Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican, Mexican San Andrés
Size: 5.5 x 48 Corona Gorda
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $10.00
Today we take a look at the Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte 2019.
Many thanks to buddy, Charles Lim.
BACKGROUND:
Only 400 boxes released for 2019.
Factory: Fabrica Oveja Negra in Estelï, Nicaragua
From Cigar Dojo (10-23-2019):
“Black Label Trading Co. launched the fourth annual iteration of the Santa Muerte series, with the cigars shipping to select retailers during the 2019 IPCPR trade show.
The cigar’s name translates roughly to Saint Death, which is essentially the Mexican incarnation of the Grim Reaper of European legends. The cigars are released each year leading up to the Mexican holiday, Día de los Muertos, which honors and remembers the lives of those we’ve lost.
“We have gone out of the box with Santa Muerte. It features Broadleaf, San Andres, Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco among the 6 filler tobaccos. You experience layer upon layer of coffee, malt, spice and cocoa. As the name suggests, there is a Day of the Dead tribute to honor those we have lost.”
~James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra
This year’s release has been rolled in corona gorda and short robusto formats, with 20-count boxes retailing for $200 MSRP apiece.”
SIZES AND PRICING:
Corona Gorda 5.5 x 48 $10.00
Short Robusto 4.75 x 52 $10.00
APPEARANCE:
This is a nicely constructed cigar. Mostly smooth with only a hint of toothiness in places. Appears it might have a quadruple cap. The cigar is solid and heavy in the hand. Seams are tight. Some veinage but it all blurs into the oily rusty brown wrapper that appears in the sunlight. In room light, just paper bag brown. Good God, y’all…A giant skull.
SMELL THE GLOVE:
Loads to sniff on…floral notes, red pepper, chocolate, coffee, cedar, heavy on the malt, hoppy, thick caramel notes, a touch of barnyard, dried fruit, and mint.
The cold draw presents flavors of gingerbread, red pepper, dark cocoa, espresso, malt, raisins, mint, and barnyard.
FIRST THIRD:
The resistance on the cigar is spot on. I put my awayPerfecDraw draw adjustment tool for another time.
Out of the starting gate, it swings for the fences. Big fat flavors of black pepper, dark chocolate, espresso, creaminess galore, caramel, malt, cedar, and raisins.
Complexity seems to be in motion. Transitions kick in immediately; flashing those big flavors at whirlwind speed. The finish is toothy with a buttery, creamy, peppery start.
Strength is a straight ahead medium. Easy and balanced. No sudden pelvic thrusts.
And then there is a giant leap of complexity, matched by a perfect balance of flavors.
We all know the second half usually shines above and beyond the first half. Well, if that is the case with the Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte 2019, this is going to be a fucking killer stick. I’m going to wait til the second half starts and if my projection is true, I’m going to stop writing and buy a fiver.
Baking spices enter the picture. There is ginger, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add pumpkin and the creaminess and we have a cheesecake.
The dark chocolate and espresso are working in tandem that takes the cigar in another direction…more of a coffee mousse filled candy bar.
Damn. At this rate, if I were a smart katman, I’d have picked up on this last year. It could have easily made my top 25.
Savory v. sweet has been on point since the start.
Subtleties begin with nuances of brown sugar, blackberries, a scoche of green chile, and sweet brioche. Wow. Color me impressed.
I’m trying to find a place in this review where I can curse inappropriately…but the cigar’s performance hasn’t opened the door for me. Drat.
SECOND THIRD:
Strength is now medium/full.
“Little Wing” by Jimi is playing. Doesn’t get any better.
And now, “Rocky Mountain Way” by Joe Walsh. I remember watching Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert in 1973 and in awe as I watched the fretless bassist move and groove to the music. It was at that very moment, I knew I had to get myself a fretless bass. Had one ever since.
Where did the ash go?
Shit! It’s in my lap. Thank God, I have no feeling down there.
The burn is exemplary. No issues.
No shit brothers and sisters, I haven’t dug a cigar in this fashion for a while. It just oozes serious aging. I must tip my hat to James Brown of BLTC. Damn.
The blend is now morphing from a cigar full of distinct individual flavors to the whole exceeding its parts. Fucking awesome.
Decided not to wait til second half. Scored a fiver from SBC. Used promo code katman for 10% discount.
Warning Will Robinson…do not, I repeat, do not smoke this cigar early. I did. And wasted a perfectly great cigar. I’m now 2 months in and it is manna from the gods.
I can suck on this all day…don’t read anything funny into that statement.
What a great cigar to return to reviewing with. Shit happens in our lives and sometimes there are distractions.
I highly recommend snagging the Corona Gorda size. Not a huge fan of the Rothschild size.
Creaminess rises to the top of the food chain. I sit here licking my chops like a dog trying to imbibe every bit of flavor the cigar offers.
This is one great ball of complexity. Transitions are stunning. The finish is Bozo crazy.
And it smokes slowly! So much drek out there at the same price point as this baby and they don’t come close. Again, I tip my hat to Brown for not getting greedy and slamming the customer base. This quality could have easily hit the $12-$13 range.
The halfway point arrives at 40 minutes in. Can’t remember the last Corona Gorda I’ve smoked that lasted 90 minutes.
Strength is steady at medium/full. Yet, so smooth as to make my tailbone stop hurting.
This is a big fat blend with sharpened elbows to shoo other cigars out of the way to make room for its big entrance to your palate.
If you don’t follow my advice on getting at least a fiver of these cigars…well, I will be deeply disappointed in you. No chocolate halvah for you.
At this point, the big ol’ skull on the cigar band is freaking me out a little. Reminds me of my first wife when I asked for a BJ. Same exact look.
I remove my clothing and stand naked in front of the big picture window. I look like a big Ken doll and catch no one’s attention…sigh. Why is that when you get old, your balls enlarge to the size of volleyballs, but your dick shrinks to the size of a walnut? Really? God playing a cruel joke.
LAST THIRD:
I’ve got a boner this big…
I’m sated for the day.
The cigar hits full strength now. A touch of nicotine but not bad.
The Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte 2019 is incredible. The beginning was impressive. Now, in its sweet spot, it is a remarkable blend. I hope that BLTC brings it back in 2020. I’ve got my fiver on the way now and I shall cherish it like the baby Moses.
If two months of humi time tastes like this, imagine 4-6 months…
Here they are in no particular order: Chocolate, coffee, malt, black pepper, creaminess, mint, baking spices, berries, cedar, earth wind & leather, caramel, brown sugar, and raisins. Yikes.
Meanwhile, these flavors are rotating faster than you can say Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
The richness of the blend reigns supreme.
I am trying to think of another blend I can compare it to…Casdagli/Bespoke (10% off with promo code Katman from SBC). The cigar tastes like a big strutting high premium.
The green chile suddenly puts the pedal to the metal. The black pepper fades.
The Black Label Trading Co. Santa Muerte 2019 is sublime beyond words.
This is my favorite BLTC blend.
Nothing more I can add. A great, great blend.
90 minutes as predicted.
RATING: 95
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Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
