I bought this cigar when I was in the USA last year and it was the packaging that caught my attention. I love the combination of the name Exile and the print of the New York Daily Mirror front page of the day that Kennedy announced the embargo on Cuba. The Exile cigars were made by Nicaraguan American Tobacco S.A. for Cuban Imports, which was then owned by Mike & Albert Argenti, who now run Berger & Argenti. The brand is now discontinued. I paid $ 6.50 for this smoke.
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When I unwrap the cigar I see a dark, almost black and leathery Ecuadorian sun grown wrapper which is quite oily. The band is tasteful. The construction feels good but the predraw is a bit on the hard side. I taste some raisin and tobacco. The cigar has a mild hay smell.
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I taste a strong coffee flavor without becoming bitter and I also taste some cedar wood. The flavors are rich and deep. After an inch the coffee disappears and all I taste is a dry and smooth cedar flavor and a pleasant flavor I don't recognize.
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Halfway the flavors gain some strength and are joined by some leather. After two thirds I also get some cacao and some nuts. The leather becomes the dominant flavor with a herbal background. All the other flavors have disappeared. The nut flavors makes a strong comeback though, with some power.
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The smoke time of this 5½x49 figurado is an hour and fifteen minutes. The draw is a bit on the hard side but it gets better the longer I smoke. The ash is compact of structure, white of color and firm. I got a decent amount of smoke, but the smoke is a bit thin. The burn is good. This cigar is medium to full flavored and medium bodied.
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Would I buy this cigar again? They are no longer made, so I might have to pick up a box somewhere
Appearance: 9 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 7 / 10
Aroma second part: 7 / 10
Aroma third part: 7 / 10
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