Wrapper: Dominican Havana Vuelta Abajo

Binder: Dominican Criollo 98

Filler: USA/Kentucky Kenbano 2007, Dominican Piloto Cubano Ligero, Dominican  Criollo 98 Bonao

Size: 5 x 50 “Robusto”

Body: Medium/Full

Price: $8.00

Note: There are no photos in this review for a reason. After publishing this review, the owner of Black Patch contacted me and told he that he did not approve of my photographic style. So I removed all of the photos… but since I like his product, I left the review published.

 
Not long ago, I reviewed the Black Patch Reserve. A stick where the Kenbano leaf was in the filler mix, not the wrapper, such as this cigar. It was also considered to be the strongest by the company.

As usual, I hounded them for samples and Eric McAnallen was kind enough to oblige.

Kenbano is the name of the proprietary tobacco that is grown in the Black Patch region of Logan County, KY.

The history of leaf cultivation in Kentucky is fascinating but if you would like to learn about it, I suggest you visit their site at: http://www.blackpatchcigar.com/index.php

Construction is solid. A few veins but close to none. A well-made cap that does not give away how many caps there are. A nice tawny brown with an oily sheen. And lots of tooth.

I sniff away and detect either cinnamon or nutmeg. Fresh hewn cedar at the foot. And very earthy.

I clip and light…

I get sweet molasses on the first draw. Which works just fine, thank you. And that cedar is so fresh in the flavor department. It tastes like it was newly cut.

Black pepper shows up early in the mix. The char line is close to dead nuts. A creaminess arrives immediately. A cinnamon flavor shows up…all in the first half inch. Amazing. But the char line begins to become erratic and I hope assistance from me will not be necessary. When I am done with this review, I will compare it to my review of the Reserve and come back and add notes and comparisons.

The body is classic medium from the get go. Smoke spews from the foot.

I’ve only had these cigars a short time and look forward to seeing how they change in 6 months. I will re-visit my review then. But I am very pleased at the success of the flavor profile at this point.

I begin to get a touch of cocoa which surprises me. I rarely associate cocoa with DR tobacco. And I’ve yet to have anyone explain to me why the cocoa component is so common to Nicaraguan tobacco. Leave a comment if you know, please.

At the 1-1/2” mark, the ash is hanging tough. Now I’m worried that it might fall into my lap, or my laptop, while typing. I always feel a kindred spirit with the newspaper reporters of back in the day…Mussed clothing with suspenders….a cigar hanging from one side of their mouths, and typing away on the Smith Coronas….brushing away the ash that falls on to their keyboard. Oh. And they must have very brushy eyebrows. Like Andy Rooney. Huzzah! The ash gently falls off as I place it in the ashtray.

The first third ends and it was a good one. The flavors were exuberant. And I believe a nice lead in to the last half of the cigar.

The whole arena of flavors begins to strengthen. The cocoa and the creaminess and the cedar and the cinnamon are working overtime. I can foresee that the last third will be a flavor bomb.

These cigars are not cheap. But then boutique cigars rarely are. It’s a shame. CI sells all this crap that you only smoke after your wife has left you and taken the kids, taken the house, you’ve lost your job and you are living in a cardboard box next to a homeless woman named Bertha.

If CI pulled into their fold all the good boutique blends out there, they could reduce the price some and make them more widely available. As usual, I only found out about this cigar from the ravings of members on Face Book. I belong to a bunch of cigar groups and it is very informational. It should be re-named Cigaro-Wiki.

I’m dead center at the halfway point and the flavors are emerging in bolder fashion. The body has remained at medium; which is nice as this is my first cigar of the day.

It may be too soon to see some real complexity in this cigar. Nothing like an extended stay at the Kohn Cigar motel to richen and deepen a cigar’s character.

A syrupy sweetness shows up. Sort of caramel-like. The cigar has a long finish now and becomes well balanced. The flavors are perfectly blended instead of a mish mosh of indie flavors.

The pepper moves to the front of my mouth and the creaminess and cocoa expands nicely.

The stick is like a peppery candy bar. It literally becomes lip smackin’ good. It is now officially a flavor bomb. I will take a flavor bomb over a fuller bodied cigar anytime. A really strong cigar can mask flavors. This is not always the case but I see it as fairly common.

The last third continues its hike up the Big Rock Candy Mountain. This would be a perfect after dinner cigar accompanied by some very good brandy. I can taste it now.

I find myself trying not to rush the cigar. It has such a long finish that there is no need to keep puffing on it.

The cigar finishes up nice and cool. No harshness or bitterness. Right down to the end, the cigar is awash with flavor. This is a terrific cigar. And I want to thank Eric McAnallen once more for supplying the samples.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS