Wrapper: U.S.A. Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan, U.S.A. Pennsylvania
Size: 5 x 50 Robusto
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $11.00

My cigars received 6 months of naked humidor time.
Released September 2023.
Cigars Released: 900 Boxes of 20 (Three sizes each).

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
PerfecDraw. I got nothing.

Do you have enough skulls on your cigars’ artwork? Never enough. Keep ‘em coming.

There is a nice-looking cigar underneath the advertisements. The cute nipply cap is expertly done. There is a club foot that is covered without much fanfare. All for only $11.00.

Toasted oak…nope. Frosted Venezuelan Poodle Moth…nope. Earth, wind, and leather…nope. Powdered diamond compound…nope. Slithery tobacco…yep. Rastafarian dingleberries…maybe, mon. Pasta diptheric ammonia…nope. Nuts you’ve never heard of…yep. Berries from Halle…nope. Incense and peppermint…uh, what, man? I believe I’ve covered the flavor wheel options.

There were a couple reviews of this cigar. The usual suspects of flavors. Evolving is the best part of being a cigar smoker. At 103 years old, I too am still evolving. I find myself tired of all the same leaves being used in both old and new cigars. Companies put a new name on something and wave the flag harkening suckers like us to the slaughterhouse. We can be fooled when a cigar is only $10. I know. I used the word ‘only.’ We feel the need to grab these cigars because of the twinkly dazzle of a new cigar band we don’t recognize. We must be diligent about what we buy. I know my readers and, as such, declare that there’s hope for us all. We got something to laugh about.

Severe bittersweet chocolate kicks in with both feets. A natural sweetness engages. A tart citrus peel lays on top. Black pepper. Okie doke. This is good.

I love The Beach Boys even more than I did in the 60’s. I have no idea what’s wrong with me. God only knows.

I want to type the word ‘coffee’ but it isn’t there. Highly unusual. The Broadleaf is not my favorite leaf. It feels like a fall-back thing. It rarely engages my palate. But I bought a fiver and therefore feel the need to write about it. I gotta reassess the way I do things. I need to be more deliberate about my choices. It is a total waste of time to review something I’m not crazy about. But I don’t get the full punch from a blend unless it is the first cigar of the day. And I write at least 4 days a week. A vacation might be in order.

I like the balance of Sweet v. Savory. I sip my coffee. Finally…I taste espresso in my cigar. I sip my water. I taste Broadleaf.

Rarely does the Habano leaf make much of an impression. It is one of those 50/50 things. In the right hands, it can be splendiferous. Son of a preacher man.

The good news is that, as the burn travels, the cigar improves with great ease. It is effortless to be spoiled by cigars that begin with a slap in the puss. Some cigars need to grow as we smoke them. It is an adjustment. I’m as much of a schmuck as anyone. I need to get on board with my own advice.

In the 80’s, a good friend’s ex-wife was murdered. She had been shot once while sitting in a car waiting for her new boyfriend to finish his workout at the gym. My friend was doing too much cocaine. Way too much cocaine. His wife left him because of his addiction. After her murder, he always looked wild eyed. He scared everyone. The cops couldn’t put a case together. Moments later, he joined the army at 30 years old. Never heard from him again. Pretty sure he was the evil motherfucker that killed her.

When I started the sport in the late 1970’s, there was no such thing as tandem jumping. Your very first jump was done on your own. I haven’t watched the video of my final 2001 jump in over 10 years. YouTube skydiving accidents always end with the jumper going-poof-into-dust. You want to cure your fear of heights? Dangle your legs out of a small plane’s open doorway at 13,000 feet. I highly recommend the sport. Just don’t go poof.

It took 30 minutes to smoke one inch. I better step it up.

Gonzo.

The cigar gets better and better. I love its slow roll. So much left to ponder. I’ve got to use my imagination…not a bad situation.

Black cherry. The tart sweetness enhances. The chocolate begins to morph into creamy nougat. Mutual consent.

A lovely richness begins at two inches burned. 45 minutes. I prefer it if it smacks me in the gob immediately, but we don’t always get what we want.

And the cigar takes off. Nice.

Owner James Brown (The other one) has a wildly inconsistent record with his blends. I’ve reviewed dozens of his blends. Some were great. Others not so much. He and Angela did good with this surprise hit. A sneaky wonkified mélange.

The range of flavors is concise. Not even close to being a flavor bomb. It wins because it becomes complex with a wide gamut of nuances.

Know which ones scared me the most? Not the assholes sitting in their cars taking photos with an actual camera. It was the assholes sitting in their cars just staring at the synagogue…with my perceived brain flashes that they might have a triggering device in their hand…explosives in the trunk. But as I was a good armed guard, I approached them all. I was stupid. I was only 69.

Sly Stone had a 1-1/2” pinky fingernail just to scoop blow. I refused to use a rolled-up bill…that was just disgusting. I carried my own straw. How I never went to prison is a mystery.

Past the halfway mark and this has been a near magical experience. Not a cigar to be smoked in a herf. You’ll miss out as this is a very subtle blend.

The sweet spot. In spades. A rainbow.

Charlotte. Slip, slidin’ away.

Strength has been medium/full this entire time. But not a hint of nicotine…just restrained power.

Every BLTC blend needs lots of humi time. Smoking it a month or two in is a huge mistake. Let them sleep.

Great cigar. My palate is going Bozo crazy. I may need to buy more. I nub the little fucker. Good vibrations.

You can purchase this cigar, and other BLTC blends, from sponsors Small Batch Cigar (19% off with promo code ‘katman’), Luxury Cigar Club (15% off with promo code ‘katman’), Renegade Cigars (10% off with promo code ‘katman’), and Cigar Page.

RATING: 95

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

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