Italian cigars blind tasting: 2019

Tasting notes

The cold draw reveals notes of earth, leather, and dry fruit.

The start is quite salty, softened by a delicate fresh nuance. The aromatic palette expresses notes of earth, dry fruit, mineral, and wood. Strength is average. (3/5)

Deeper into the cigar, the dominant taste is saltiness, paired with a slightly bitter component towards the end. One can appreciate aromas of roasted coffee, bitter almond, earth, and minerals. Strength slightly increases (4/5)

Tasting Notes

The cold draw reveals notes of earth, dry fruit, and coffee.

Once lit, the palatal perception delineates a cigar high in saltiness and light bitterness. We detected aromas of walnut, earth, coffee. Strength is average (3/5).

These flavors do not change during the smoke. Earth and walnut dominate the aromatic profile, dry fruit increases, and leather appears on the scene. Strength increase (4/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates vigorous notes of wood and nuances of almond and natural rubber.

Once lit, the cigar is moderately salty with a slightly fresh component. One can detect notes of wood, walnut, and more delicate nuances of anisette and cacao. Strength is average (3/5).

Deeper into the cigar, it loses the fresh nuances to develop a sweet taste, which perfectly balance saltiness. Beside the initial wood and walnut, one can now detect dry fruit (almond above all) and roasted coffee. Strength increases (4/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates notes of wood, ripe fruit, and nuances of humus and carob. At first, a sweet taste dominates the smoke, paired with a slight saltiness. It expresses spicy and woody flavors, and that note of carob detected in the cold draw. Strength is medium-low (2/5).

Deeper into the cigar, the initial flavor profile gets turned upside down: saltiness dominates now, and sweetness rounds it off. Aromatically, wood is still very present, while notes of walnut, earth, and sometime ripe fruit as well. Strength increases to average (3/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw neatly delineates notes of leather and earth, but also wood and walnut.

The first puffs bring to the palate salty and lightly bitter tastes, along with a tactile sensation of spiciness that disappears after few minutes. It’s a spiced cigar (often black pepper distinctly marks the smoke) with notes of leather and hazelnut. Strength is average (3/5).

Deeper into the cigar, the salty component attenuates, the bitter one disappears, and a lightly fresh one becomes more present. Aromatically, the cigar moves toward notes of dry fruits, wood, and walnut. Strength increases (4/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates pronounced notes of humus and leather, enriched that nuances of wood and dry fruits.

The first puffs are salty with a light fresh component. The nose detects spicy flavors, earth, leather, and a nuance of coffee. Strength is average light (2/5).

Deeper into the cigar, the most characterizing taste is saltiness, while among the most expressive flavors we find leather, spices, and almond, enriched by that unchanged nuance of coffee. Strength becomes average (3/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates notes of wood, leather, and a light spicy nuance.

Once lit, the first puffs are definitely salty. It expresses pronounced aromas of humus and leather, as well as a less vigorous but still distinguishable nuance of dry fruit. Strength is above average (4/5).

Deeper into the cigar, it requires some corrections to the burning zone. Saltiness increases and it develops a slightly bitter taste. Aromatically, a note of bark emerges to pair with the dried fruit (walnut especially), and a mineral undertone fills the background. Strength reaches maximum level (5/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates extremely pronounced smells of earth and, also, more delicate nuances of dry fruit and wood.

Once lit, the taste is harmonically balanced between saltiness and bitterness. Aromatically, one can detect notes of dry fruit and spices, and a light earthiness. Strength is above average (4/5).

Deeper into the cigar, the tastes do not change. While the spices remain aromatically dominant, they are joined by notes of old wood and carob. Strength increases to maximum level (5/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw offers dominant notes of earth, wood, and dry fruit.

Once lit, the cigar is delicately salty. It expresses aromas of wood, dry fruit, and humus. Strength is medium-low (2/5).

Deeper into the cigar, it gets saltier, while mineral and leathery aromas enrich the initial earthy component. Strength increases slightly (3/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates tones of leather, earth, and light nuances of almond.

Once lit, it reveals a salty taste with a slightly sweet tip. It develops aromas of wood, peper, and leather, with nuances of dry fruit. Strength is average-low (2/5).

Deeper into the cigar, the salty palatal perception does not change, but a bitter component takes the place of the previous sweet one. Aromatically, wood and dry fruit are still very much present (almond and hazelnut, in particular), while a fugacious nuance of cacao appears in the background. Strength slightly increases to average (3/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates intense notes of humus and softer notes of wood.

The first puffs are salty, enriched by a light fresh component. It develops pronounced aromas of wood, some spices (often anisette) and less evident nuances of leather and dry fruit. Strength is average (3/5).

Deeper into the cigar, acidity gets sustained by a contained bitterness that pairs with the unchanged saltiness. Aromatically, though still present, the woody notes lose some of their vigor, dry fruit and spices maintain their character (now with a bit more of pepper), and a neat note of bitter almond appears on the palate. Strength increases (4/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates notes of wood, leather, and also nuances of earth and spices.

The first puffs are salty and delicately bitter. It develops aromas of wood and dry fruit, and a spicy hint. Strength is medium-low (2/5).

Deeper into the cigar, saltiness increases and becomes dominant. Aromatically, the woody note remains the main one, joined by a nuance that reminds leather; the light spiciness does not evolve. Strength increase to average (3/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw offers woody and peppery notes.

The first puffs are immediately salty with a bitter nuance. Aromas reminds of spices, wood, and earth. Strength is average (3/5).

