I held this box intact for 5 years, not wanting to devalue it, but it got to the point where I was too curious to let it go any further without figuring out what was going on inside this box. I opened it up for the first time in 3 years to find it oily and very fragrant. The cigars themselves are not that attractive, but if you can find someone who says their SP Belicosos are gorgeous cigars, they might have fakes.
In their 5 years of life, they have tightened up a bit, feeling a bit stretched, but with a distinct feeling of lightness or even perfection that ensures a nice smooth draw. Belicosos and piramides offer a benefit unique in the myriad vitolas; you can cut the tiniest bit from the head and test the draw, and if it's fine, you have a major flavor-funnel focusing flavor into the smallest possible cut. A lot of aliteration from anxious smokers......This cigar took less than 1/4 inch of cut and drew very nicely, so I lit it up, another phase which went very nicely. The first draws offered a lot of smoke, but a bit dry and boring. As it burned down about a half inch, it was full of light spice and light tea, with a glimmer now and then of buttery cinnamon and nutmeg. The cigar burned straight as an arrow until Ralph walked up with his long curved tail and knocked over my Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale, eliciting a curse and a jump up from my chair. I chomped the cigar and picked up the bottle, which miraculously did not shatter upon hitting the ground, but released almost half of it's contents which Ralph was a bit reluctant to lap up. I let it go out and hosed the patio down, then decided I might as well clean the pond filter out, too. Once I scraped it out and lit it back up, it seemed to come alive and burst open with power and finesse. Lots of earth and citrus with the same hints of sweet spices. It burned down to about here:
It was a near perfect performer, although not necessarily a super smoke. Still it was a great surprise to finally open up the long-dormant box and light one up. In a microcosm world where I am spoiled for choice as to the evening's cigar, however, it can't rise too high on the list of great smokes I have had lately. But it also performed very well in cigar function, and you can never discount that fact, especially in habanos.
I score this cigar as an 86.
I also need to give a tip of the hat to NEENS, who sent me a package of Liga Privada smokes, including a Flying Pig. People who have tried to find these and the other great Drew Estate smokes know this was a very generous thing to do. When things appear and disappear with the randomness these do, it's nice of someone to reach into the box and pull out 5 stellar smokes for another. It is well known that I do not smoke many of the non-Cuban cigars, and can hardly be accused of PREFERRING them, but this does nothing to stem my intense curiousity. So look for reviews on these great cigars. For many, I know this will elicit a 'big whoopy do', since reviews of these smokes are so ubiquitous, and the internet is wide. But I also know people get a kick out of me being forced to acknowledge a superior cigar when I smoke one, so stay tuned, and thank you always for tuning in regularly to see where things are going around here.
No comments:
Post a Comment