabbi smiles broadly. Complexities, nuances, and transitions are note-worthy to say the least. Finish now exhibits a cocoa butter note on its far-reaching end. Then sweet spiced earth. Then clean.
Nub-time: Cool and firm and I see images of a Black Forest cake served with a Mexican Latte. I'm sitting in a wood paneled room on a leather chair. Nice image.
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EDITOR'S NOTE
You may notice I did not include a final grade for this offering. I find it questionable 'nuff to be reviewing, let alone grading, a brand I am an ambassador for. But gentlepersons, hey -- I'd not have begged aboard the team at FAC if I didn't think they were fantastic smokes and that YOU should try 'em. Grab a Black Cat fiver (or any other offerings) HERE at the company site and make sure to use the code KAP at check-out for a lil extra gift.
Group: Gentlepersons
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Too, give these two pals a' mine a couple looksies:
www.FelixAssouline.com Let it go to your head.
www.CigarsCity.com What's not to like?
L'shalom