Alla partenza, la sapidità sin da subito è pronunciata, con una sfumatura leggermente amara. Gli aromi ricordano le spezie, il legno e anche la terra. La forza è media.

Deeper into the cigar, it loses the initial bitternes and gets a neat fresh component. The aromatic profile becomes more roasted, with notes of hazelnut, coffee, and wood. Strength increases (4/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates notes of humus and leather.

Once lit, the cigar is sweet and expresses aromas of wood and dry fruit. Strength is light (1/5).

In the central third, the sweet taste gets enriched by a delicate saltiness. Aromas turns to more mineral and earthy notes that joins the initial wood. Strength increases slightly (2/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates immediate notes of earth and dry fruit, as well as a nuance of roasted coffee.

The firs puffs are salty with a light spicy component that disappears after a while. It expresses aromas of dry fruit and spices, enriched by a light note of cacao. Strength is average (3/5).

Deeper into the cigar, the salty taste is joined by a light bitter component. The intense aromas of dry fruit pairs with notes of earth and a light minerality. Strength increases (4/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates expressive notes of earth, leather, pepper, and a walnut nuance.

Once lit, the smoke is dominated by salty and bitter tastes of the similar intensity. It develops aromas of earth and leather, with nuances of pepper and wood. Strength is average (3/5).

Deeper into the cigar, the tastes are the same, except for a light acidic component that appears after the first half. Beside the earth, one can detect other aromas like wood and a more substantial dry fruit. Strength increases (4/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates intense notes of wood and natural rubber, as well as some nuanced spiciness.

After the first puffs, the taste develops a moderate sweet structure and a less pronounced saltiness. Aromatically, spices dominate the scene, with wood and dry fruit in the background. Strength is average (3/5).

In the central part, salt takes over and becomes the only characterizing taste. Aromas develop in terms of wood and spices (but less pronounced) and a pinch of leather. Strength stay average.

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates intense notes of bark, walnut, and leather.

The first puffs are marked by a light saltiness and a nuanced bitterness. Aromas recall the same wood, walnut, and leather smelled before lighting the cigar. Strength is average (3/5).

Deeper into the cigar, the bitter component gets more intense than the saly one. Wood and dry fruit are joined by a peppery nuance. Strength increases (4/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw expresses pronounced notes of earth and leather, along with a light herbal nuance of hay.

The first puffs are averagely salty. Aromatically, there quite intense notes of earth and spices, and a light vegetal component. Strength is medium-low (2/5).

Moving forward, saltiness does not change, while a timid bitter component appears. The aromas of earth and spices maintain their presence and gets joined by a nuance of roasted coffee. Strength increases to average (3/5).

Tasting Notes

The unlit cigar expresses pronounced notes of earth and wood with a light nuance of leather.

Once lit, the taste is salty, mitigated by a mild sweet component. It develops aromas of wood, dry fruit (walnut is particularly neat) and mineral notes. Strength is average (3/5).

Deeper into the cigar, saltiness increases, and a bitter note appears. Aromatically, the note of wood evolves in a distinct scent of bark, leather does not chance, while some spices appear in the background. Strength increases (4/5).

Tasting Notes

The unlit cigar offers faint smells of wood, earth, and leather.

The first puffs are tenuously salty and bitter. Aromas are dominated by notes of earth, leather and stable, and a less intense nuance of walnut. Strength is medium-low (2/5).

Moving forward, bitterness becomes more pronounced than saltiness. Aromatically, a feeble herbal note appears on the landscape of earth and leather. Strength does not progress.

Tasting Notes

The cold draw expresses a smell of leather with some light mineral notes.

After the first puffs, the cigar delineates a salty taste of average intensity. Its aromas moves on herbal and humus tones. Strength is medium-low (2/5).

Moving forward, the cigar does not substantially evolve. The salty taste is unchanged, while aromas gain a not of dry fruit. Strength is also stable.

Tasting Notes

The cold draw offers only faint notes of leather, earth, and hay.

The first puffs are salty with a light sweet component. Aromas remind of earth and herbs, with a more delicate nuance of cacao. Strength is low (1/5).

Moving forward, the salty taste does not change, but a delicate bitterness appears. The aromas of earth, leather, and herbs are joined by a note of almond. Strength increases to medium-low (2/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw delineates pronounced notes of leather, earth, and dry fruit.

The first puff are of average saltiness with light acid and bitter notes. Aromas correpond to the smelled tones: earth and leather above all, and a mineral nuance in the background. Strength is average (3/5).

Deeper into the cigar, the acid component disappears and bitterness equals saltiness in intensity. Aromas do not change. Strength increases (4/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw offers pronounced notes of earth and some leather.

After the first puffs, the taste is balanced between saltiness and bitterness. Aromas concentrate on tones of earth and wood, with a somewhat fugacious minerality. Strength is medium-low (2/5).

Moving forward, bitterness increases, while aromatically some notes of pepper and leather joins the earth. Strength increases (3/5).

Tasting Notes

The unlit cigar smells of leather and wood.

The first puffs are immediately salty and slightly acid. Aromas remind of wood and leather. Strength is low (1/5).

Moving forward, saltiness increases, and that initial rounding acid note disappears. Aromatically, the wood character maintains its intensity and an evenly intense note of earth appears along with a spicy nuance. Strength increases (2/5).

Tasting Notes

The cold draw expresses pronounced notes of wood, walnut and carob.

All tested specimens presented combustion issues. The cigar tended to die off every few puffs and the quantity of smoke developed was insufficient for a retro-nasal analysis. Even if one can perceive notes of walnut and earth, it was impossible to continue the tasting due to the mechanical faults appeared from the onset.