mjolnir01
El Cañón de Latón
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2008
- Messages
- 2,694
Here's the first of my two Dona Flor reviews that I discussed in my Dona Flor thread here (linky). I bought this robusto along with two others in December 2005 at the cigar shop in the Zona Sul Mall in Rio de Janerio, Brazil. (Sidenote: if you ever get the opportunity to go to Brazil, I HIGHLY recommend it.) I smoked one Dona Flor while I was there and the second shortly after my return to my home at the time in North Carolina. I remember really enjoying them, but we'll see what time has done to both the cigar and my tastes.
This is a Menendez & Amerino cigar-- not only does it predate the blowup with BCT, which theoretically wouldn't be able to market Dona Flor outside of the US anyway, but the top of the band prominently says "Menendez & Amerino." Apologies for it not showing up in the pictures; I had to use my cell phone camera.
The cigar's wrapper is very rough. The cigars is slightly misshapen, almost as if it had a bad box-press. After cutting the head, the cold draw is good, with a nutty flavor similar to a Padron.
Once the cigar is lit, the draw is superb. The first few draws yield a tart, metallic flavor that isn't very pleasant. I let it sit for a couple minutes to cool down, and I'm rewarded with a woody core taste with very subtle spice. Solidly medium body, and very nice. The smoke is not at all sweet as advertised or as I recall from my earlier forays into Dona Flor. I also notice, as I approach the first ashing, that the wrapper and ash are extremely toothy.
The ash lasted well into the second third, which has an identical flavor profile to the first. The smoke is noticeably thick and chewy. Going into the final third, the tart flavor from the initial draw returns. I let the cigar cool a little bit, but it goes out. On relight, the flavor is flat. I let it go out with about half an inch left.
The first two thirds of the cigar were good. Not overly complex and certainly not transcendental, but good. The final third was a bit of a let down, but overall I enjoyed this cigar. I'm hoping the Seleçao I plan on smoking next is a little better, however.
This is a Menendez & Amerino cigar-- not only does it predate the blowup with BCT, which theoretically wouldn't be able to market Dona Flor outside of the US anyway, but the top of the band prominently says "Menendez & Amerino." Apologies for it not showing up in the pictures; I had to use my cell phone camera.
The cigar's wrapper is very rough. The cigars is slightly misshapen, almost as if it had a bad box-press. After cutting the head, the cold draw is good, with a nutty flavor similar to a Padron.
Once the cigar is lit, the draw is superb. The first few draws yield a tart, metallic flavor that isn't very pleasant. I let it sit for a couple minutes to cool down, and I'm rewarded with a woody core taste with very subtle spice. Solidly medium body, and very nice. The smoke is not at all sweet as advertised or as I recall from my earlier forays into Dona Flor. I also notice, as I approach the first ashing, that the wrapper and ash are extremely toothy.
The ash lasted well into the second third, which has an identical flavor profile to the first. The smoke is noticeably thick and chewy. Going into the final third, the tart flavor from the initial draw returns. I let the cigar cool a little bit, but it goes out. On relight, the flavor is flat. I let it go out with about half an inch left.
The first two thirds of the cigar were good. Not overly complex and certainly not transcendental, but good. The final third was a bit of a let down, but overall I enjoyed this cigar. I'm hoping the Seleçao I plan on smoking next is a little better, however.