Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 54
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $9.00

This is the November release making it #11 in the Wild Bunch series. I’ve looked forward to reviewing all of these cigars and after the next, and last one, it’s over. It’s like looking forward to a 12 hour sex marathon. You can’t wait to do it, but it leaves you spent when you finish.
This cigar is the second of the Bunch to use the Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. The first was Dandy McCoy. The cigar is named after the founder of the B & B Cigar Club in Washington D.C. And his name is Ashley Byrd. The cigar is also known as Boys Club.

That’s all I know as Eddie Ortega has kept all the vitals on these cigars very close to his chest. And like the rest of the series, only 500 boxes of 20 were produced.

This cigar is one ugly duck. Seams are all totally visible. There is roller’s glue shmeared on it in one area of the cigar. The cigar is wrinkly. It is jam packed and I expect a 2 day smoke from this stick. The only thing that is impeccable is the construction of the cap. The shaft is very oily and feels a bit toothy.

I clip the cap and find aromas of spice, baking spices, cocoa, sweetness, and strong cinnamon.
Time to light up.

The first puffs are very sweet. Like rock candy sweet. It also has some real salty pretzel. The pretzel flavor is very genuine. Black pepper shows itself and begins to growl.

As in all of the Wild Bunch cigars, they bolt from the starting gate. It has mucho flavor in the first quarter inch. Again, this cigar shoots big holes in my big cigar/no flavor theory. I bought the last three of the series from Podman Cigars. They are just about the only online store that hasn’t sold out of Wild Bunch Sampler #4.

The draw is great. The char line is tad bit wavy.

The burn is very, very slow. I am barely making a dent in this thing. 14 minutes to get to the half inch mark.

The thing that has struck me is the impressiveness of the tobacco flavor. All of Eddie’s blends have been like this. So not only did he whip up 12 friggin blends quickly, but he chose special tobaccos and a special blending style like he was Merlin. He really blossomed after leaving EO. Something kicked in. The 601 brands are all very nice but they don’t hold a candle to the product he has put on the shelves since then. So either he was experiencing a learning curve; or he was stifled. Who knows? Either way, going out on his own was a very smart move.

As I sit at the dining room table, my work station, I find myself sitting in front of an open window to allow the smoke out. And my nuts have shrunk to the size of mice poop. It is -8 degrees here in Milwaukee. Minus friggin 8 degrees! I guess it is perfect Christmas weather as no more snow is expected til tonight. And right now, and the rest of the day, will be very sunny so the glare off the huge mounds of white snow is blinding. I have to wear a baseball cap to keep the sun out of my eyes while I type. And I’m in my bathrobe with just boxers. I wanted to paint a mental photo for you smokers in lust with me.

I am having some minor burn issues and I correct them. It is no big deal. Remember, this is organic material, and like wood, you can’t always control its mood.

Halfway through the first third, the black pepper has tamped down a bit. The salt pretzel is gone. But that juiced sweetness is ever present.
I’m into the second third and the flavor profile is much bolder. The black pepper has transformed into red pepper. The sweetness is, again, much stronger. There is something of a sweet potato flavor. The earthiness is the bedrock of this cigar.

The sweetness turns into a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde persona. While it has that rock candy sweetness; it also has a couple other types of sweet flavors: Dark molasses and brown sugar. A strong leather component enters. Some nuttiness shows up. The cigar has not reached its true sweet spot yet but it is still pumping out very pleasant flavors. It’s strange that the Nicaraguan tobacco takes up 2/3 of the cigar but I am not getting the stereotypical Nic flavors. I don’t taste cocoa, creaminess, or coffee. And then I do taste coffee. A deep, rich espresso. Almost bitter
I hit the halfway point. And flavors build to the sweet spot. As expected, this is an unusual blend. Nothing average about it.

The draw is a bit tougher now. It’s not a plug. I just think the tobacco is more jam packed in the second half than the first.

Dried apricot and dried peach are something new as the last third begins.

The last third explodes with intensity. Another form of sweetness enters: toffee. And a bit of creaminess. Normally, I’d bitch about the flavor bomb not hitting sooner but this cigar is so delicious that it doesn’t affect my impression of the quality. I am now getting some cocoa. Flavors in descending order: Sweetness, earthiness, toffee, molasses, brown sugar, dried fruit, cocoa, and a bit of red pepper. Whatever blocked the cigar is gone now. The smoke is blinding while I type.

From the beginning, the strength has been classic medium. From the halfway point on, it has been medium/full. The last third has risen to full bodied. But not a trace of nicotine.

The cigar finishes out smooth as silk. This is a big cigar and would do better with more aging. But I highly recommend it because it has great potential.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, eddie ortega, Ortega Wild Bunch Da' ByrdmanCigar Review