Wrapper: Ecuadorian Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 52 Toro
Strength: Full
Price: $12.00
My cigars have had 2 months of naked humidor time.
BACKGROUND:
From Valacari Cigars:
“An initial production of 2000 cigars. The Axios is an experimental blend created for customers who enjoy bold and full-bodied cigars.”
That’s all folks. No other information was available.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
Clearly, the leaf stats don’t reveal all. The short two sentence description by Valacari says it is an experimental blend. Based upon what I see, there is nothing experimental about it. I’m sure the devil is in the details. I reached out to the Valacari team, but I have yet to hear back.
I like the weight of the cigar. Construction seems to have been taken seriously producing a plump fatty.
The cigar is completely plugged. My PerfecDraw comes to my aid in a huff. I tell it to take its time, so it comes to me in a minute and a huff. (Sorry…old Groucho joke).
Tasty start. Chocolaty, creamy, salted caramel, malt, black pepper, and what tastes like aged tobacco to me. Maybe this is the experimental part that is a deep dark secret. Have I cracked the code?
Fingers crossed. The cigar begins the beguine by showing signs of complexity and richness.
The char line is sight to behold.
Savory points are almonds, smoky cedar, and spicy black pepper.
Strength is medium.
The balance finds itself early.
I’ve reviewed a lot of $15 cigars this year. Premium cigars have found the $12 spot as a sort of benchmark for mildly expensive purchases in the last 3-4 years. The quantum leap to $15 becoming the norm will happen in 2024. Everything will be upped. The cigar industry is wily.
The blend is anything but linear. Transitions consist of a nice savory v. sweet, fixed flavor profile. The finish is where the gold lays. Involuntary tongue movements seek out the focus of taste acquisition in my mouth. This is the epicenter of richness my brain acknowledges.
The ash is stubborn. My testicles withdraw.
The Axios is a nice cigar. It is not a revelatory blend because the leaf stats don’t scream innovation…but the apparent aging brings a sophisticated contour to the table. Is it worth $12? It certainly is, Ollie.
Listening to Jack Bruce & Robin Trower from long ago. Bruce helped fashion my bass guitar improv skills in the 60’s. But in this new world of lead bass guitar style, Bruce sounds dated. I had the opportunity to speak with one of drummer Ginger Baker’s daughters around 2020. I told her a story about sharing dates at Island Studio (London) with his band in the mid 70’s. I asked how he was. She told me he died the year before. Boy, did I feel the asshole.
2” burned. 30 minutes. Alrighty, then…Plumpy with fattitude.
Strength is medium/full.
Flavors: Chocolate, espresso, almonds, malt, creaminess, black pepper, and salted caramel.
So, not a broad-based flavor profile but I concede that this blend has been done with proper execution to satisfy a snobby palate. I consider this a great go to cigar. It falls into the scheme of being a boutique cigar, and hence, more expensive than it might be by a larger manufacturer. Sometimes we just reconcile that for a treat, we must pay a little extra. It’s OK with me. I don’t mind spending a couple extra bucks if the cigar is worth it.
Reese Wynans is in my ears. A keyboardist who played with SRV. He plays regularly with some excellent blues bands. Joe Bonamassa depends on him. I saw the Bonamassa band in a cool venue in downtown Milwaukee before the pandemic. Wynans was in Miami playing with a bigger name. Joe told the crowd this at the start of the concert and seemed miffed he didn’t have the man at his side. His performance was dull. Charlotte and I were very disappointed. Ticket prices have just gone through the roof over the last 10 years. Peter Gabriel is coming here in a few weeks. The average ticket is $650. Floor seats are over $1000. The nosebleeds are $150. Ridiculous.
Strength hits full tilt at the halfway point.
The first major sweet spot occurs, and the blend takes off.
I am duly impressed with the construction. The char line has been hassle free.
Bittersweet chocolate, creamy custard, and proper oomph from black pepper are the big show. Aged tobacco is a generous back stop.
The blend makes an incredible surge that I didn’t expect. Complexity rams it home to my sleepy brain. One giant leap for Mandy Patinkin.
Flavors don’t change. Nothing added. But the subtleties and nuances rip my palate a new ass. Strength runs past full tilt and becomes fiercely muscular.
I drop the cigar and all I can do is stare at it. Signals are sent from my brain to my body, and I retrieve the cigar. The second half of this cigar is like finding two prizes in a Cracker Jack box.
Good thing that the blend did not start with a behemoth strength. I never would have survived 6”. The journey that Valacari designed is now dawning on me. This is probably why they didn’t get back to me about the request for additional information. That, or because I’m the katman and no one in the cigar industry speaks to me. It must be a rule.
Time out. This is going to be a two-hour cigar and I don’t want my review to follow suit.
1-1/2” to go. 100 minutes.
For twelve bucks, this turned out to be a good choice to have snagged a fiver. Makes up for some of the lousy choices I’ve made.
The incredible presentation makes the challenge of staying upright worth it. A delicious cigar that constantly moves and shakes. Nothing like any cigar I’ve smoked with these overused leaf stats.
You can purchase these cigars from sponsor Small Batch Cigar. 10% off with promo code ‘katman’.
RATING: 94
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Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
