Wrapper: U.S. Connecticut Shade
Binder: Nicaraguan Jalapa
Filler: Nicaraguan Estelí and Jalapa
Size: 5.5 x 48 Robusto
Strength: Medium
Price: $13.00
My cigars received 3 months of naked humidor time.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
The cap has a cute nipple. I remove it. The draw resistance is fire (Stupid colloquialism). My PerfecDraw has insecurity issues. It says it is OK and refuses help. Metal objects are no Jack Kennedy.
Light and airy like Dr. Rod. Nice start. I reviewed the Pegnataro’s brother, the Pasquale, six weeks ago. Didn’t care for it.
This example of blending hits it out of the park in the first puffs. Rich, complex, and flavorful. The bottom line is that this is all we smokers want. Do we care about a litany of expected or exotic flavors…not so much. We want our time with a cigar to be a memorable experience. That’s it.
Flavors: Creamy vanilla, black pepper, lemongrass, a perfect ratio of malt, cinnamon, pound cake, and a hint of raspberries. Nice.
But it is the richness that gets me. ‘Give me excess of it that surfeiting the appetite may sicken, and so die.’ ~ Willy S.
Damn. Great cigar at less than an inch sacrificed to the fire gods. But can it suffice throughout the adventure. We hope so.
Most reviewers use the upper 80’s as praise. I use those numbers as a spanking.
A very lovely medium strength that poses no threat to my equilibrium. This is a great first cigar of the day. The Foundation Pasquale had all the requisites to please my palate: Maduro with Nic guts. Yet it did not sway me. Not a bad cigar, just OK. On the other hand, this Connie is splendiferous. The door is open at this early juncture to hope for possibilities. Not an inch of funny bone as the comeliness of this blend surgically removes any desire for me to repeat ‘fuck’ over and over.
I screwed up (notice I did not use the word fuck) and smoked a couple too soon. It seems that the 3-month mark is fire (See. I used it again).
If I were to guess the ingredients of this cigar, I’d be dead wrong as I am most likely to be the majority of the time. Light is the word of the day. Yet the depth of its complexity is thrilling to my waning and rotting palate.
The char line on this box press is as sharp as (fill in the blank).
Even Mellilo concedes, in a quote, that this blend is more complex than its brother the Pasquale. It is also stated that 500 boxes will be released every 3 months. Does this make the cigar a regular production beast…dunno.
We are a strange breed of people. We sit at the altar of sacrificial curated leaves that must be burned alive to achieve sainthood. We few, we happy few, we band of idiots.
What disease do we cigar smokers possess. We are never satisfied with our supply of burnable sticks. We must reach for the unattainable as well as the attainable. We are sick bastards. I am resisting the urge to spend more of my rabies vaccination dough and buy a bunch of Pegnataros. We are so vulnerable while we smoke a good cigar. Losing our minds does not begin to describe the mystical encounter.
A great blend just sucks the life out of my funny bone.
The burn takes its ever-lovin’ time. Like a good cigar is prone to do.
The flavor profile doesn’t change in its quantity. Not a flavor bomb. Rich and complex. I wish I was a wordsmith to better describe the indescribable.
I found not a single review of this cigar which I can steal from. I’m on my own.
In ’99, my blues band played New Year’s Eve at the Greyhound Park in Phoenix. Never seen so many committed drunks in one place in my life. We ended up adopting a retired greyhound. Great dogs. Terribly mistreated by handlers. We moved to the SF Bay area and apparently, no one had ever seen the breed before…countless idiots pointed and said, ‘Look. A deer.’ I bought Kevlar for the dog just in case.
First sip of water. Didn’t really need one. But I’m scratchy. Itchy too.
Nick Mellilo says that the Pasquale and Pegnataro are odes to the names of his grandfathers. He scored with the Pegnataro. Nick also says that the blends are unique. The Pegnataro certainly is just that. Lovely cigar. Worth every nickel of the $13 price tag. I’d love a 12 count box.
Flavors at the halfway point: Milk chocolate, creaminess galore, vanilla, lemon custard, tupelo honey, absolutely perfect black pepper, shortbread, pancakes, kosher chopped marmot liver, nutty, earthy, and not leathery at all.
Strength remains at medium. Nice.
Also in ’99, my blues band was getting ready to start playing when a drunk asked if we could play ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ I reacted with a smiling double take. My reaction enraged the guy who then climbed the stage and tried to knock me out.
Man, before this review, I was striking out with two meh cigar reviews. I’d much rather inform you of a snaggable cigar than go on ad nauseum of a breach of the peace blend.
‘The waitress is practicing politics as the businessmen slowly get stoned.’
Pull the trigger. Pull the trigger. Oh, the pain…
Don’t you love a cigar that begins with a slap in the face and never lets up. Question mark.
With less than 2” to go, strength hits medium/full. This will be a solid 90 minute smoke.
While working at a local B&M, I chose to conceal carry. Dangerous times. A constant customer outed me to the owner. Fuckwad. The owner didn’t care. This is Wisconsin.
The person that invents a cigar stretcher will become a billionaire. Dr. Rod…are you listening?
As smooth as Lance Armstrong denying he juiced himself while competing. As balanced as Louie Armstrong playing a high C on his trumpet. And as crazy as George Armstrong Custer saying ‘No problem. We can handle this.’
A charming, silver tongued, and silky blend. Nubbable.
You can buy all the Foundation blends from sponsors Small Batch Cigar (10% off with promo code ‘katman’), Luxury Cigar Club (15% off with promo code ‘katman’), and Cigar Page. Get the Pegnataro first.
RATING: 96
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