avantgrade purchased this cigar on 2010-02-02.
It has 3 months of additional aging.
The cigar lit up with relative ease, even using a smaller flame of a BIC-style lighter. Once it was up and running, I immediately started noticing a prominent presence of cocoa. Spice was definitely delivering a modest punch, but there was also a cinnamon-like nuance lingering in and out.
Puff after puff, this cigar is very productive in making clean, white smoke. And it delivers, too. I immediately feel that this is a medium, if not a medium-full bodied cigar. This extra gusto really helps to bring out the gentler flavors from the blend, including those of cocoa and cinnamon. The spice is undeniable, and begins to pick up the further I go into the stick.
The ash is holding strong, gray and off-white in appearance. I cannot find one thing wrong with the draw, as it is offering just a slight amount of resistance. However, there were instances when it started to canoe a bit, and required a good touch-up to get it back in line.
I really feel leather coming through, creating a very chewy and pleasant flavor on the palate. The body is definitely medium-full, and with flavors rising to match it.
To finish off, the smoke got a little hot for my taste, but the strong "Pepin" spice kept me interested, nonetheless. As held for at least one inch before needing a slight tap to go, and smoke was abundant. It finished right, with all of the dominant cinnamon, cocoa, leather and spice that built throughout the burn.