Quai D’Orsay Corona ULA ABR 14 C&CRW

[Wailbait]

The game of Cuban Cigars can sometimes feel as if one is chasing the tiger.  We have a great experience but others can be a bit of a miss.  Nothing awful.  But also not noteworthy.  It is a rare treat for me to have 2 cigars in a week - usually it’s 1 at best.  It’s even rarer when both are 95+ point experiences.  My earlier one was an EML 14 DIP 2.  That was a 97-98, easily one of the best of my last couple of years.  But this review got me thinking, there aren’t many corona sized cigars made (Quai and Monte 3 come to mind) so I figure I might as well embrace the size.  
 

I have had great luck with ULA 14 & 15 Quai Coronas but my last two were lackluster.  Not bad enough to compel me to rethink them but just two bad ones in a row.  I won’t bury the lede.   Today was a return to form.

Glorious wrapper shade and color.  In fact, for whatever reason, outside one of weird box of ULA 15s that were too dark, I think Quai Coronas are the most consistently colored wrapper box-to-box I have ever seen.  These just look great.  

The first half shows what the cigar is about.  They aren’t strong but they NEED time.  When young, they are not magical but that spiced quality shows with 6+ years.  It’s a medium minus cigar strengthwise but smoke and flavor are outstanding.

  

Burn is excellent and it held up well to a Manhattan made with Carpano and Amer Picon.  A lovely herbaceous cocktail.  The back half ramped in strength but it was so poised and with so much finesse.

95 points.  World class.