I left tonight's smoke up to the forum, and they decided the Dark Knight was the way to go!
Construction: The stick appeared very good, but I was highly disappointed with the cap. It was poorly applied, and when I cut the cap, the remainder fell off, causing the stick to partially unravel. The draw was good, however, and it lit without too much difficulty.
First Third: The flavor during the first third is very creamy and somewhat sweet, with just a hint of spice. Plenty of smoke is produced as well. The burn required one slight correction, bu nothing major.
Second Third: The flavors I found in the first third largely continued, although I found the smoke was slightly harsher. The wrapper also required another correction, and a relight. Towards the end, a woody flavor also appeared.
Final Third: The creaminess and sweetness was mostly gone by this point, replaced by more spice and the woody flavor. It also became increasingly harsh.
Verdict: Overall, I'm a bit underwhelmed by this cigar. It is generally very well regarded here, but that was not my experience. The flavors were pretty good, but the construction definitely left something to be desired. As it was, I'd give it a 7.5. Had the construction been better, I'd consider it an 8.5. I'd like to try another, to see if I just had a bad stick.
Construction: The stick appeared very good, but I was highly disappointed with the cap. It was poorly applied, and when I cut the cap, the remainder fell off, causing the stick to partially unravel. The draw was good, however, and it lit without too much difficulty.
First Third: The flavor during the first third is very creamy and somewhat sweet, with just a hint of spice. Plenty of smoke is produced as well. The burn required one slight correction, bu nothing major.
Second Third: The flavors I found in the first third largely continued, although I found the smoke was slightly harsher. The wrapper also required another correction, and a relight. Towards the end, a woody flavor also appeared.
Final Third: The creaminess and sweetness was mostly gone by this point, replaced by more spice and the woody flavor. It also became increasingly harsh.
Verdict: Overall, I'm a bit underwhelmed by this cigar. It is generally very well regarded here, but that was not my experience. The flavors were pretty good, but the construction definitely left something to be desired. As it was, I'd give it a 7.5. Had the construction been better, I'd consider it an 8.5. I'd like to try another, to see if I just had a bad stick.