Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP ~$10
- Samples provided by the company
Background
One of the newest releases for Gran Habano is the Black Dahlia, part of the S.T.K. sub-branding in George Rico’s company. When Gran Habano contacted me recently about possibly doing some reviews of their products, I wasn’t even aware of this blend, so it was a pleasant surprise to see it show up in the mail with the other samples.
Black Dahlia is described as one of GH’s fuller-bodied blends and it uses a good bit of Nicaraguan leaf. The filler is Nicaraguan Cubita, Habano, Columbian, and Costa Rican; the dual binders are Habano and Nicaraguan; and the wrapper is a Nicaraguan Shade-grown Corojo. It’s available in 3 sizes and comes in boxes of 20.
Dahlias are a type of flower. The Black Dahlia is the name given by the media to one of the most famous and enduring murder mysteries in Los Angeles, that of Elizabeth Short in 1947.
This review sample is my second Black Dahlia and both this and previous one were provided by Gran Habano Cigars.
Prelight
The design of the band is interesting. What you basically have is a representation of an old-school Hollywood show girl, with a very pale white face and an elaborate art-deco-inspired gold headpiece, complete with a large black feathery mane that resembles the shape of the petals on a dahlia flower. S.T.K. is at the top center of the band and “Black” and “Dahlia” are positioned away from the front on the arms of the band as they wrap around to the back.
The wrapper had a peanut brown brown color and was quite oily to the touch. I got aromas of light earth, hay, and cedar from the wrapper, while the foot had a more prominent earthiness backed up with cedar.
After cutting the head, I got a very good, clean draw that had flavors of wood and grass, along with touches of citrus and earth.
Flavor
I got the Black Dahlia lit quickly and easily. It immediately started churning out thick smoke that had a nutty and citrusy flavor up front, backed up with some light earthiness and cedar. The retrohale had more roasted nuttiness and some sharp, but short-lived, red pepper spice. As I continued through the first third, I noted that the body was no more than medium. While they may consider it one of their “fuller” blends, it wasn’t truly full, at least not at this point. Toward the end of the first third, I was getting more citrus and a more pronounced sweetness, while the nuttiness had died down a little. Earth and cedar still were minor supporting notes while the pepper on the nose had faded to almost nothing.
The sweetness increased even more in the second third, almost an orange flavor when combined with the citrusy zing. I picked up decreasing amounts of cedar and earth, while the nuttiness continued only on the nose.
During the final third, I got an increase in earthiness and some sweet hay. The citrus died down and a little white pepper crept into the mix. Cedar was a minor supporting note at this point.
Construction
I had a great draw, very good burn line and solid ash.
Value
The Black Dahlia is a little higher-priced than I’d like, but then again, I’m still adjusting to the new prices of the FDA-regulation era. It is a good cigar that’s well-made, so I’m going to say it’s worth it.
Conclusions
While I didn’t think the Black Dahlia lived up to the “full bodied” billing, it may have been the most complex and satisfying blend I’ve ever had from Gran Habano. It was medium bodied with a good build-up and fairly major transitions in flavor profile, all while maintaining an excellent balance. Worth searching out and grabbing a 5-pack, in my opinion.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
Note: Gran Habano is a sponsor of Leaf Enthusiast.
