Pre-light thoughts: This is my first Man o' War cigar, and my second blend by A.J. Fernandez (who crafted the Diesel Unholy Cocktail which I also loved).
I'm looking forward to it, though I am a little apprehensive due to it being a Connecticut wrapper which I haven't really enjoyed in the past. Though, admittedly, I have almost smoked 3 or 4 Connecticuts, and while I didn't like any of them very much, I'll try to smoke this with an open mind.
The cigar has a very faint aroma of sweet tobacco, and that's about all I'm getting from it in terms of smell.
The cap comes off smoothly, and a pre-light draw gives a very sweet taste of tobacco and cedar. It almost tastes the way the inside of a brand new humidor smells.
First third: The cigar lit well (aside from the problems I had with the breeze picking up every time I lit the match...damnit I need a lighter!!).
And wow, there's a lot of flavour right off the bat. A smooth spiciness that just ever-so-lightly tingles the back of the throat, and some very pleasant tobacco flavour.
The cigar is burning beautifully so far. The burn is not razor-sharp, but it's straight enough that there are no issues. No tunneling or dipping.
Second third: This cigar is continuing to surprise me with how much flavour there is. The spice has died down a bit and been replaced with an actual flavour of a kind of creamy vanilla. I've experienced many cigars in which the texture of the smoke is "creamy", but never an actual flavour of cream.
It's very subtle, but it's delicious. The smoke is rich, thick and creamy on the palate.
Also a sidenote - the ash held on for over 2 inches! I got a few pictures I'll post when I can.
Final third: The sweetness has ramped all the way up for this final third. It's almost like candy.
The tobacco flavour mingles with the spice which has come back a tiny bit, and the creaminess intertwines with both of them to create a really beautiful flavour.
Final thoughts: This cigar blew my mind. Like I said at the beginning, I have yet to be wow'd by a Connecticut cigar...but this thing knocked my socks off.
The flavours are mellow and delicious. The final inch and a half was like a candy bar.
I strongly recommend this to absolutely EVERYONE. Even if you are not a fan of Connecticut wrapper, please just give this a try.
