I usually refrain from reviewing a cigar having only sampled one; as we know these are hand made and a rogue stick should not sum up the whole, but this little gem moved me to break my rule! Out of the cello the appearance was almost perfect, some minor veins and a blotch here and there if you squint but otherwise excellent. Good pack of leaf without a void that I could feel. The wrapper had a dull sheen which was very pleasing to look at rather than the rich oily gleam of say an Oli V, but it is a claro. I've taken to lighting my cigars still capped which can be exciting when it comes to keeping a consistent burn thereafter but once cut I had no need to go near it again with a flame, in fact the burn was a dream all the way to the finish. An easy draw and volumes of smoke. The ash was a pale grey more akin to that of Cuban rather than a New world stick which tend to be more white in appearance and not a hint of flowering consistent with it being long filler. The ash held all the way into the second/final third.
So, what's the catch, given the price point for this premium Cigar there must be something right? Okay, it is not a powerhouse of flavour but for a morning smoke, as it was for me, I was greatful not to see the world start to spin after a couple of puffs. There are no real transitions that I could detect; it settled down in the second third from a very slight bitter note but I expect this when first fired up and remained consistently woody with a hint of walnut throughout, even a slight saltiness on the tongue. I do like a bargain but not a compromise when it comes to a cigar and for me this ticked all the boxes. If the price for this remains competitive it will very quickly become a mainstay of my humi. I'll definitely be including this again in my next order from C.Gars.