Antonio Benitez Edicion Especial
Tuesday, December 18th, 2012This is a first impression review, and it exists thanks to a long time visitor to the site. You may recognize him as “JJO.” I appreciate the cigar bomb! There isn’t a lot of information out there about this brand. They do have a website, and quick search of a few cigar blogs did yield some results. I just care about the flavor and experience. Read on…
Wrapper: Honduran Habano Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras, Mexico
Size: Robusto 5 x 50
Price: $6.80
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The wrapper was dark, oily, and very toothy looking. This won’t be winning any beauty awards, but it looked nice to me. The odor of the wrapper was an unmistakable, pungent barnyard. There were some minor inconsistencies in the cigar, and it was rock solidly packed. The draw was a little snug, but within my tolerances. I picked up sweetness and earthiness on the pre-light draw.
The ash held for just about one inch, and the burn required a few minor corrections.
Flavor:
The first third had a nice woody and peppery core. After a little time, black coffee joined in. There was a dry, bitter sweet component that rounded things out.
The second third changed up a bit. What stood out the most was coffee and dark, dry cocoa. Wood and pepper followed behind. The smoke feel remained dry and crisp.
Dry cocoa dominated the last third. Coffee followed, along with woody notes. The peppery zing didn’t go anywhere. The smoke feel didn’t change at all.
Conclusion:
This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. While nothing new was really brought to the table, I found it to be a satisfying experience. I could see this going nicely with coffee, or a variety of beverages. I’d recommend at least picking a few up if you have the chance.