Ave Maria Reconquista

Wrapper: Brazilian Habano Oscuro 

Filler: Nicaraguan 

Size:  Reconquista Torpedo 

Length: 7
Ring Gauge: 54 

Price: $5.83 Retail: $20.00  

Beverage: Diet Pepsi 

Smoking time: 1Hour 45 Min. 

Humidor time: 10 days 
Purchased: Cigars.com Heavy Hitters Double Stack sampler

Construction: Ever since this sampler arrived I have been going nuts to smoke this cigar. As I opened the individual cedar box and removed this stick from the cellophane the excitement built at steady pace, I think my heart was actually racing a bit. Once it was open and unwrapped only one word came to mind "perfection". The dark oily wrapper had only two super fine veins, there were no hard or soft spots to be found.

Pre-light: I have been reading about this cigar for quite some time and wondered if it could really live up to all the hype. Putting this cigar to my nose I soon found it all to be true. The cold aroma was chocolate with a hint of earth, spice and oak. The aroma from the foot had nearly the same flavor profile, but it also had a bit of sweet fruit like note added  in. Tasting the end cap was another plus for this stick, it too tasted like spicy chocolate.

First third: To remain pure while lighting this cigar I used two wooden matched, one to toast the foot and one to light it. From the first puff there was only one word to describe the flavor pouring from the end of this stick "delicious". The flavor mix was heavy to creamy chocolate along with hints of spice, leather and oak, even the smoke had notes of chocolate mixed with woody tobacco. This was simply the best tasting cigar I had ever smoked and I found it to be about mild/medium in body so far. I truly felt I was experiencing perfection.

Middle: As the burn neared the second third things began to go awry. The burn rather quickly started running down one side and the wrapper split and began peeling away. The burn eventually became so bad that I had to correct it but even that was short lived. On the plus side, the flavor profile hadn't really changed and this stick just flat out tasted fantastic.

End: The burn problems continued to plague this cigar and I ended up correcting it two more times but the wrapper problem did not get worse and I was able to smoke through it with no ill effects other than some mess from the ash. The flavor finished strong with the strength building to a solid medium body smoke and the flavor developed into the creamy scalded mocha that I enjoy so much.

Overall: Like I said in the beginning, this stick was delicious, there is no other word or words to describe the flavors. However, this stick was a pain to smoke because of the burn and wrapper  problems. I have one more and am curious to see how it performs. I am extremely happy though because I found all the hype about the flavor to be true, it was the best tasting smoke I have ever had! Due to the burn problems I am putting this cigar into the number three spot on the cheers list. If you ever try one of this I hope you get the same enjoyment from it I did.