The featured cigar was the Montecristo Espada, a blend from the capable hands of Nestor Placencia in tandem with Altadis, a cigar giant.
I received a free sample from the owner of the Wolf, the affable David Weiss. As always who and how I received the sample does not influence my judgment when I review a cigar. Cigar reviews are subjective so consider my viewpoint and make your own conclusion.
Brand/ Name of Cigar:
Montecristo/ Espada
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 5 x 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano
Filler : Nicaragua
Shape: Ricasso
Price: Received the cigar gratis, check the Lone Wolf Cigar Lounge for current price
Where and when smoked: Los Angeles, Ca. 4/10/16
Appearance/ Construction:The marketing boys must have had first dibs when this cigar was constructed. 3 bands surrounded the stick which effectively hid what the cigar looked like. I slightly damaged the wrapper when I removed the bands to smoke. Despite this the overall appearance had a light brown wrapper with small veins in the body. Construction was solid, well packed, no soft spots or major flaws. Not much of an oily feel .
Flavor/ Taste and Aroma
This is a smooth operator in the first third. My first hit was a blend of vanilla and grass which was why it was so smooth. It was enjoyable enough but was hoping for more of a kick. The flavor though was consistent which is a plus.
Smoking Characteristics:Had a bit of a burn issue in the second third as the photo shows. The draw was good with a pleasing ash of dark grey. The aroma was not a factor, neither overpowering or really evident. The final third was getting a charred taste creating a bitter flavor profile.
Conclusion/ Overall Impression:
Overall this was a disappointing smoke. The bitter taste stayed with me even after I finished the cigar. This is not what you hope for in a product especially as highly touted as the Espada. I guess even the greats such as Nestor Placencia have an off day.
Here is the breakdown:
Appearance/ Construction: 3 out out 5
Flavor/ Taste and Aroma: 2.5 out of 5
Smoking Characteristics: 2 out of 5
Conclusion/ Overall Impression: 2.5 out of 5
Final Thoughts:
Did not make my cut so this is a no go in my humidor. The price point is up there too which might also give you second thoughts if this is a factor.
Keep smoking
Looks like you may have a very humid spot in your humidor or a very dry spot. Do you rotate your cigars? I don't think it's fair to rate it slow low. Additionally the bitter at the end is evident that it was overhumidified.
ReplyDeleteDear Mark: I am ultra careful about the care and handling of my cigars. I have 4 different humidors with app. 65 % humidity as my standard. My cigars are arranged by size in each humidor so for example, lager ring gauges go in one humidor, smaller in others etc. I would say your observation would be correct if I had the problem with other smokes having with dry spots or over humidified but this is rarely the case.
DeleteI received the cigar from the Lone Wolf Cigar lounge in LA which is one of the larger cigar lounges in LA and a paid membership of very knowledgeable cigar smokers. If their humidor was poorly humidified or if mine was, there is always that possibility.
However, as an afterthought I read several other reviews from other sources and they had some of the same concerns I did. However, I will try the cigar down the road again and if I think it merits a better review, then I will report it.
That is the beauty of cigars, we can smoke the same blend and come up with different thoughts about the product.
Check out some of my other reviews and you can see if I like a cigar I rate it highly, if not, I tell folks what I think. I don't think there is ever a right or wrong in reviewing a cigar. I also mention that thought in my reviews. Take a look at mine , then smoke the same cigar yourself and make your own choice.
Thanks for your input, I appreciate it.
Regards,
Frank Gerechter
I think you have to revisit this cigar.
ReplyDelete