Clearly, this stick was near flawless, but my job is to nit-pick and nit-pick I must. One point for construction was taken, just for the transition from the shaggy foot to the wrapper. It started to canoe a bit, but corrected itself with both samples and really that is completely understandable given the drastic shift the cigar takes from the very shaggy foot into the wrapper. The draw especially for a shaggy foot cigar was impressive. It was a bit too loose at the start, but gradually gained the perfect touch of resistance as the wrapper portion took control. Flavor wise this cigar really checked all the boxes for me. Complex, but at the same time focused on delivering flavor notes that play well together. Full strength and full intensity, yet maintained an impressive smoothness throughout.

Pairing Recommendations: BOURBON, BOURBON and BOURBON. I paired both samples with two different bourbon styles. Wild Turkey 101 complimented this smoke beautifully and I went with a lower proof Four Roses for the second sample; both paired beautifully with this cigar. For non-alcoholic pairings I recommend the following; Dr Pepper, French Roast Coffee, Earl Grey Tea, Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans.

Final Thoughts: This cigar was quite a sight to see. I joked with fellow reviewers that it wasn’t a shaggy foot, it was more a shaggy leg! A torpedo with about an inch of shaggy foot and once the wrapper portion entered the frame it really created quite a visual masterpiece. The wrapper was immaculate. Dark, DARK brown with tooth that would scare even a seasoned orthodontist. At light up, the wrapper-less introduction served up enough flavor that I probably would be perfectly satisfied if this stick had no wrapper at all! Although once the shaggy foot met the beautiful wrapper magic really began to happen. All the notes I search out in a cigar were present here. I am typically not a fan of shaggy foot cigars, but this one really made me rethink this notion. Construction from start to finish, even with the shaggy introduction, was damn close to PERFECT.