Vitola: Petite Corona
Size: 4.5″ x 46 ring gauge
Price $7.50 MSRP
Obtained From BWS as a review sample
Background
I hadn’t heard anything about these cigars before they showed up on my mailbox for review. According to the info that came along with the cigars that Black Works Studio is a way for James Brown, the founder of Black Label Trading Company, to be able to showcase unique blends created at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Esteli, Nicaragua. One wonders how the latest FDA overreach will affect cigar companies from doing fun stuff like this. They are launching with three new blends, two of which I’ll be able to review. The first one I get to review is the Killer Bee. The cigar is comprised of Nicaraguan fillers and binder with an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper. They come packed in 24 count boxes and have a MSRP of $7.50. This was my second experience with the cigar.
Prelight
The first thing I noticed about the cigar is the striped cap that is reminiscent of the variegated abdomen of a bee. It was very well done on both samples I had. The wrapper was a very dark, even brown in color. It had lots of tooth to it but it wasn’t too oily. When I gave it a squeeze it was fairly firm and without any soft spots. When I put my nose to the wrapper I got the aroma of barnyard with the same being more intense from the closed foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I noted a sweet woody flavor with a good draw.
Flavor
It starts off with coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, and spice with a sweet finish. The spice starts on the tongue and then moves to the retrohale a short ways in. It starts off at the upper end of medium strength. As I moved into the second the spice did mellow a bit but didn’t go away. The flavor changed slightly to leather, earth, coffee and cinnamon, with a slightly sweet finish. The strength did build a bit during the second third. By the time I got into the final third I did notice a slight nicotine hit from the cigar. The flavors in the final third were more earth, wood and coffee, while less of cinnamon and sweetness. By the end the cigar was firmly at medium full strength.
Construction
Both of the samples I enjoyed had perfect draws, large volumes of smoke and only very slightly wavy burn lines.
Value
A low production run cigar for $7.50, sign me up.
Conclusions
Even though the flavors were pretty consistent throughout, I definitely wasn’t bored by it. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this cigar. It looks like on my visit to the central coast next month I’ll have to look for these during my stop at Old Oaks.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
That cap is pretty amazing looking and a nice level of craftmanship by the rollers. Sounds like a good cigar at a very good price.
I was just informed I will be getting one of these from my mother in law this weekend when she flies up from TX. I’m very excited to give it a light!