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This 5.5×50 stick offers a dark brown box pressed wrapper with a slight Colorado red hue, an even spongy give, light pack, minimal veins and invisible seams. It has a soft paper like texture and a chocolate aroma. First light reveals a thick smooth chewy smoke, slightly snug draw and medium-full flavors of a sweet oily earth that builds a big pepper and spice blast on the short finish. The first third develops to a medium bodied smooth, sweet creamy leather with a nice loose draw. The finish still holds the big pepper and spice, making for an interesting contrast. Burn isn’t great, with large waves following the texture of the leaf and the ash is quite flowery. The 2nd third transitions 20 minutes in with a big cream flavor dominating with the pepper and spice kicking in and continuing to build over the finish. It dropped the earthy leather that was at the start, just producing the smooth oily cream. I did a good bit of touch up on it to even out the burn, and that produced a much more substantial body, it had gone quite mild before I did it. 35 minutes in, just after the 1/2 way point, I get an addition of a sweet licorice at the end of the draw that quickly fades. Body is back up to a medium-full and smoke output has increased producing huge clouds. The last third shifts yet again to a deep dry roasted nut flavor, with the same plumes of thick smoke. The cream and pepper is gone, leaving a dry almost parched mouthfeel on the finish. Ending at 1:00, it proved to have a good number of flavor transitions and was a very smooth smoke. Video on the site
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