avantgrade purchased this cigar on 2010-03-15.
It has about 5 months of additional aging.
I really have been looking forward to enjoying this cigar, ever since I received it as a gift. It rested in my humi for about 5 months, and I lit it up last night. This is not just a cigar, it is a cross between a stogie and dessert.
The shaggy foot lit up with amazing ease, and as the burn line of the filler approached the wrapper/binder, the rest of it caught up with ease. The initial burn allowed for tasting of just the filler, which is a nice touch to add to the complexity of the cigar. The Criollo filler imparts a woody sweetness to the cigar, and it also packs a slight, heady punch.
As the wrapper and binder catch the flame, the aroma becomes distinctly that off fresh roasted coffee. When you walk into a Starbucks and smell their fresh roasts, well, that is exactly what you will be smelling when you burn the Tabak Especial. As the notes of sweet tobacco enter the mix, the aroma is truly something special.
On my palate, I sense dark roast coffee, with a definite sweetness coming through from the maduro wrapper. Also, the maduro wrapper is adding a good amount of creaminess to the mix, which makes this smoke reminiscent of a cup of coffee even more.
The body started out as mild-medium, but has now settled on medium. The cigar is burning nice and slow, producing a feathery gray-white ash. It holds strong for almost 2 inches before I decide to knock it down. I would have to attribute that to the tight roll of this stick (when I initially checked for plugs, the cigar was packed tight from head to toe).
The smoke is exceptionally cool, bringing forth further notes of roasted coffee, evolving into an espresso-like finish on the palate. Woody flavors intensify slightly along with the creaminess. Nutmeg and cinnamon notes become more defined as well, but they are balanced well with the rest of the cigar.
I only ashed the cigar 2 times before the final ash made it's way to the nub. That, in my book, is impressive. However, I did have to relight the cigar after the second 1/3 was over (right after I ashed the cigar; I did try to give it a few harder puffs to maintain the burn, but to no avail).
For the final 1/3, the cigar burned a little warmer, but nothing unpleasant. Wood notes of cedar were complemented by a touch of hazelnut, which just found its way into the flavor profile of the cigar. The creaminess is just outstanding, everything I would look for in a maduro and more. From start to finish, it was if the rich clouds of clean, white smoke were really swirls on a cup of latte.
Burn issues towards the end aside, I would highly recommend this Drew Estate.