Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Indonesian Sumatra
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Vitola: Ace of Hearts (6 x 52 Box-Pressed)
Strength: Medium
Purchase Link: Caldwell Long Live the Queen
LONG LIVE THE QUEEN REVIEW – DOM
Summary: Making my way down the first inch, macadamia nut and woodiness bring a pleasant taste but are slightly drying on the palate. Cocoa powder adds to both aforementioned sensations. Two ash-taps in, Humus (one m: organic matter in soil; two m's: garbanzo goop) and a rich floral note shift the profile more to my liking.
While I tend to write reviews structured around halves, this would be a good candidate for the "thirds" approach due to the trio of transitions. The final bit has me conflicted; umami is front and center, but it teeters between savory soy (win) and suspicious fish sauce (fat L). On the whole, I always looked forward to the next puff.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Wheel of Fortune
Pairing Suggestion: Coffee
Perceived Strength: Mild +
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: 5-pack
LONG LIVE THE QUEEN REVIEW – RICH
Summary: This cigar brought notes of honey, earth, BBQ sauce, black pepper, dark chocolate, hay, cedar, and nuts. Around halfway through, it added an espresso note and a whole lot of bitterness. Up until that point, it was quite good. Without that shift, I'd have enjoyed this cigar quite a bit more.
The only thing to note on the construction side of things was that the draw was on the looser side. It wasn't a problem at all and was very much in the range of 'this is perfectly good'.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Starting things you don't intend to finish
Pairing Suggestion: Cola
Perceived Strength: Medium
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Single
LONG LIVE THE QUEEN REVIEW – BEN
Summary: Pretty wrapper. Soft spots. Easy draw. Opens up with cedar, white pepper and a lovely warm toast retro hale. Even though my ash is fraying and blowing with every breeze and my mouth is quite dry I must say, the caramel note in the second half is delightful. Earth notes made its debut and totally changed the overall taste in my mouth. Now everything tastes dirty; it gave me Connecticut broadleaf vibes. That just got weird.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Biting into a hamburger and realizing it’s turkey
Pairing Suggestion: Fresca
Perceived Strength: Medium
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: 5-pack
LONG LIVE THE QUEEN REVIEW – TED
Summary: This stick started with a mixture of cashew and almond, umami, mild earthy notes, and cereal grains. There was a smooth leathery, peppery goodness in the retro hale. It produced tons of smoke, had a perfect draw and a solid ash through the first third.
Further in it was still rolling smoke heavy and thick. The profile remained nutty, leathery, and peppery with mild wood notes and more cereal grain. No real changes in the mixture but I really didn’t care, it was fantastic. It remained that way right to the nub!
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Predicting your team right into the final four
Pairing Suggestion: Spanish coffee
Perceived Strength: Low end of medium
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Box
Participants in this blind review were completely unaware of the cigar they were evaluating until all submissions were received and processed. Each participant was asked to answer a summary paragraph, an if/than statement, a pairing suggestion, and a purchase suggestion. Cigars were provided by Small Batch with only the expectations of candid responses. All pictures, information, and formatting were completed by a Coordinator outside of the reviewing process.
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