Montecristo Petit Edmundo (mid 2007)

[Grasso]

I don't have the most refined palate in the world, but I'll give this a go. Sorry, but the precise date on this one escapes me. Kept at 70-73° 63-65% RH since I received it a couple months ago.

Wrapper is dark colorado shade with no prominent veins. There is a slight sheen to the cigar, giving it a bit of an oily look. A very nice looking cigar.

Clipped the cap to find a perfect draw, and what feels like the small dimple that certain rollers incorporate (it was fairly dark, so I could only judge by feel at this point, lol).

First Third

Lighting revealed a cigar with medium strength/body, and an abundance of smoke. Cedar jumped out at me as the dominant flavor, with a very floral aroma. The nose revealed not the spice I was expecting, but a bit of creaminess. This was unexpected, but pleasant. Near the end of this opening third, I got a hint of grassiness.

Second Third

The woodiness present in the first third continued, but increased in strength. Now, the nose picks out some earth. I noted at this point that the ash was taking the typical form of a dark stack of quarters. A hint of bitter coffee beans comes through, as well as the tiniest bit of tannin (a young cigar after all).

Just before the halfway point, the flavor seems to change completely. This was very hard for me to dissect, but there was quite a bit of sweetness. Also, at 1/2 - the ash finally decided to fall (into my lap, whoops lol). The later portion of this third could best be described as cream over a woody core.

Final Third

Plenty of toasted tobacco flavor here. Strength is increasing now, as I would typically expect. The cedar flavors that, for a brief moment gave way to tobacco, return full-force. The earth lost in the second third shows up once more as well. The increase in strength has brought some white pepper to the party - only seen when exhaling through the nose.

This PE took me about 50 minutes to smoke to the nub. It was a good cigar, and I can see where it appeals to a lot of people. It isn't really my favorite flavor profile, however. It did change flavors quite a few times. Nearly every draw was a bit different from the last.

I'll rate it at an 86/100