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Partagas "Cortado"

Oliva "Gilberto Oliva Reserva Blanc"

Gran Habano "Connecticut #1"

Initial Smoke

Ignition is a pleasant blend of sweet, tart, doughy, spicy, and creamy flavors and textures. Mild-to-medium in body and flavor at first, the ascent begins with a fair deal of spicy cedar on retrohale, followed by some sappiness on the tongue that is balanced by some thrashed hay and a few bites of wholegrain cracker. As the fluid draw performs its duties, things gradually grow sappier as you near the first third's starting point, and the whole blend begins to open up.

1st Half

Doused in vanilla and rolling sweet cream, the familiar Connecticut Shade flavor wheel starts to spin, landing on those honey and hay notes here, some bready dough tastes there, and a far more medium body than before. There's a hint of yeasty funk building inside, though, and it isn't earthy or sourdough-inspired, but something else. And as I smoke, pops of smoked hickory come and go, adding some chest hair to this baby butt, smooth-looking cigar.

By the second third, strong cereal grain flavors have formed, and there's a dried, steel-cut oat creaminess to keep the spiciness found within the finish in check. More bold than mellow, retrohales hold true to those resinous cedar scents, and while the finish does eventually grow sweet once more, there's some sharpness to the smoke that can be felt on the palate and larynx.

2nd Half

Hit the second half, and the blend gets grassy, and I start to search for additional flavors to complement and/or overpower this stronger taste. The cigar manages to produce some added doughiness in this section, which does a decent job of offsetting all those lawn clippings, but that Kentucky Bluegrass has grown waste-high by now and is getting pretty tough to mow down. 

Eventually, hits of tree nuts and a glass of milk swoop in, and as the spiciness on the taste buds and nostrils subsides, a dried balsa wood flavor forms. Even then, there's a sharpness to the smoke that continues to distract me from the flavors I am attempting to detect, and it forces me to taste the grassy notes even when I don't want them on my plate anymore. By now, the cigar has hit medium all around, and the slow burn rate of the blend has formed a splendid ash that keeps the smoke's heat levels in check. More on that later though...

Parting Puffs

Although it still may be a bit sharp on the palate, those retrohales grow quite silky in parting puffs, which is a wonderful surprise. A pinch of that pastry dough remains, but now it is getting a touch burnt around the edges in the toaster oven. As the last of the balsa wood fades away, a cedar and salt taste takes on the job of making the final transition a reality. It's a good, but not great, way to close things out, and I am not left with much in the way of char, resin, bitterness, or tar, so I tack this section up as a win.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Plasencia production quality shines within every Epicure cigar blend I have smoked, and this stick was no different. But unlike this blend's far darker Epicure Maduro doppelganger, which can be puffed at almost any pace, this one requires some finesse in order to remain on point. Smoking slowly, timing those puffs, and keeping each draw steady results in a sharp burn, a lovely ash, and very little heat or unpleasant bitterness. Stray from these rules, and you run the risk of the whole smoke running amok, so puff with care, ya'll.  

Final Thoughts

We shall start with the good points I find within the lightest installment in the Crux Epicure line, which are numerous enough to keep the blend on my recommendation list. When treated with care, it's a great burning blend that looks great and hits many of the high notes that Connecticut Shade smokers search for in such a stick. Smooth sections offer enjoyable moments of doughy, sweet, creamy, bright tobacco tastes, and the transitions within each third tend to be consistent and well-timed. 

I was, however, put off by some of the sharpness detected on the tongue and nose, and the spiciness that jumps out in areas can be a dash bewildering for those expecting a smooth ride start to finish. All of that grassiness in the second half also felt too heavy-handed, and I struggled to find subtler flavors underneath all that lawn care.

Yet even then, there are going to be a lot of smokers who read this who will find these notes to be to their liking. So, if you can handle a bit of bite, a touch of spicy heat, and are down with some grass flavors, this one will likely hit you right. Just don't expect an ultra-mild smoke session, and be prepared for more of a medium-bodied build than a willowy one.

Flavor, Aroma & Transitions

Overall Balance & Repeatability