Grande 120th Anniversary
6 ¼ x 54 Perfecto
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan
STRENGTH: Medium
ORIGIN: De Los Reyes cigar factory, Dominican Republic
NAME DROPS: Augusto Reyes, Phil Zanghi, Debonaire Cigars
NAME DROPS: Augusto Reyes, Phil Zanghi, Debonaire Cigars
I reviewed this offering in its Habano iteration HERE.
k a p l o W i t z
Foot is a bissell pre-light fercockt, as its leaf sticks up two ticks and some excess glue seems schmeared about there. This burns through sans affair. Draw is natch tight till the char chars beyond Perfecto nipple, then opens nicely. Seams are tight and would be invisible if not for the uneven complexion of the Broadleaf...a dark chocolate thing with espresso hue'd marblings over-top. Nice tooth and a matte finish over that. Veins are scant-side a' moderate, tho a couple crimp some, no red-flag there as to future burn impediments. Firmly packed, and remains so against the toast/light and on-down, with no hard/soft spots.
COMBUSTION:
k a p l o W i t z
Heats up a tick ahead of mascara-line hither and thither. That line doth burn even 'nuff, but ne'er on a razor, and requires a singular re-touch coming into the shaft's widest part. No blisters, canoes, runners, or any other hot atrocities. Ash is a Medium/dark-grey marbling which builds most a' the way to an inch with flaky exterior and oily core; rather densely so. Excellent smoky-smoke off resting foot and verily satiates and saturates smoke-hole.
FLAVORS:
Medium-full
k a p l o W i t z
Primaries consist of a baking chocolate with dark grain attachment all its own and a mesquite/hickory woodsiness. Piquancy is back-loaded and of a black pepper-forward cumin chili powder melange. Meatiness grows in a soy sauce'd beef jerky manner and wriggles in and out and twixt notes. Middlings are molasses and French roasted coffee beans. Under-belly is a manure/barnyard thing with a thick and rigid leather darkly over-it. Sarsaparilla liltings.
BODY:
Medium
k a p l O w i t z
Piquancies and woods with a trace of chocolate make up the finish and its moderate length'd legs. That pepper/spice is a nice tongue tingle and slightly dried palate due to help from toasting nigh charing woods. On the far end of its legs is a burnt molasses/soy sauce note which sweetens and savories 'nuff in balance.
STRENGTH:
Mild-medium
k a p L o w i t z
k A p l o w i t z
Not overly transitional, lest that back-loaded black pepper piquancy and an over-all toasting and hardening of profile via progression. No notes get added post opening stanza.
NUANCE:
k a p L o w i t z
More nuanced early-on than in the later stages, when that hardening on the top don't allow a sinking into of under.
COMPLEXITY:
k a P l o w i t z
Straight-forward side of moderate spectrum.
BALANCE:
k a p l o W i t z
Nicely so, but an over-all cushion-ier experience via cream or oiling up of leather woulda made it more-so. Touches all the notes of balance, but independent of one-another.
FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 0-59
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 0-59