Quai D'Orsay Imperiales PEL MAY02

[Van55]

Smoked on 11/8 accompanied by Brooklyn Local #1

Prelight: Beautiful medium brown, oily wrapper. A little toothy. No veins or flaws. Maybe a bit underfilled. Foot smelled amazzing. Draw is tasty toasted tobacco, but just a bit looser than ideal.

First 1/3: Toasted the foot and first impression was of a significantly and pleasantly pungent cigar. Stung nicely through the nose. Nice volume of smoke. People who dis this marca as "too mild: must be smoking something else. Finish was long and pleasant, if slightly bitter. It mellowed out at about 1/2 inch, with somewhat muddled flavors. Ash dropped early -- underfilled. Became quite soft and elegant after early kick, A bit of gingerbread with hints of cayenne pepper. Quite variable from one mouthful to the next.

Second 1/3: It went out after sitting in the ashtray for 90 seconds -- another symptom of underfilling. On re-light cayenne returned. Nice finish. Not a mild cigar, in my opinion. Flavors are hard to pigeonhole, but I keep coming back to cayenne with that sting in the palate. Went out again.

Final 1/3: More of the same. One toke mild; next peppery. Not as well balanced as I would like. If you don;t like a peppery nose, you won't like this cigar, but don't turn it down as too mild.

Conclusion: Underfill is a negative. Complexity was lacking Consistency was a positive. This wasn't the finest example of a QuayD'Orsai that I have enjoyed. Three smoke rings.

Photos:

Here's an example of a second authenticity seal having been applied to the box after reinspection in Cuba.

The cigar bands are pretty blah, but I think the box is handsome.

Imperiales are of the Julieta 2 vitola.

Foot shows nicely bunched cigar.

Perfect cap.

Nice head!

First 1/3.

Final 1/3. Note the beginning of a runner.