- A Custodial E2 Cigar Review -
This stick came to me as part of a sampler pack I purchased recently. I was mostly interested in the fine assortment of Fonsecas which came within; however, I was also looking forward to broadening my quite limited cigar horizons. I lit up this stogie preparatory to walking home from work (30 minutes, 25 degrees F) - so take that into account.
I was quite pleasantly surprised. Despite being slightly reluctant to light up (also a function of a slight breeze) the cigar, once started and holding a quarter-inch or so of ash (5mm), burned evenly and strongly. I made the walk home without one even removing my hands from my coat pockets, and upon reaching my door had ashed only twice, having finished the cigar (quickly, due to breeze and chill).
The taste was originally quite mild (indeed, this is billed as a mild smoke) with some difficulty getting a bead on it. However, as the smoke progressed, the taste firmed up into a nice, consistent loamy flavor! This cigar tasted almost exactly as it had smelled before lighting, all the way home, and that's a good thing - the nose was lovely. The flavor went from barely there in the beginning to a strong, slightly spicy and very rich mix of tobacco odor, cedar and butterscotch, with very few hints of burn or resin. When (as occasionally happened) I began to smoke the stick too quickly, it would warn me through the instant change to a sharp and acrid taste, with the warm flavor giving way to the butter of acetyl-rich 'partial burn.' The flavor was much more consistent (and slightly crisper) than the Indonesian-wrapped Don Tomas cigars - I prefer the "Special Edition"'s Connecticut Claro wrapper.
This smoke was most certainly not, for me, an indoor 'recliner' cigar - it was perfectly suited for a brisk walk in cold weather. The burn was completely even despite some initial imbalances. The cap did begin to disintegrate with constant smoking; the wrapper (which tasted smooth and slightly sweet) began to unravel in my mouth about 2/3 of the way into the smoke. The draw was restrained, which was good - whenever I adjusted the cigar's position to improve the draw, the hotter burn would adversely affect the flavor.
On the plus side, the cigar lasted and lasted; I stopped smoking only because my mustache was in danger, not due to deteriorating flavor.
At $4, this cigar cost me about as much as the hot cup of cocoa or coffee from the espresso bar that I might otherwise have bought to warm myself - and lasted far longer. If you're looking for a gentle introduction to the flavor of medium tobacco, this is an excellent start.
out of 5:
- Construction: 4
- Burn: 4
- Aroma: 4
- Taste: 3
- Impression: 4