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This is my first review, so be gentle! Also, I haven't been smoking long and my palette isn't very developed, so I can't pick out a lot of the more subtle flavors that may have been present.
Size: 5 5/8 x 46
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
MSRP: $4.95
Smoked this one outside on porch, air temperature was approximately 40 degrees, partly cloudy, still to slight breeze, occasional gusting to moderate.
Wrapper is a milk chocolate color, very smooth with a nice sheen. Some veins, but nothing worrisome. A few discolored spots, only one large enough to be noteworthy. Wrapper smelled like a Missouri tobacco barn, but there was a sweetness, possibly like chocolate. These scents were more intense at the foot. Stick felt firm with no irregular spots. Cap clipped easily, but it left a small loose piece that stuck to my lip on the first cold draw; once moistened it stayed on the cigar and never bothered me again. Cold draw had a perfect amount of resistance, taste was tobaccoy and sweet. Lit by toasting with torch lighter until lit, without puffing, and then a quick purge to clear. The burn throughout was mostly OK, slightly wavy but only requiring one touchup.
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First third: First draw was smooth and sweet, very chocolatey and nutty, almost like sipping on a hot chocolate. The chocolate and nuttiness persisted, with a little bit of spice for the next few puffs. Nothing super-powerful or overwhelming, but I could feel it on the back of my palette. The spice disappeared quickly, and never made a reappearance. The chocolate and nuttiness stayed strong through the first third, with a leather finish. Retrohaling burned like hell, but increased the chocolate. It was a sweet chocolate, milky, but not creamy. The stick was producing an impressive amount of resting smoke. Ash held on for about an inch before falling. It was in the transition between thirds that I needed to touch up the burn, which had gotten too far off for my liking:
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Second third: The chocolate and nuts diminished, and the leather moved to the forefront, along with alternating wood and floral flavors. Retrohaling still brought the chocolate forward, but it also still burned like hell, so I didn't do it much. The amount of resting smoke diminished.
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Final third: As the final third began, the flavors remained the same as the second third: leather, wood, and slight flowers, with a chocolate and nut finish. However, with a little over an inch left the draw opened way up and the flavors abruptly changed to thick, rich, creamy vanilla and nuts, with maybe a hint of leather in the finish.
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This was very impressive! It was all I could do to wait between puffs! I retrohaled to see if things had changed--still burning, still chocolatey. The resting smoke was way up again, pouring out of the stick, and the smoke in my mouth was very creamy. I couldn't get over the flavor! After about 3/4 of an inch like this, almost at the nub, the cigar started to turn harsh. I could feel my tongue and gums tingling a little bit, and the delicious flavors disappeared. At this point I retired the cigar, happy with the experience.
Total smoke time: 1 hour, 5 minutes.
Final verdict: I
LOVED this cigar, and at the price it can't be beat! The whole experience was good, but that last bit impressed me more than any cigar I have smoked. This may very well become the first box purchase I make!
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