First impressions is a nice medium brown cigar with thin wrapper. There are visible seams and a tear in the wrapper where the band had been and was taken off. The feel is ok in the hand with a few knots toward the cap. Smoking experience started off rather well. Nothing too exciting or impressive but still enjoyable. Flavors are mainly the same until the final third where is turns to a bitter oak and bitter coffee fast. The more I smoked it, the more bitter it got. To me this isn’t a cigar that leaves you thinking whats next but a cigar that you just smoke and not think about. The biggest thing that this cigar needed was a sweet note to bring it all together. It just felt like it was missing something to make it a well rounded and enjoyable experience.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano / Binder: Dominican Hybrid / Filler: Dominican Piloto Viso, San Vicente, and Seco
Vitola: Toro / Size: 6 x 50
Factory: Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera / Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Grass, hay, musty wood
Tobacco, hay, grass
Sweet tobacco
On the light I get subtle notes of tobacco ans nuts with black pepper tingle on the lips. The retro brings a slight nutty note.. Not much going on. At the end of the 3rd notes of salt and pepper are the primary flavors Followed by a slight oak and toast on the finish. Burn is great but a messy and flaky ash. Retro is a slight white pepper nothing to be excited about but still enjoyable.
Into the 2nd 3rd more of the same flavors. Most of the salt notes have died down but the black pepper is a little stronger. Now picking up notes of bitter oak, nuts and a dry cracker follows on the pallet. The retro brings a slight white pepper and cracker. This is still a pleasant smoke but it feels like it’s missing something to bring it all together. Could use a sweet note to round things out.
Starting the final 3rd this cigar is bringing all of the oak notes forward and turns bitter fast. The retro is all black pepper with a slight bitter coffee. Into the final third its all bitter and becoming unpleasant. Ash is still flaky and the burn is flawless. With all of the bitter notes going on its time to let this on rest.
