Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: 6 x 52  #10 Belicoso

Body: Full

Price: $7.00

When the Serie D Natural came out, I wrote about it in my old blog. Having just bought more of these, I went back and took a look at my review. I was mortified. So I thought what better chance than to do this right the second time.

I am a big fan of Eddie Ortega. I’ve already gushed on about him in my last review of his Wild Bunch Iron Mike so instead of appearing to have a bro-mance with him, let it suffice that I admire the man.

EDDIE ORTEGA

This stick was Eddie’s first cigar out of the barn when he spread his wings under a company bearing his own name. It was a bona fide winner. I smoked one last night while watching a movie and it’s still a very big winner in my book.

The Serie D is manufactured at the My Father Factory in Esteli under the direction of Pepin and Jaime Garcia.  It is produced in small batches and given to only a limited number of retailers in order to keep the quality high.

This stick is genuinely gorgeous. It has a pronounced box press…like me. The wrapper is a gold reddish brown.  The wrapper has its share of veins. The box press is slightly rounded but it is firm to the touch with no soft spots. The cap is a well-made triple cap. There is a slight oily sheen to the wrapper with a bit of toothiness.

I do the sniff and detect some cocoa, a sweet nuttiness like hazelnut, spices; actually the aroma of the spiciness makes my eyes water a bit.

I clip the cap and light it up.

It starts with a mild peppery component. And some cocoa in the background. DC. There is nice molasses sweetness…just a touch. And an impressive flavor of caramel. I didn’t do a very good job of lighting and it and must correct it about half an inch in.

I know what’s coming. The first third slowly builds like a musical crescendo at the last third of the cigar. The cigar begins at a very substantial medium. I can already feel my knees shaking as the last third is full on throttle to the max, pedal to the metal strength.

There is a nice cedar flavor in the profile and the sweetness continues to increase. At the 1” point, I detect some creaminess

Since the cigar has been out for some time now, I decided to read other reviews of this cigar. Holy cow. Everyone has a different take on the flavors. They all agree about the cocoa and the spiciness and the creaminess; but after that, it’s every man for himself. I don’t know if their palates are much better than mine, but cotton candy? Arghh. I have horrible memories of being a kid in Long Beach, CA and going down to the Pike (an ancient amusement park on the water built a long time ago to attract the sailors who came into port). It was pretty seedy by the time I was a little guy but it was fun because you could feed the seals. And the merry go round still had that gizmo with the rings that you would risk breaking your neck to grab….so you could win a stick of gum or something equivalent to a Cracker Jack prize. It was at the Pike, where they had an Olympic sized inside pool, that my father took me for swim lessons with the Olympian, Greta Anderson. She won a Gold Medal in freestyle swimming in the 1948 Olympics.

Both she and her husband were brutal. Their idea of teaching you to swim was have you hold on to a paddle board, take you out to the deep end, and YANK the board away from you while yelling, “Swim! Swim! Swim!”

Needless to say, I choked more than I swam and I finally convinced this style was not for me. Of course, that’s how my father was taught and I was just a pussy.

Where was I?

The stick is solid and therefore, a slow burner. I’ve had it lit for over 20 minutes and it’s only burned down 1-1/2” of the first third. This is more than fine with me. It is during this period that complexity begins to creep in. Normally, a good cigar needs to get to the halfway point to see some real complexity; especially a cigar in the $7 range. But this stick is a champ of blendsmanship.

I finally finish the first third and flavors sort of explode all over the floor. The spiciness has tamped back a bit, but the cocoa and creaminess and the caramel and sweetness have just blossomed. And a nutty flavor is moving forward now. So is a bit of coffee. Since there is so much sweetness to the stick, it makes the nuttiness taste like hazelnut.

The halfway point is making me a crazy man from the flavors. I really can’t believe this is only a $7 stick by the 5 pack. Kudos to Eddie for not taking advantage of a great cigar and charging a couple bucks more each. By making it affordable, he’s done a great service to us all. Eddie is a good man.

The cigar’s complexity is in full step now. It’s like a multi flavored milk shake.

I’m at the point of removing the band. It comes off like a dream. And the stick is now as sleek as a cat. Although, cats have fur…so I’m not sure that analogy really works.

The last third really steps it up. This is masterful blending. I slow way down because the cigar is getting stronger and I have nothing in my stomach; and because I want to savor this cigar for as long as possible.

As the cigar finds its way home, it is never harsh or bitter. The nub remains cool as a cucumber. And the flavors are so intense that it makes me want to grab something to eat and light up another.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS