Wrapper: Habano 2000 Rosada
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Binder: Nicaraguan
Size: 5.125 x 43 Corona
Strength: Medium
Price: $11.00
My sticks received only one month of naked humidor time.
BACKGROUND:
Factory: Tabacalera La iSLA
From Gellis Family Cigars:
“The first release of Gellis Family Cigars, the ‘G’ Series Marevas. Each cigar comes with a signature cap and rustic closed foot reminiscent of the farm roll cigars Kyle had come to enjoy blending and smoking when he spent time on the farms of Pinar del Rio in Cuba over the years.
“Aged for 1 year after rolling in Spanish Cedar before boxing.”
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
The wrapper floats aromas of floral notes, toasted marshmallow, caramel, milk chocolate, vanilla ice cream, spicy peppers, and cedar.
The draw is wide open. My PerfecDraw is allowed to remain in stasis.
It is no secret that I am a fool for Warped Cigars. Kyle Gellis hits my G spot with almost every blend that man produces. We all have certain brands that tickle our fancy. It is the way of the cigar world.
Complexity jumps in with both feet from the get-go.
Spicy black pepper opens my sinuses. Creaminess follows with added notes of dark chocolate, caramel, buttered popcorn, and juicy dried dates.
Construction is top shelf. The burn line is spot on. The heat pulls the cigar together and the burn is slow.
A fruitiness akin to apricot and dried apple is hovering in the background. That toasted marshmallow is hard to ignore. Brings back a rush of younger days sitting near a campfire having fun with good friends.
Rich aged tobacco flavor begins. Transitions are waiting for their cue but sit silent. The finish is the game. It’s where the flavor congregates. I take infrequent puffs to allow those flavors to expand and then slowly peter out.
I’m keeping my eye on the ash. It is sturdy and stubborn. A sharp char line. It disengages at 1”. 16 minutes.
Strength is a solid medium.
The cigar is one of those rare breeds that gives the smoker the freedom to tread lightly and not hurry its demise. So far, a great go to stick. I could smoke one every day. A well-rounded blend that teases my amygdala oblongata delirium for what comes next. Nothing linear to look at here.
Cigars that force the smoker to relax are rare.
In my years in the music business, I met countless addicts. Before I knew the words ‘addictive personality,’ I recognized that these people all had the same demons; none of which I possessed. I never had the urge to go further than the often-used Hippie drugs. Working with addicts was sheer agony. Yet, in every instance, these junkies had a gift for imaginative creation of unique music. A terrible dichotomy. I don’t miss it.
2” burned. 28 minutes.
Strength remains at medium.
The rush of flavors intensifies nicely. Gellis has a passionate flair in his presentation of new blends.
Citrus climbs aboard. Additional flavors consist of nuanced notes of buttery Ritz crackers, cheesy potatoes, and root beer. Savory v. Sweet is perfectly balanced.
The spiciness hangs back appropriately so as not to interfere with the dynamics of the flavor profile. Just the right oomph.
The construction is immaculate as the char line continues to be a work of art. The layers of ash are easily seen. There is a continuity of it lasting 1” before it departs the mother ship.
A whisp of S’mores lay in the background.
I stopped watching Pawn Stars. I did some digging, and the star of the show is a sleazy entrepreneur. Spoiled the show for me knowing that the man ain’t legit.
I take a sip of water and there is a tsunami of rushing flavors that slam into my palate, and I just must put a silly grin on my puss.
Delicious coronas are often frustrating. This baby is going to last an hour. Yet it seems to fly by. Still, I trust the blender that he knew best in deciding what size to present to the smoking public for their heightened enjoyment.
Listening to blues harpist extraordinaire Charlie Musselwhite. The cool thing about spending the last 30 years playing bass in contemporary blues bands is the line of harmonica players that one meets. In the right hands, a beautiful instrument that can either make or break a good band. It can sound like a freight train or a Hammond B3 organ. The James Harman Band would rehearse at my studio 2-3 times per month. I always made sure that I was absent from my producing duties when they were on the calendar so I could hang and listen. Harman always assembled the finest side men.
The blend remains at medium with a hint that it is going to soon venture into medium/full territory.
Such a nicely balanced cigar. Yes.
I truly hope that Kyle Gellis re-releases this blend. I look forward to seeing what his new venture of Gellis Family Cigars produces. Methinks it will be the boutique of boutique brands. If you see his cigars for sale, jump like a bull frog and snag some…snooze, you lose.
Intensity of flavor notes persist while, at the same time, the richness of the cigar is equally impactful. A beautiful blend.
This $11 stick rightfully makes so many more expensive cigars blush and feel ashamed of themselves. Don’t you just get sick and tired of hyped P.R. that promises the world and delivers disappointment. I’m sure that Mr. Gellis wanted to make a splash with his first outing under the new brand name and he succeeded brilliantly.
Final smoke time is 70 minutes. Pretty damn good for a Corona sized stick.
RATING: 96
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Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
