Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 44
Body: Medium
Price: $6.00 (Approximate Price)

I jumped the shark on this one. Paul asked me politely to wait 2-3 weeks to review this stick. I’ve waited 12 days. I cannot wait any longer.

The Lord of Albany is a new extension to the Paul Stulac Classic Line. It is a slim 6 x 44, like me. It comes in Natural and Maduro. Both have the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper; but the Maduro wrapper is just fermented and aged longer.

The color difference is very slight. At first, I could not tell that there were two wrappers. Only later, when Paul emailed me about the two blends, did I take a closer look. Some reviewer, I am.

The Natural is a bit rustic. It has a very sandy feel which means it is very toothy. Very oily. The trunk is solid and the seams are tighter than my 6th wife. The single cap is superbly constructed.

I love when there is a foot band. Makes the cigar look classy. I hate it when there is a foot band and I have to remove it to smoke it…I feel like I am a Moil and I’ve circumcised the stick.

The aromas are baking spices. Cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, clove, pepper, sweetness, cocoa, cedar, wood, coffee, and earth. Whew!

I clip and light.

I get a big dose of sweetness on the first puffs. The draw is impeccable and the char line is right on the money.

Spiciness joins the fray almost immediately. And then a few of the flavors derived from aromas….the baking spices, cedar and wood, coffee and cocoa. Being such a small ring gauge, I fully expect this to be an early flavor bomb. Smart move by Paul. There is a big fan base for Lonsdales.

I don’t know where the name Lord of Albany comes from. Paul is keeping that close to his chest…that, or either he doesn’t like me and won’t tell me.

I am passing the first inch and creaminess shows up and waves hi. That really boosts the flavor profile. Accentuates everything and rounds the sharp corners.
The cigar is packed and hence; a slow smoker.

An interesting flavor pops up that befuddles me. I be confused. I sit here and smack my lips trying to discern something foreign to me. My brow is furrowed. My eyes squint. I look like the dog.

I know this sounds nuts…really nuts; but I taste pumpkin. Pumpkin? Huh? The combo of the baking spices and something fruity and savory at the same time develops into a pumpkin flavor. And the spiciness has got quite a kick and makes coming up with this a bit more difficult. But there it is. Pumpkin.

I am just ending the first third and I am surprised by all these flavors swirling about so early.

As the second third begins, the creaminess makes a warp jump. It trumps the spiciness. And as I take a swig of water, that pumpkin flavor erupts. The expected Nicaraguan cocoa and coffee are there, but not prominent.

The cigar is officially a Master Flavor Bomb. Holy cow. The first part of the cigar was really good but nothing like its current position in the finals. This is the Green Bay Packers of cigars. And YES! I am a Cheese Head. Proudly so.

The complete spectrum of baking spices is churning out flavors. The body is at a classic medium. And pretty much so from the beginning.

Damn. I don’t want this stick to end. I look down at the ashtray and see half of it gone. You never have a cigar stretcher when you need one.

I stick the cigar in my mouth and type. Yes, I’m a boob. Yes, I am rarely serious. But the key to staying young, when your body is falling apart, is behaving young and immature. I’ve been immature all my life. I think the 1960’s got me stuck in that position. One toke over the line, if you will.

I read a competitor’s review, as of late. And in this instance, I do mean competitor. Why? Because he doesn’t like the way I write and he makes it plain by titling his blog something like this: “Cigar Reviews without all the fluff. Just the Facts.”

Well…who the hell do you think he is talking about? Me. Of course, his reviews are as boring as staring at a yard stick. But who am I to quibble?
The cigar is belting out flavors like fireworks. Paul only sent me one Natural and one Maduro. So I took a big chance reviewing the cigar a bit sooner than Paul advised. I’m thinking of putting the adoption papers on hold.

I’ve been a funny writer (What? You don’t think I’m funny?) for a very long time. In a college course, we had to write a thesis in which we answered the questions on the test in prose form. I was going through my Marx Bros phase. So I wrote like Groucho on the test. My teacher loved it and made me read it to the class where I got nothing but blank stares. Then she made an appointment for me with the Dean of the English department. I thought “Huzzah!” Finally, I’m being recognized in my own lifetime. I waited and waited for that appointment. And then it arrived. I knocked on his door and told me to come in and sit down. I had to remind him who I was. He never looked up. “Oh yeah, you’re the kid who wrote that test in prose that was funny. Keep at it. Good bye.”
??????
I was crushed.

The last third begins and the body increases. The cigar finds its complexity. It is so balanced that it makes me shutter. Yes, I’m really a girl. It has a long finish that has me constantly smacking my lips…if anyone would be watching; they would think I have some horrible addiction withdrawal.

I slow down so I can really savor the stick’s flavors. Nothing has been added and the pumpkin anomaly has moved to the background. The cocoa and coffee have moved to the forefront along with that buttery smooth creaminess. The pepper component has decreased. It lingers on the tip of my tongue.

This is a fabulous cigar. But then why should I be surprised? Paul Stulac is the King of Boutique Cigars. He doesn’t know how to make a mediocre cigar. Excellence is his family shield.
Every blend, and every sub blend, (By this, I mean that within each blend, the cigar flavors differ from size to size.) are superb. His cigars are better than 95% of everything out there. Maybe more. I am a huge fan of this man’s talents. And I don’t think he realizes how good his sticks are. He is sort of in the eye of the hurricane.

The stick continues to burn slowly in the last third which milks every flavor.

Maduros are my favorite style of cigar. And I am excited that I still have that blend to smoke and review. Did I mention he only sent me one of each? I find that most natural blends are a bit on the blah side. Not all, of course, just most. Not this baby. It is so full of character and finesse that it goes beyond the difference of natural and maduro.

As the stick ends, I become morose. There is no reason to continue in this mortal coil. The rest of the day, I will be thinking about this cigar. There is nothing in my repertoire of sticks that match the quality of this cigar…except maybe the Stulac Red Screaming Suns, Black Midnight Fires, and the White Blinding Lights.
Last year, I got a small legal settlement and I bought several boxes of each blend and I have parsed them out oh so carefully. Now I have some well-aged Stulac sticks that become magnificent cigars.

The last bit of the cigar sees the nicotine level rise to the swirling point. Luckily, I can read both laptop screens at the same time.

This stick is in the very affordable range. No excuse not to buy some when they hit the market. There isn’t a $6 stick on the market that can touch this cigar. So when they come out, buy lots of them. And send me some.

And here is the maduro which I will review tomorrow:

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS