Last year Pete Johnson released a slightly different version of the famed Frank from Halloween of 2008, with a different wrapper, called the Boris (after the actor who played Frankenstein in the movie). Since Halloween is coming up this year, I figured I'd finally get around to smoking this LE!
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Pre-Light - No noticeable smells, but the wrapper is a beautiful coffee colored brown with minimal veins and a leathery touch.
First Third - Right away I can taste the slight minty note that I've heard so much about in this stick, combined with a mild-medium bodied earthy tobacco flavor. The smoke is abnormally cool, similar to a dry wine. The draw, ash, and burn are fantastic thus far, and the smoke itself is thick and white. A slight nutty spice character adds to the complexity of what seems to be a great cigar, though with a body lighter than I had expected.
Second Third - The body has beefed up a bit though the complex mix of flavors continues to be a mix of tobacco, mint, nut and some earthyness. I am in awe of the perfection achieved in construction by Pete on this stick, its is a joy not to have to baby the stick or worry about a tight draw.
Third Third - Moving into the last third, a cool spice takes the lead with some creamy nut and earthy flavors right behind. The texture of the smoke is continuing to intrigue me, and D/A/B are, big surprise, still great. I'm not noticing any heat near the nub, as the cool flavors and smoke seem to be consistent throughout. Definitely worth nubbing.
Conclusion and Score - This cigar was really 'different' for me (as I would expect from an LE), and it fits into a niche that I could see myself yearning for on occasion in the future. The smoke itself was cool, minty and dry, while the flavors included a complex mix of earth, mint, raw tobacco, nut, and spice. Construction was superb, and I really did enjoy this cigar, though it could have used a bit more in the body department. Even still, I would rate this stick a 91 and look forward to seeing it progress over time.
aj
PS More pics on my blog.
PPS Does anyone know of any other sticks that have a similar 'cool and dry' texture to the smoke? I thought it was pretty cool..
[Reply]
Originally Posted by hscmit:
I know it sounds a little out there, but I got some dry minty flavors from the naturals pimp stick.
I had to laugh out loud on that one!!
:-) :-) :-) Gotta love Drew Estates names for sticks!!
James...
:-)
[Reply]
Any cigar named after Karloff has to live up to high expectations. I prefer Lugosi when it comes to horror, but Karloff is much more well-rounded and a better actor period.
If you don't know who Karloff is, he's the original Universal Pictures Frankenstein and the narrator for "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" cartoon version.
EDIT: I'm sure most of you know who he is. It just seemed that he hasn't been properly represented in this thread.
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