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THE BEST IN FULL-BODIED CIGARS, part II |
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 How can you rate No. 21 higher than No. 25, you @#$%!
Los Angeles, October 18 – When the going gets tough, the tough get smoking!
That’s what we did over the past 10 weeks to finish our tasting of full-bodied and medium-to-full-bodied cigars available in the U.S. But the question arises: how do you rank one cigar above another?
Character and integrity.
As we have written in this space previously, most of the blends we tried fell into the category of peppery or caramelized. The determination of how “full” each cigar was is based on the presence of taste in the mouth. Some are “mouth-fillers” and some are much less present. We tried several brands which were advertised as “full-bodied” but were, in fact, medium-bodied to our senses.
Once classified as a medium-to-full or full-bodied cigar, we looked for a good draw and an even burn and presentation – band, packaging and so on – had some impact. Beyond, the real test came down to taste:
• Did the blend offer a distinct character? Did it make a clear statement: “I am peppery” or “I start harsh, but get mellow” or was it confused, inconsistent or just unfriendly? Did it offer us a reason to be attracted, or to admire it? Or just shoveled its taste toward us on a “like it or lump it” basis. Those which provided a taste which showed brightness, refinement, control and subtlety impressed us; those which were just bitter, timid or unpleasant, did not.
• A further refinement of the character question was the integrity of the blend. Did it try to fool the smoker by starting off one way and then changing in mid-course? Did the blend remain consistent in its burning and taste qualities throughout the smoking experience? Those which created a headline at the start and then backed it up with a consistent taste throughout scored best.
These attributes were combined with the brand’s availability and price and then ranked into a numerical range, later to be classified specifically against each other. And that’s how we did it.
Now for part two, from no. 25 to no. 21:
No. 25: Felipe Gregorio (Nicaragua)
This is a cigar to which the connoisseur will gravitate. Especially in the square-pressed Mystic Knights size, Philip Wynne has produced a blend which pops with pepper, yet is not bitter or explosive, thanks to an undertone of dark caramel. The middle third offers a complex, spicy taste with a sweet undertone, leading to a final third which can be heady. This is a hard cigar to rank because of its multi-layered nature that requires your full attention and is a symbol of how outstanding the full-bodied category is today.
No. 24: Punch Grand Cru (Honduras)
This is the best of the Punch line, refined and not as aggressive as the other Punch lines, which can be pretty powerful. Here, there is a controlled, spicy core of flavors, with a highlight of a buttery, caramelized flavor to go along with a toasty aroma. Excellent after heavy meals, especially in the larger sizes, or for long-term aging.
No. 23: Padron Serie 1926 (Nicaragua)
This is the newest blend from the Padron family and is both hard to find and expensive when you do. It’s a box-pressed beauty, though, which shows remarkable restraint with the consistent snap of pepper, just on the edge of bitterness – but never going over. It rewards the smoker which can appreciate its power in the first third by lightening a little in mid-course. One taster summed this blend up perfectly, “It’s what you imagine a Cuban cigar would be.”
No. 22: Bucanero Salsa (Nicaragua)
This is the best of the emerging Bucanero line. It lives up to its name with a consistent, bright flavor which emphasizes notes of dark fruit with a lighter, caramelized taste. It’s a seductive blend which invites you to take the next puff, without any hint of spice to distract you from the richness at hand. These are darkly-dressed cigars whose oily wrappers foreshadow the depth of the flavor to be enjoyed.
No. 21: Ashton Virgin Sun Grown (Dom. Rep.)
Introduced with great fanfare in 1999, these are outstanding cigars which offer a primary focus on pepper with a soothing undertone of a caramelized sweetness. Even the aroma is balanced, with a spicy and slightly peppery scent that accentuates its lively nature. There is no let-up in taste until the last third, when the flavor becomes even a bit more powerful, but always well-controlled and never overpowering.
Coming tomorrow: Full-bodied rankings from 20 to 16,and updates to our CigarWire street price spreadsheet.
~ Rich Perelman
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