danthebugman
BoM Nov '10
First the facts...
Size: 4.5" x 50
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Pelo de Oro
Price: Around $8.00
With the onset of colder weather I've been in a funk. Haven't smoked a cigar in a few weeks at least...can't really remember exactly. Well the last several days the weather has been increasingly nice. Tauntingly so. Between work, my wife being sick (Strep on top of pregnancy is no fun...no sir) and the other obligations of life I feel like I've been running ragged. So this afternoon once I got the kiddo to nap and my wife zonked out in a mountain of pillows I took some much needed me time. The weather was a tropical 60 degrees and sunny with a slight southerly breeze. In a word...beautiful. I rummaged through the humidor trying to decide which cigar would this day meet it's fate. Something new? Something small? ISOM? Nicaraguan? Choices, choices. Finally I picked up a My Father Le Bijou Petit Robusto and it just felt right. Grabbing my Palio and a Ronson I headed out on the deck. Breathing in the slightly crisp air and basking in the sun I undressed the cigar from it's cellophane. The dark chocolaty wrapper caught some of the sun's rays and gleamed with oils just so slightly. I ran it under the ol' sniffer briefly and picked up an enjoyable earthy/woody aroma with a slightly sweet note to it. Placing the cap of the cigar into the blades of my Palio...snap...a perfect cut. Testing the draw I was greeted with a woody, muted leathery flavor absent of the slight dark chocolate flavor I've picked up from these before. I sat in the porch swing listening to the sounds of construction and patiently putting flame to the foot of my cigar. Not in a rush to light it, just letting the flame lap at the tobacco and gradually bring it to a glowing orange inferno of tastiness. The first draw was an earthy, woody core with a peppery heat on the finish. And just a hint...more of an impression of leather. Again missing the chocolate note I've gotten out of these before...curious. With smoke spewing out of the cigar like the train cutting across the view from my back porch...well if trains these days ran off coal...I strolled down the porch steps, out the gate, and down the alley. Several blocks later and reaching the end of the first third or so. The burn is mostly straight, hasn't required any touch ups. The ash is a dark gray, like an overcast rainy sky and holding strong. Flavors have been that earthy, woody profile with a peppery heat on the finish. Strolling past one of the schools that was destroyed by the twister, I paused to appreciate the power of nature and touch up a few strays in the burn.
At around the half way point the ash dropped. Damn. I thought I might be able to coax it all the way to the end. Continuing on my walk the flavor profile had dropped the peppery heat and started to pick up the chocolaty notes that were absent earlier. Between the half way point and around the last third something happened. One minute it was smoking good, the next not so much. Shame. I paused for a moment and purged. I had cupped my hand to shield the breeze and the flames that shot out of the cigar when I purged were a little bigger than I had expected. Ouch. Well at least the purged worked and after letting it rest for a few minutes the off flavors had departed. I ended up back on my deck as the cigar neared its inevitable conclusion and as the sun was setting.
Overall, not a bad cigar though normally a little better than this time around. If you've never had a Le Bijou...or a My Father for that matter...do yourself a favor and fire one up. I definitely think the Petit Robusto is where it's at with the Le Bijou and I look forward to my next one. Hope you all enjoyed sharing my walk today.
Dan
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