02-06-2007, 07:17 PM
after smoking this fine stick, i felt i should write it up, not just because it's an outstanding smoke now, but the aging potential, i have a hunch, is really something.
at 7.5 X 38, the especial is one of those skinny shapes that requires some real talent to roll. sure enough the draw is only slightly firm and pretty much right on. flawless construction all around, with ruler-straight sides and a perfect three-seam pigtail cap. the size lets you taste the oily, deep brown wrapper much more than the thicker gauges. full bodied, with plenty of power, it starts off with a peppery zing (still young) then goes into light leather, wood, and straight up tobacco flavors for the first half. then things get really interesting...
i sensed at least three major changes through the last half. much more power emerges, with deep earth, leather, and hints of dark bean. amazingly for this thin of a cigar, it never gets hot while approaching the nub. winds up with a wonderfully refreshing cayenne pepper flavor that almost fizzes on the tongue. with all this going on, i'm convinced to go ahead and get a box for aging, which should smooth out some of the early pepper and bring out more of the sweet earth and chocolate notes which for now lay just under the surface.
most panetelas are way too aggressive for me when young, but this one pushes things almost to the limit then yields just right, providing a spectrum of flavor i rarely encounter in any stick. i don't hesitate to give it a solid 93 now, a stellar smoke right out of the box. a year or three of age could turn it into an all-timer.
at 7.5 X 38, the especial is one of those skinny shapes that requires some real talent to roll. sure enough the draw is only slightly firm and pretty much right on. flawless construction all around, with ruler-straight sides and a perfect three-seam pigtail cap. the size lets you taste the oily, deep brown wrapper much more than the thicker gauges. full bodied, with plenty of power, it starts off with a peppery zing (still young) then goes into light leather, wood, and straight up tobacco flavors for the first half. then things get really interesting...
i sensed at least three major changes through the last half. much more power emerges, with deep earth, leather, and hints of dark bean. amazingly for this thin of a cigar, it never gets hot while approaching the nub. winds up with a wonderfully refreshing cayenne pepper flavor that almost fizzes on the tongue. with all this going on, i'm convinced to go ahead and get a box for aging, which should smooth out some of the early pepper and bring out more of the sweet earth and chocolate notes which for now lay just under the surface.
most panetelas are way too aggressive for me when young, but this one pushes things almost to the limit then yields just right, providing a spectrum of flavor i rarely encounter in any stick. i don't hesitate to give it a solid 93 now, a stellar smoke right out of the box. a year or three of age could turn it into an all-timer.
