MONTE 2 EPM ABR 18 PBRW

[HumidorJuan]

I am stunningly hungover after a stunningly late (early) night (morning), and for Father’s Day the better half took the kids over to my in-laws so I can be alone, cook a steak, nap, be hungover and smoke a monte 2 on our patio and watch the rain (best Father’s Day gift ever).

PART 1

Dry boxed at 62 RH the smoke is so mellow that it has no bite as it floats into my nose. cocoa and chocolate. Sugary and indulgent like a kids cereal into almost a refreshing pull of a grape juice box but sweetness aside, there is a hidden savouriness to it. A touch of brine deep under the layers, and its back to toasted tobacco and a touch of leather  The wrap is toothy and the caps on this handful of 2s have such a Charlie sheen to them it’s like they’ve been lacquered by the great cigar maker in the sky himself. Some of my 2s, this one included felt solid to the touch but the draw is perfection. Effortless sips that provide more smoke than you expected. I’m in for the long haul. Grape juice box is back with that elusive almost savoury after-taste almost like I ate the char on the edge of a steak not long after I snacked on marshmallows.  I get a nice zap of hot nicotine in the retro-hale that’s kind of floral like the fresh smell of the cold wind off an overcast lake and I’m clearheaded again.  The burn has been teeter tottering between even/uneven and I torch the lolligagging side of the wrap so it can catch up with the rest of it. The ash is flakey and has the occasional white dots that the toothy wrap creates.  I’m getting cinnamon roll without the cinnamon. I could smear icing all over this thing (there ya go @kevpro). I do a big exhale thru the stick to up my temp a bit and it got nutty.  I don’t like to influence my cigar reviews by pairing them with anything else but I couldn’t help myself and just ate a nice chunk of milk chocolate with almonds and a big mouthful of cold black coffee... oops I knocked my ash off. I’d say I’m finishing part one off with an uneven burn and relatively muted flavours.

PART 2

Part two is like chocolate chip cookies with a dash of mongrel so I’m toning down my pace. Briny Savoury is back and for a big exhale thru the marca I got such a small hint of sardine or some other salted fish (in a good way!) back to floral. Second hand smoke is flavourful again and part two is ramping up. I’m getting warm thick briny smoke and I’m into it.  All of part 2 no chocolate I’m perplexed flavours appear/disappear from puff to puff. part 2 is ending and it tastes like the smell of an oven heating up. Distant hot metal with prominent white pepper aftertaste. Almost has that Szechuan pepper buzz like I’m licking a battery that’s almost dead. Come on Monte get your cocoa together. The ash falls again and I get that moist mouthful of enhanced flavour for a sec. brined fish and the smell of pulpy coloured paper.  And blueprint ink. I’m out at the start of part three.  Adios Monte 2 see you next year. I’m off to the butcher to pick out a steak.

 

 

UPDATE I relit the final third now that I’m outside grilling and it’s creamy and earthy  the acrid tar taste is gone  hmmm maybe I was being too critical a few hours back still keeping it at 

7/10

[mrmessy]

Happy Father's day!

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[HumidorJuan]

@mrmessy you as well!