Pasion 550 Robusto
Black pepper'd walnuts and dark chocolate ride up-front. Middlings are malted grains and tobacco with Latakia tendencies. Under-belly is leathery topsoil. For all the dark notes there's an over-all sunny breeziness staving off somber moods. Spice-wise a cumin/cinnamon is balanced by sweet notes of caramelized sugar and maple syrup. Through the schnoz is a greater piquant zetz which drops to ye palate in a Worcestershire manner. Finish is a chewy toasted cream with beefy java influences. Performance is an unegregious curvature of languidly-paced burn and slight sponginess, with fantastic draw and plenty a' smoky-smoke birthing a leathery sweet room-note.
FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan
BINDER: Sumatra
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Honduran
STRENGTH: Medium-Full
ORIGIN: 171 West 29th Street NYC, USA
"The Pasión 550 is a bold cigar with an easy draw that unleashes the full power of it’s aged blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran long filler tobaccos and spicy Nicaraguan leaf wrapper. This medium to full bodied provides the characteristic complex, spicy notes with strong peppery hints of the rest of the Pasión line in a midsize cigar." www.MartinezCigars.com
Jesus Martinez let me know that the Pasion is his personal favorite. Mark me down as a fan of the New York City blend, but this 'un is nipping at its marvelous heels. Also check out my review of the Flatiron.