Hi Everyone, as mentioned in my introduction post, BOTL needs quite a bit of updating, patching and whatever else I might come across. Over the next few weekends BOTL may be unreachable on occasion as I do migrations or updates, etc. Just be patient - we'll be back! I'll generally try to keep these maintenances until later in the evenings.
It's the Criollo98 wrapper from WLT. I can't yet testify to its merits. I've only had it for a couple months, and those sticks I rolled with it and smoked prematurely could not handle the outlandish strength of the leaf. I can't really say anything about it until the 6 months-to-1-year markers come in. Short-term it seems to be one of those typical dark-leaf wrappers that just totally overwhelms the blend.
When you guys just say "Habano" without a country - since that seed can come from any country, is there a typical country you are referring to? Or am I missing something?This wrapper is WLT Criollo98. MarcL's pics of this wrapper look a lot lighter; so I guess there are various shades in various batches. This stick has 26 days on it. The binder is WLT Habano seco, and the filler is Habano seco and Habano ligero, 50/50. And yet this was not a strong stick. It was medium. The wrapper mellowed out a lot in that period. There was a vaguely hay-ish note but I don't know if that was coming from the filler or the wrapper. I think the wrapper as I haven't got that hay from the Nica habano in the past. This is a similar species of wrapper experience to that given by LO's habano ligero wrapper. They could almost pass for each other. Yet subjectively I feel this is a higher grade of leaf.
There's the Ecuadorian Habano wrappers from LO, and there's the Nicaraguan Habano filler from WLT. Jorge also sells an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. So, I would usually say "Nica Habano seco" from WLT; but as the Nica is the only Habano seco WLT sells, it's possible to get away with shorthand. Same goes for the wrappers from LO.
I have that same oscuro wrapper and the veins in mine are crazy. I don't see a single one on yours. Good work.Really enjoyed this new blend at the "one day old" mark. I'm getting good at this patience thing!
View attachment 96073
Nic Habano seco
Mata Fina
Brazilian viso
Dominican ligero
Dominican binder
PA Oscuro wrapper
After retrohale my nose seemed to have malt and chocolate for the longest time.
The veins are really prominent in this leaf. After rolling the wrapper leaf, I wrap the stick with a newspaper strip overnight. This helps push the veins into the bunch rather than allowing them to protrude like ridges. They flatten out nicely doing this. I'll try to capture the difference when I get home in the morning...
Ok @keithjjones , so here's a quick pic of two sticks both wrapped in PA OSCURO, the one on the left NOT wrapped in newspaper afterwards. The one on the right was wrapped (it would've been better to have left the paper on longer than overnight with these veins).
I hadn't considered that approach. Very nice. The one that wasn't wrapped still didn't look as bad as mine.
You fooled me. I thought you might have had one where the wrapper went to shit and replaced it. I call those counterfeit.
Actually, the picture makes them look more rough than they are in real life... so take that with a grain of salt.
