Digging the Sound of This Cigar? You Might Also Like...

AJ Fernandez "Dias de Gloria Brazil"

Kristoff Cigars "Guardrail"

CAO "BX3"

Initial Smoke

AJ Fernandez sure does love to hit the senses with one hell of a fiery first few minutes, and this blend is no exception. Peppery in a Szechuan sense, with black peppercorn and white right behind, the spicy start to this maduro is full-on from the moment you set that torch aside. Body is also very full from first light, and this is partially due to the tastes and textures of creamy horchata and the spices that make it so damn delicious. The sweetness of the smoke grows two-fold when this tasty drink's flavor profile emerges, calming the spicier sides of the cigar in the process.

1st Half

As the cigar begins to open up, and the first third officially begins, notes of orange peel, leather tack, and a musky, incense-like aromatic hit the nose. Medicinal to a point, and most definitely heavily spiced, the move toward new flavors and aromas happens quickly. Before long, the taste buds are floating in a cloud of creamy, oily smoke, with a concoction of oak and chocolate topping off each retrohale. As the funkier Brazilian rainforest floor flavors mellow, the cigar grows nutty and slightly salty, and the first major moment of balance is achieved within the blend.

Finishes on this stogie are longer than the wait between new Tool albums, and in many ways are just as heavy when they hit. Smarmy and still very much a Brazilian maduro, tasting notes of toasted tree nuts, medium roast coffee, dribbles of caramel, and dark chocolate remain dedicated to the overall cause. It's a big, full-flavored, full-bodied expression that gets lacquered into place with a spot of nicotine, solidifying this cigar's rating of medium-plus at this point. 

2nd Half

Since retrohales have remained so damn silky, and the spiciness of the smoke has pretty much subsided, the blend feels a little bit lighter than it surely is. Those medicinal flavors have also evolved, turning into a milder black licorice touch that plays perfectly off the savory, saltier spices inside each puff. Leather manages to move back onto the scene once more as the final third begins to blossom, and it plays perfectly with those tree nut notes and the creaminess they provide. 

Further complexity is created when the taste of molasses briefly mixes with a dry oaken note, together turning the stronger spices being detected inside out. Szechuan pepper and mixed peppercorns slowly start to spice things up once more, and with a creamy vanilla secondary note dancing about, the move back toward chewy, spicy, and bold becomes the obvious target in parting puffs. 

Parting Puffs

Salty, spicy, funky, soil-strong, and still quite savory, the final dozen pulls off this cigar are incredibly intense. Medicinal notes and a heavy degree of stickiness try their damndest to maintain control of the situation. But by now the blend has gone full beast mode, and any nutty or milky notes that can be found are soon squashed beneath a tsunami of resinous maduro cigar flavor profiles. On the upside, the cigar doesn't grow bitter or char-heavy all of a sudden, so if really bold dark tobacco tastes are your jam, the final section of this smoke is sure to please.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Combustion tends to be the biggest underlying issue I have encountered with this blend. Every stick I have sparked has struggled with ash drops and overheating due to excessive smoke flow, with the burn rate being a hair too fast-paced and uneven as well. This is likely due to the pressing process, which, like most box-pressed cigars, requires a slight bit of under-filling to achieve the desired shape. At least I didn't have to conduct any torch corrections on my review smoke, but I must say that I was a tad concerned at times.

Final Thoughts

Although it may have come with its own combustion conundrums and felt somewhat imbalanced in its beginning and ending, the Bellas Artes Maduro makes for a very flavorful dark cigar smoke session. Flavor profiles and aromatics remain consistent on each stick I have smoked, and the transitions detected always arrive around the same time with the appropriate amount of power. 

A lack of molasses and chocolaty sweetness in sections and the absence of Brazil nut tastes are a bit disappointing, though, as these two top notes tend to be favorites of mine when I smoke a Mata Fina wrapped cigar. In fact, the overall experience feels a bit more medicinal and deeply spiced than chocolate-rich and coffee-forward. 

Even then, there are still enough generic tree nut notes and bittersweet cocoa and coffee to keep the center of the cigar within the Brazilian wheelhouse we seek. The chewy texture of the smoke and the milky diversity that forms on the nose and tongue are near-perfect, too, and the overall groove of the blend is borderline decadent. This likely explains why this premium cigar blend is still in heavy production, and why Klaro will continue to sell and recommend it as a dark cigar for those looking for a consistent Brazilian banger. 

Overall Balance & Repeatability