WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf
BINDER: Equadorian Sumatran
FILLER: Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Robusto (47/8x48)
ORIGIN: General Cigar Dominicana
INTENSITY: Medium-full
NOTES:
Black pepper | Molasses | Patent leather
Buffed not buff. Shiny and skinny-sinewy strong. Polished. There's even a slight metallic lilt on the back-end that scans as chromed. Front and rest of palate is big black pepper, ground, shaken straight out of a tin. A wobbly blackstrap molasses plays second-fiddle to that. There's a patent leather note, spit-shined, and almost enveloping the whole shebang. The rest is a compost pile left out in the sun to dry. Flinty. Wet stone.
There is an additional dried dark fruitiness in the 2/3 that seems to cling to the leather, seep into the compost. Further into that third, there's a dark coffee--thin sharp go-juice--a workingman's thermos. These additions evolve and settle by mid-point and there-on out it's all cruise control. I keep being surprised I sense no woodsiness and remain unsure as to what structures the profile. But it is structured, delineated, balanced in a sparse manner.
Cast iron. Performance-wise, the draw seems a bit more restricted than it wants to be. No, I can't quantify that statement. Ash builds in a clumped flaky manner, but not egregiously, can almost make an inch. No hard/soft spots, nor softening of the firm pre-light roll. Pacing of smoke is nice, as is its out-put. Sneaky nice aroma in a sweeter more mature look at primary notes. Ultimately, a lack of body and wimpy strength fail the rest of this peppery, but not peppery 'nuff, profile.
TASTE: B
DRAW: B+
BURN: B+
BUILD: B+
FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79
::: very :::