Pappy Van Winkle Tradition
Belicoso Fino 550
NOTES:
ICreamy cedar steers with a finely-ground black pepper riding shot-gun. Brown sugar sweetens back-seat. White chocolate and pistachios swirl. Natty 'baccy under-belly with neat complexities. Verily a pale Oscuro top-leaf with delicate physical tendencies. Excellent draw. Even burn. Dense burnt-offerings. Rich and round as a comedian with a syndicated sit-com.
II
Dried fruit: papaya and raisins. Bit of a clove hint. Diner cup a' joe is a low middling/high under-belly thing. Too, sweet dirt and hay are there. Growing complexities in its nethers. Pepper smooths into thick leathery oils. Construction and combustion each perform excellently. Big then bigger smoke out-put.
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
BINDER: Indonesian
FILLER: Nicaraguan, Dominican
STRENGTH: Medium
ORIGIN: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, Nicaragua
FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
"I was invited to Cigar Aficionado’s A Night to Remember by Jonathan Drew in 2016 and was presented with a non-banded, wooden box of cigars with white bands on it that just read ‘Exclusively for my Friend Julian by Willy Herrera Sincerely Jonathan Drew,' I loved this blend because of its balance, shortly thereafter, my family and I visited La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Nicaragua and I smoked the same blend most of the trip. By the end, I knew this would be the Pappy Van Winkle Tradition." - Julian Van Winkle, president of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery.
This PVW was debuted at the 2017 IPCPR trade-show. Drew Diplomat preferred retailers just had these hit their humidors.
This blend is actually one of three original Herrera blends for Drew Estate. Here it becomes one a' the brand's latest release in its partnership with the Pappy Van Winkle bourbon brand.
Drew Estate is a sponsor of mine. That fact has no bearing on this review.
"MLB Playoffs Predictions" Kaplowitz Radio: October 4, 2017