So here goes a little mini-review of this stick.
CI is dropping $10 off bundles of 20 of these guys, putting them at $40 a bundle, $2 a stick. Figured what the heck, I like everything Ive had from them, lets check these out.
First off, these things are bit wet off the truck. The wrapper has a few holes in it where the binder is slightly visible, and it feels spongy. I get the feeling these are wrappers that were not suitable for the main Antano line, and they rolled these guys and bundled them up for CI. Im hoping some time in the humi will dry these out a bit and firm them up.
Vital Stats:
Wrapper: Nicaraguan, supposedly the same as the Antano, if true would make it a Havana seed Criollo.
Binder / Filler: Judging by the name, its something from Nicaragua
Size: Corona Gorda, 5"x46
Starting off, I punched it, and the draw is a bit firm, a little more-so than I like. Tastes like raisins on the prelight draw, with a bit of pepper on the lips.
I fired it up and it was a bit flat on the flavor, just a tobacco flavor, with none of the spiciness I expected. It just meanders on for about a third of the way until a bit of pepper starts coming of the stick. Its also starting to get a bit spongy, and the draw is firming up a bit more. I grabbed my xicar and snipped the top a bit more and it opened up the draw enough to be decent. I started getting a sweeter taste more like the Antano, but doesnt quite have the full flavor. On retrohale I get a good spice and dark tobacco flavors.
This thing burns like an Antano, slowly. With about an inch and half left I got sharp ammonia taste as it was starting to go out on me and I puffed it back to life. I put it down with about an inch to go, total smoking time an hour and a half.
Im hoping after a few weeks in the humi this stick will firm up and the flavors will be much better. Not a bad stick for $2, but at this point I would rather drop the extra 63 cents on the Antano Machito over at Atlantic.
CI is dropping $10 off bundles of 20 of these guys, putting them at $40 a bundle, $2 a stick. Figured what the heck, I like everything Ive had from them, lets check these out.
First off, these things are bit wet off the truck. The wrapper has a few holes in it where the binder is slightly visible, and it feels spongy. I get the feeling these are wrappers that were not suitable for the main Antano line, and they rolled these guys and bundled them up for CI. Im hoping some time in the humi will dry these out a bit and firm them up.
Vital Stats:
Wrapper: Nicaraguan, supposedly the same as the Antano, if true would make it a Havana seed Criollo.
Binder / Filler: Judging by the name, its something from Nicaragua
Size: Corona Gorda, 5"x46
Starting off, I punched it, and the draw is a bit firm, a little more-so than I like. Tastes like raisins on the prelight draw, with a bit of pepper on the lips.
I fired it up and it was a bit flat on the flavor, just a tobacco flavor, with none of the spiciness I expected. It just meanders on for about a third of the way until a bit of pepper starts coming of the stick. Its also starting to get a bit spongy, and the draw is firming up a bit more. I grabbed my xicar and snipped the top a bit more and it opened up the draw enough to be decent. I started getting a sweeter taste more like the Antano, but doesnt quite have the full flavor. On retrohale I get a good spice and dark tobacco flavors.
This thing burns like an Antano, slowly. With about an inch and half left I got sharp ammonia taste as it was starting to go out on me and I puffed it back to life. I put it down with about an inch to go, total smoking time an hour and a half.
Im hoping after a few weeks in the humi this stick will firm up and the flavors will be much better. Not a bad stick for $2, but at this point I would rather drop the extra 63 cents on the Antano Machito over at Atlantic.
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