"The experience was quite delightful with the complex notes of heavy cream, cayenne, salt, white pepper and more. The tasting notes danced around as I sat back and really enjoyed it. I do wish the burn didn't have an issue though." -Allison T. (The Yoga Ash)
"I really enjoyed this cigar. The vitola was perfect for me and the flavors were quite nice. I enjoyed the baking notes mixed with the wood and the butter and cream made this a smooth cigar for me. I didn't miss having any pepper or hot spices mixed in. This is a cigar I could smoke any time of the day and thoroughly relax without having to keep an eye on the burn while enjoying the subtle complexity of the flavors." -Diana (ArmyRN)
"The cigar performed wonderfully. I love how all of the flavors worked well together. At times it was sweet and at others, it was dark and deep. Never once was it out of balance with itself and with a super long finish its flavors never really went away. If you are a fan of deep complex flavors this is the cigar for you. As for me, I will for sure be picking up some more to enjoy with a nice cup of black coffee or espresso. " -Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
"Overall good salty musty flavor; in the first third some spiciness noted of black and white pepper but this fades after the first third. Overall the cigar was a consistent flavor throughout the whole thing. It burned very fast but the size of the cigar was not too out of the norm." -Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
"Shockingly to me, I loved this cigar. I'm not a huge box-pressed cigar fan and this one is so thin worried me but it smoked wonderfully and the mouthfeel was not as harsh as expected. The flavors were complex and kept me interested the entire time. Starting with a red pepper blast that then settles into a smoky cedar and leather flavor. Complex baking spice and some surprise floral notes make this cigar stand out. I will absolutely seek out more of this stick in the future." -Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
"Great pleasure to smoke this lancero cigar. Notes of sugar, floral, peanut, and licorice. Perfection throughout this stick. Minor unraveling doesn't interfere with smoke. Pairs well with coffee. A cigar that I'd seek out and smoke again." -Sean F. (fullermaine)
"I didn't hate this cigar, but I definitely didn't love it either. There was plenty for the people who like earth in their cigars. I wished the sweetness stayed around longer. I would smoke this again, but would probably not seek these out. " -Mickey T. (irratebass)
"While milder than I tend to reach for, this cigar is quite satisfying. The sum of its parts, in the end, is better than each individual third. The aroma of this cigar is great and would likely not drive away someone otherwise opposed to cigar smoke. It will certainly raise questions from anyone passing by at the lounge. I do wish it could handle maintaining flavors whenever I put the cigar down for a rest. The frequency of puffing required makes this a pretty quick-burning cigar. I might not make this a regular smoke, but it is quite enjoyable" -Isaac M. (The Nothing)
I have always enjoyed the idea/premise of the chef's editions. Everyone loves a good cigar pairing be it a pairing with bourbon, whiskey, beer, or even my favorite. Coffee. One thing we do not get a chance to do is pair cigars with food as it's not easily done in today's world. I was excited to see the chef's for this year's edition as it has Masa Takayama on the panel who by all rights is very much a true cigar smoker. You can't google his name without stumbling across him with a cigar. I have had the pleasure of smoking the chef's editions the last few years and this hands down is the best yet.
"I was a little unsure when I started smoking this since it was so grassy at the beginning. That quickly dropped to the wayside and I was left with a rich creamy cigar. If you like smoking something an old-timey villain would pick some of these up. It is a classic tobacco-forward profile that performs great. " -Alan (Eulogy)