Leather and dark chocolate you say...A stupendous OR 2007 San Cristobal Maestros. A leather and dark chocolate bomb that was sent to me by Infinity’s wife several years ago. I felt a little guilty smoking it, thinking I should have sent it to Boar (@Not A Nice Person). But, not that guilty!
That’s what I say (and tobacco of course)!
Do fresh ones have the same profile I'm assuming? Don't think I've ever had one, or at least not in a really long time. Paging @Not A Nice Person
I don’t smoke enough San Cristobal to really say, but pretty much all Pepin creations start with a very peppery profile before morphing into something else. While most NC cigars don’t age very well, this vintage example was outstanding. Very smooth/refined while full of flavor, and multi dimensional.
Yeah, that's why I've moved away from Pepin blends, not a fan of the pepper, agree with Jorge on that one. Leathery and dark chocolate are always winners though.
Has time been good to the AM line? Back in the early part of last decade AJF was trying to sell these (some of the core line, anyway, not sure when the Argentum was introduced) for $10-$15+ per stick in the big box "periodicals". A pretty band is not worth quite that much, and in my (limited, but growing) experience every Ave Maria I've smoked has never lived up to the artwork. The Argentum is supposed to be the powerhouse of the line, no? How was it?
