The most points were lost on the draw. I absolutely love a loose (Padron style) draw, but this notched a little too far in that direction with the first sample. The second sample faired slightly better in that category. The flavor was amazing and I think if the draw was a touch tighter, the flavor would have popped even more. I did feel some spongey soft spots on the body and despite that along with the loose draw, the burn still performed very well; needing no touch ups. I did notice the ash was very flakey and not able to hold firm for long; which is not a big deal for me personally.
Final Thoughts: This box-pressed Maduro with a pigtail performed wonderfully. The flavor notes bounced around and made for a very interesting, yet enjoyable experience. Fans of maybe retrohaling a bit too often (guilty) will really enjoy this one. Normally for me it’s mostly pepper variants on the retrohale, but this one introduced notes I rarely get. I wouldn’t hesitate picking up a box of these.
Pairing Recommendations: Samuel Adam’s Cherry Wheat Beer, Any Belgian white style beer, Pepsi, Spiced Rum based cocktails, Fig Newton bar, Peanut Butter Whiskey, Sweetened Iced Tea
Wrapper: Ecuador (Sumatra Seed)
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua (Estelí & Jalapa)
Vitola: Robusto/ Size: 5“x50
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A / Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Cocoa Powder
Pecan Wood, Cocoa Powder
Red Pepper, Cedar, Fig
Raisins, Chocolate Covered Cherries, Red Pepper, Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Leather, Hickory
Retrohale: Black Pepper, Red Man Chewing Tobacco, Black Licorice
Peanut Brittle, Black Pepper, Red Pepper, French Roast Coffee, Mint, Dark Chocolate
Retrohale: Black Pepper
