This cigar was gifted to me by Trogdor | The Burninator a while back, and I'm just getting around to smoking it now. I realize this is heresy, but I haven't been crazy about the few Pepin smokes I've had before (blue and JJ). The first few puffs of this one were pretty bad, but it quickly improved. I got a tinge of the characteristic Pepin spice through the first third, but in the second third it has transformed into a very creamy smoke. The cigar is very well-constructed, with a semi-veiny well-colored wrapper. The ash is very solid and a nice peppery white color, mirroring the construction of the cigar. I'm less than happy with the burn, as it required a relight in the first third, and one of the most uneven burns I've seen in a while through the second third.
-Five minutes-
Moving into the final third, this cigar has developed a grassy taste. The spice is all but gone, and the smoke is still mild-medium. This is my favorite part of the cigar so far, as it's developed much more complexity. Burn has improved a great deal since a major correction/touchup. I've heard some cigars referred to as "salty," and while I'm not quite sure what reviewers mean by that this cigar causes quite a bit of salivation in my mouth. There's a good amount of woodiness through the nose - not so much cedar but cooking woods like maybe oak or mesquite.
Overall (all out of 10):
Appearance: 10
Construction: 9
Draw: 8 (stored at 63%)
Burn: 5
Taste: 8 (developed nicely)
Descriptors: Creamy, grassy, woody, "salty"
Overall rating: 7.5/10
-Five minutes-
Moving into the final third, this cigar has developed a grassy taste. The spice is all but gone, and the smoke is still mild-medium. This is my favorite part of the cigar so far, as it's developed much more complexity. Burn has improved a great deal since a major correction/touchup. I've heard some cigars referred to as "salty," and while I'm not quite sure what reviewers mean by that this cigar causes quite a bit of salivation in my mouth. There's a good amount of woodiness through the nose - not so much cedar but cooking woods like maybe oak or mesquite.
Overall (all out of 10):
Appearance: 10
Construction: 9
Draw: 8 (stored at 63%)
Burn: 5
Taste: 8 (developed nicely)
Descriptors: Creamy, grassy, woody, "salty"
Overall rating: 7.5/10