- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 3,788
I am sure this has been reviewed many times but it's my first exposure to it. I have had the Noellas Reserve and enjoyed it so I picked up a few of these sticks for those times when I wanted a smoke but did not have a lot of time. This cigar is 5 1/8 by 42 gauge and is wrapped in a Habano Ecuadorian wrapper with the filler and binder from Nicauragua. It looks a bit rustic to me and color is a deep chocolate brown. The foot of the cigar is closed and shaggy giving it even more of a rustic look. Sniffing the cigar along it's length revealed scents of earth and a touch of leather. Given that the foot was closed I thought it was a good time to try the toast before cutting technique. It worked very well. Upon light this cigar hits you with a HUGE red pepper blast. I mean back of the throat get your attention blast. Notes of cedar and leather are predominate and the strength of this cigar during the first third or so is damn near full. Early retros will get your immediate attention. In fact it opened up my sinus so well that I had to put the cigar down and find a tissue. Intense. The red pepper spice started to abate near the end of the first third but never goes completely away but some additional spice like a touch of cinnamon is added in. Lots of leather and cedar. Some meatiness like a good charred steak is also present. From the last of the first third until the end the strength seems to tend away from full toward medium full.
Construction of the cigar is very good, draw was good and the burn was near perfect with no touch ups or relights required. The ash burned easily up to an inch long at which point I ashed so that I didn't ash myself. This smoke lasted me about 55 minutes from toasting until nub. Overall this cigar left me with several impressions. It is a complex smoke. There is a transition in strength but the flavors are very consistent and complex the entire length of the cigar with very few if any flavor transitions. I suspect that most brothers would enjoy this cigar a lot. My impression, at least for my tastes, is that the cigar is one that I would never be bored with. This will be box purchase for me. For my tastes, I prefer this regular Noellas to the Reserve.
Construction of the cigar is very good, draw was good and the burn was near perfect with no touch ups or relights required. The ash burned easily up to an inch long at which point I ashed so that I didn't ash myself. This smoke lasted me about 55 minutes from toasting until nub. Overall this cigar left me with several impressions. It is a complex smoke. There is a transition in strength but the flavors are very consistent and complex the entire length of the cigar with very few if any flavor transitions. I suspect that most brothers would enjoy this cigar a lot. My impression, at least for my tastes, is that the cigar is one that I would never be bored with. This will be box purchase for me. For my tastes, I prefer this regular Noellas to the Reserve.
I'd mug an old lady for some Noella Reserva! 
