Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Dominican Ligero
Filler: Dominican Ligero
Size: 6 x 52 Toro
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $15.00

My cigars received 5 months of naked humidor time.
A new cigar company owned by Elizabeth Santos.
Made by Abe Flores at the PDR factory.

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
I don’t know squat about this cigar or its people. But LCC sells it so I know for a fact that Ben wouldn’t sell shady. Still, when I visited Noble Cigar’s website, my internet security software declared it as a Dangerous Web Page!! End of research.

I’m going in blind. If this review sees daylight it is only because this is a good cigar. And for a fledgling cigar company to start off selling their wares at the unholy price of $15, they better know what they’re doing. I just ruined the ending.

So, I’m zooming with Dr. Rod and he shows me a tattoo he got while fighting in the Pacific in WWII. Apparently, he was a prisoner of war on the wrong side. Seek out PerfecDraw if you need to unplug your cigars…and stop throwing away bad apples for chrissakes. You might want to wish Dr. Kurthy a happy 102nd birthday.

The start is heavy with baking spices, red pepper and red licorice. A few puffs in and the effect is slathered with a lovely, sophisticated approach of topical richness and multi-nuanced surprise. My fingers are crossed that this exceptional beginning leads to a cape and big red S.

Who doesn’t love that first cigar of the day? A clean palate. A fresh look on life. Nothing beats it.

Raspberries and strawberry fields. No shit. I taste sweet ripe berries.

A slow roll from a perfectly constructed cigar. The burn falls in line. Lip service is spot on.

Could this cigar be worth $15? Scroll, my babies…scroll.

Sip of coffee.

A huff on the cigar. Coffee. I taste coffee. How do they do that?

I would think that a real botanist/cigar sommelier could rev up a huge audience if he/she chose to review cigars. The possibilities. The money is great. The yelling of the spouse. The obsessive behaviour. They should be lined up for this gig.

Strength is just shy of medium/full at an inch burned. Caramel falls into step along with a milky creaminess, white chocolate, and jalapeno pepper in the nether world of the deep throat region.

I know via fax that this cigar will develop nicely with 6-12 months of humi time. It has that time of the season that says let me sleep. I’m guessing smoking it sooner would have been a mistake.

A savory program begins. Mule skin and ferret rumaki. Chicharrónes slaps those two aside. Nice. The hot sauce taste in the back of my throat gives way to that fried pork skin flavor. It could use some salt.

If I had to write normal, I’d be fucked.

The great sci-fi writers from the first half of the 20th century were hopeful. They saw society getting along and flourishing. They were off a bit. I’ve been on this planet for three quarters of a century, and I don’t see us moving towards a We Are the World methodology any time soon. A shame. It is no wonder that aliens want nothing to do with us.

Notice that some cigars smoke too quickly. This one doesn’t. Leisurely like Trudi fucking Sting. Or so the press release said. I met the guy a couple times. He seemed normal. He was nice to me. We did drugs together. We engaged in normal conversation about music and life. Who knew that he would turn into a wildly arrogant prick…or so the press release said.

Richard Bong (WWII flying ace) Recreation Park in Wisconsin. I’ve been there…roach clips are unnecessary.

A tutti frutti taste again. The berries come and go with a plum. I saw, in person, that Sly Stone grew out his pinky fingernail really long to scoop up more than his share of coke while recording. Couldn’t believe he didn’t stroke out. Take me higher.

Good cigar. Worth $15? Maybe. The possibilities are out there.

Savory v. Sweet kicks in as a perfect 50/50 balance. The expensive cigars I’ve reviewed in the last 6 months tilted to one side or the other. You don’t really notice this until you get that ace in the hole blend that nails it. Like this one.

I thought a flavor wheel was in the offing but turns out this leaf combo steers it towards sophistication instead. Big flagrant flavor notes submit to a higher purpose…or so it seems. Long way to go. (Scroll).

Carol Kaye would gently smack my hand if my pick stroke went down instead of up. Or up instead of down. Drove me batshit crazy. But that was her method and there was no room for decomposition. Supposedly it made the riffs sound better. How do you argue with an icon?

Sip of coffee.

Ever wonder what kind of music Tom Petty would be playing if he hadn’t fucked up? It’s so easy to fall into playing Greatest Hits tours. You have a prolific period and then it usually comes to an end. It must frustrate the shit out of super achievers. Aren’t you glad you’re only a well-adjusted achiever? The grist of brilliance…no thanks.

The halfway point. Over an hour.

Strength is supposed to be medium/full. It might be. A slow-moving shark approach.

And we have the oft jealous sweet spot. Here it is. Nice. An easy-going two-hour plus cigar. Flavors that transition. Nuances and subtleties are there for discovery if you desire the experience. If not, a solid blend for herfing without complications.

I expected the worst. I never thought this review would see the light of day. I didn’t want to hurt Ben with a stinky review. Sure. Reviewers are kind. And sometimes not so much. Dealer’s choice.

Strength surges to full tilt without notification. Yikes. I like it. Swooning before breakfast.

Berries and cream. White chocolate parfait. Taco Saturday. Peppery advance. Sehr gut.

The second half brings it home.

Worth $15? Yeah. It is.

Noble Cigars has a second offering called Act One. I’d like to try it.

You can buy these cigars from sponsor Luxury Cigar Club. 15% off with promo code ‘katman’.

RATING: 96

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: act two, cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, katman, noble cigars, Noble Cigars Act Two Toro | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, phil kohn