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On a cool, cloudless Miami night I decided to break out one of the two of these I had remaining. Either Jupiter or Venus is almost directly overhead, a few degrees due north.
I bought several of these right when they were released, and at the time I remember a huge deal being made of how exclusive they were and how once they were gone, they were gone. Yet I just did a quick search and found them still for sale by the box (unthinkable at release, when my local B&M was doling out two a day). $518 for 20, but still—available.
No burn pics tonight; too dark and my camera's battery is too run down for flash.
The cigar is exceptionally well-constructed; dense, almost hard to the touch, with a sharp box-press. The wrapper is a deep, rich brown. Post-cut/pre-light, I get one thing besides tobacco: sweet cocoa.
Right from the start, pleasant, rich coffee notes on copious amounts of smoke; sweet undertones, like pastry. As it burns, the coffee intensifies and so does the sweetness; a hint of honey. A very full, rounded mouth feel.
An inch in and the construction of this fine stick is evident in a razor-sharp burn. Pure enjoyment.
About mid-point a subtle creaminess comes in and stays to the end, muting the coffee slightly; sweet
cafe con leche is the best way I can describe it. Rich honey notes, still in the background, but there nonetheless. Thick, abundant smoke belies the mellowness of this cigar's flavor and strength; everything is in harmony, nothing really overpowers anything else. Extremely satisfying; just challenging enough but not overly-so...you could call it user-friendly.
I don't think you need to have been smoking long to enjoy this stick, but I sure am glad to be able to pick out nuances while I thoroughly enjoy it. This is no nicotine bomb, but rather an explosion of flavor. The denseness and the volume of smoke is just awesome.
With only an inch or so left, the coffee-and-cream flavor gives way slightly and that sweetness in the background is more pronounced; I keep getting the impression of pastries, especially through the nose.
The burn remained sharp all the way through, except for one correction when a breeze kicked up for a minute.
Gone too soon, despite enjoying it thoroughly to the finger-burning stage. The perfect cigar? This would be a good candidate for the distinction.
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