Okay, let’s kick this week off right with a cigar review.  These cigars were sent to me by Paul Bush who’s just recently created his own cigar line: Panacea.  Wanting to take what he calls an “old school” approach, Paul says his focus is on getting the best tobacco.  Instead of focusing on pretty packaging, he wants to get back to the basics of cigar making.  Let’s see how he does.  The torpedo is 6×52 and the blend is made up of a Brazilian wrapper with Cuban seed ligero and seco.

Appearance: This is a good looking torpedo.  It has a sharp point at its cap, and the cap is well done.  The chocolate wrapper has no tooth and some slight veins with a few prominent ones.  The wrap itself is visible.  Overall, this looks like a good torpedo.  I’m not a big fan of the band itself.  It looks a little cheap to me, but I’ve said many times you can’t judge a cigar by its band.  Also, band design and production can get expensive.  If you’re putting all your money into the tobacco itself, it makes sense that the band isn’t the focus here.

Taste: This is a pretty straight forward stick.  A mild-medium strength of a floral wood is consistent from beginning to end.  While not complex, it’s pleasant.  The strength starts out on the medium side, then mellows a bit, and picks back up toward the end.

Aroma: Holding the foot to my schnoz, I got a little floral cinnamon in there.  The wrapper itself is a mild tobacco.

Construction: Squeezing this stick, it’s a stout one. After clipping, the draw was fantastic.  While the burn wasn’t razor sharp, this stick was perfectly made.  The ash was firm and held tight for a long time.  I flicked the ash off the first time after I’d smoked half the cigar.  I didn’t have to flick again until I put the cigar down.  That’s a helluva well-made cigar if you ask me.

Overall Impression: I’m impressed.  The construction of this cigar is flawless.  It burns well and the ash holds well.  I’d like a little more complexity, but I can pick out many sticks I smoke on a regular basis that aren’t complex.  At around $6 for this stick, I think it’s a great buy.

Cigar Rating:

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