Initial Smoke 

Cedar and salt carve their names across the tongue first, and work fluidly with the taste of cinnamon toast and butter that follows. Light and milky hot chocolate, a touch of horchata, and more roasted mixed nuts reward the senses with more smells than textures, which are cool, creamy, and not a pinch bitter or spicy.

1st Half

As sassafras mixes with the Spanish cedar notes, an enchanting first third begins to unfold, and the whole blend plays with a custom blend of ancient herbal aromatics before going dark on you. This is more of a milk chocolate and cold brew coffee sort of maduro opacity, and it tastes right at home alongside those creamy cashew nut and pecan secondary tastes.

Retrohales remain medium, and not a spot bitter or spicy, the sweet cedar and slightly dry finish pull the strings behind the scenes. Out front, a clean maduro mixture of coffee, cocoa, dark soil, and an engaging, milky texture within the smoke keeps the taste buds thoroughly satisfied. It's a medium vibe that doesn't seem to be in any hurry to change, and that's perfectly fine with me.

2nd Half

A change does eventually occur, as cinnamon and the spiciness associated with it, sprawl across the tongue and seep into the nostrils. Body has built to a medium to medium-full level, and a trickle of sweetness has made the finish feel rounder, as the dryness from earlier wets to the sugars inside the tobacco. 

Aromatics are increasingly roasty and growing richer with every puff, and although the milky flavor profiles of horchata and mocha still stand at the front, a change feels like it is in the air after each exhale. Ah, there it is. The unmistakable taste of sweet black licorice and sappy cedar, both signaling that the last big shift is about to take place and that parting puffs are probably going to rock my socks off.

Parting Puffs

Those licorice notes remain both sweetly medicinal and soothing on the tongue, with darker cups of coffee coming in behind each draw. Lengthy torpedo tapers always add a certain level of intrigue to parting puffs, as the gradual decrease in filler leaf allows the wrapper and binder to shine one last time. In this case, that means allowing sappy cedar, medium pepper spice, and a slight astringency to grow with every retrohale and oral exhale.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Beyond needing a second, slightly deeper cut to boost flow, this striking-looking torpedo truly delivered from a performance standpoint. The ash was massive, burn lines were practically flush, and with every tap in the ashtray, a perfectly formed cone appeared underneath. Smoke texture built from medium to medium-full along the way, and there was never any additional need for my torch to aid in burn linearity.

Final Thoughts

What else can I say, other than, "What are you waiting for?"

The Black Series II from Cavalier has to be one of the better medium maduro cigars on the market today, and I have yet to encounter a bad one. Flavor profiles, aromatics, unlit appearances, and burn rates all remain consistent stick-to-stick, and beyond a bit of astringency in parting puffs, there isn't much to bitch about. 

In fact, my only real complaint is that unlit aromas and flavors are so damn good that the combustion of the blend seems to fall a few feet short of what is promised prelight. It's not enough to make me rethink my cigar selection, but it certainly does cause me to hold off on lighting this marvelous maduro up for just a few minutes longer, as I savor the unlit tastes of that delicious tobacco leaf.