A generous BOTL and Drew Estate employee recently sent me a few samples after reading some negative comments I made regarding their Natural line. I smoked the first of the four cigars he sent me two evenings ago and have reviewed it below. This cigar rested in my humi about two weeks after an extended wait in a mailroom (3 weeks). When the cigar was placed in my humi it seemed to be perfectly humidified by feel but I wanted to mention this extended wait for full disclosure.
Cigar: Chateau Real Cristales Delux
Size: 5.25 x 50
Prelight Impressions: Finely veined, smooth, light brown wrapper, consistent in color and texture. Sweet tobacco aroma with floral undertones. 8
Construction: Great! Burned amazingly straight, no relights or touchups required. Perfect draw. Not the most impressive looking cap I’ve seen but it did its job well. Light colored, albeit short, ash. 9
Flavor: Sweet leather remained dominate throughout the stick with a pleasant, light spiciness (reminded me of cinnamon a bit) that diminished as I neared the end of the cigar. Nutty undertones held throughout as well. Hardly complex but the flavors did deepen towards the end as the subtle spice abated a bit. Stronger end of mild bodied but packs plenty of flavor. 8
Overall Impression: This cigar was very well made and had a pleasant flavor profile. It was a bit boring, however, and milder than I prefer. I probably wouldn’t purchase this cigar for myself because it is fairly mild but I would certainly gift them to newer smokers and strongly recommend them to those who like milder smokes and aren’t to concerned about complexity. 8
Score: 8.25
Cigar: Chateau Real Cristales Delux
Size: 5.25 x 50
Prelight Impressions: Finely veined, smooth, light brown wrapper, consistent in color and texture. Sweet tobacco aroma with floral undertones. 8
Construction: Great! Burned amazingly straight, no relights or touchups required. Perfect draw. Not the most impressive looking cap I’ve seen but it did its job well. Light colored, albeit short, ash. 9
Flavor: Sweet leather remained dominate throughout the stick with a pleasant, light spiciness (reminded me of cinnamon a bit) that diminished as I neared the end of the cigar. Nutty undertones held throughout as well. Hardly complex but the flavors did deepen towards the end as the subtle spice abated a bit. Stronger end of mild bodied but packs plenty of flavor. 8
Overall Impression: This cigar was very well made and had a pleasant flavor profile. It was a bit boring, however, and milder than I prefer. I probably wouldn’t purchase this cigar for myself because it is fairly mild but I would certainly gift them to newer smokers and strongly recommend them to those who like milder smokes and aren’t to concerned about complexity. 8
Score: 8.25