I don't think this cigar needs much introduction, but CI describes them as such:
"God of Fire is made annually, in extremely limited quantities, making it a hard to come by super-premium. These choice cigars come in two blends: one by Carlito Fuente, the other by Don Carlos. Either way, you're in for a full-flavored treat. Don Carlos: The Don Carlos blend is similar to traditional Don Carlos cigars, but unique in flavor. Some believe this is due to the Ecuadorian-grown wrapper used"
For this review I smoked the Don Carlos version in a Robusto size.
Pre-light:
I bought a 5 pack of these from Small Batch about 3 months ago and they've been resting in my cooler at 65% since then. The cigar was well constructed, great cap, clean seams, a couple prominent veins, but nothing to worry to about. The aroma was mostly cedar and aged tobacco, with a interesting note of tea. I cut it with the punch on the bottom of my Xikar Element (I'm not sure the size in mm). The draw was spot on, maybe a little open, but not concerning. The pre-light draw was very mild, some leather, some mild cedar, and some faint taste of test.
1st Third: I'm getting leather, an interesting tea note that I've not had before, some dry chocolate, and an occasional bit of orange peel that came and wenet. There is just enough pepper, mostly through the nose, but I wouldn't call this a peppery stick by any means. Very smooth, very easy to retrohale. Ash held on for the entire 3rd and probably would have lasted longer if I let it.
2nd third: The cigar really added a creamy element at the start of the second third, the chocolate moved to the foreground and I picked up a chocolate flavor (mixed with the creaminess, it was almost a latte flavor, but without any espresso bitterness). Toward the end of this third, the sweetness has picked up just a tad. And, I'm not entirely sure, but I got something that almost tasted like raisin.
3rd Third: The sweetness is definitely increasing now. The last 4 puffs have each been sweeter than the one before it. There's some nuttiness as well, while the chocolate has receded a bit. Coupled with the creaminess, the sweetness is almost like caramel, but not quite buttery enough. There's still an undercurrent of leather than hasn't left, but it's definitely a background note at this point, as sweet creaminess is the dominant flavor. The pepper makes its presence known only on the retrohale and is a good balance to the creaminess. Right at the very end, I pick up what might be molasses or could be a sweet raisin again. But then the nub gets hot and I put it down.
Overall: A fantastic cigar. Perfect construction, rock solid burn, good draw, and great flavors. This isn't a strong cigar and the flavors aren't overwhelming, but they are there and well balanced. The tea note I picked up in the first 3rd was unique in my experience. At $15-20 per stick, this isn't an everyday cigar, but it's great for special occassions (even if that special occassion is just a free Wednesday afternoon...). Due to the price, I probably will not be buying a box of these, but I'd defintely keep an eye out for a 5 pack (especially if you can use the Famous discount or is SmallBatch runs that 20% deal again).
"God of Fire is made annually, in extremely limited quantities, making it a hard to come by super-premium. These choice cigars come in two blends: one by Carlito Fuente, the other by Don Carlos. Either way, you're in for a full-flavored treat. Don Carlos: The Don Carlos blend is similar to traditional Don Carlos cigars, but unique in flavor. Some believe this is due to the Ecuadorian-grown wrapper used"
For this review I smoked the Don Carlos version in a Robusto size.
Pre-light:
I bought a 5 pack of these from Small Batch about 3 months ago and they've been resting in my cooler at 65% since then. The cigar was well constructed, great cap, clean seams, a couple prominent veins, but nothing to worry to about. The aroma was mostly cedar and aged tobacco, with a interesting note of tea. I cut it with the punch on the bottom of my Xikar Element (I'm not sure the size in mm). The draw was spot on, maybe a little open, but not concerning. The pre-light draw was very mild, some leather, some mild cedar, and some faint taste of test.
1st Third: I'm getting leather, an interesting tea note that I've not had before, some dry chocolate, and an occasional bit of orange peel that came and wenet. There is just enough pepper, mostly through the nose, but I wouldn't call this a peppery stick by any means. Very smooth, very easy to retrohale. Ash held on for the entire 3rd and probably would have lasted longer if I let it.
2nd third: The cigar really added a creamy element at the start of the second third, the chocolate moved to the foreground and I picked up a chocolate flavor (mixed with the creaminess, it was almost a latte flavor, but without any espresso bitterness). Toward the end of this third, the sweetness has picked up just a tad. And, I'm not entirely sure, but I got something that almost tasted like raisin.
3rd Third: The sweetness is definitely increasing now. The last 4 puffs have each been sweeter than the one before it. There's some nuttiness as well, while the chocolate has receded a bit. Coupled with the creaminess, the sweetness is almost like caramel, but not quite buttery enough. There's still an undercurrent of leather than hasn't left, but it's definitely a background note at this point, as sweet creaminess is the dominant flavor. The pepper makes its presence known only on the retrohale and is a good balance to the creaminess. Right at the very end, I pick up what might be molasses or could be a sweet raisin again. But then the nub gets hot and I put it down.
Overall: A fantastic cigar. Perfect construction, rock solid burn, good draw, and great flavors. This isn't a strong cigar and the flavors aren't overwhelming, but they are there and well balanced. The tea note I picked up in the first 3rd was unique in my experience. At $15-20 per stick, this isn't an everyday cigar, but it's great for special occassions (even if that special occassion is just a free Wednesday afternoon...). Due to the price, I probably will not be buying a box of these, but I'd defintely keep an eye out for a 5 pack (especially if you can use the Famous discount or is SmallBatch runs that 20% deal again).
