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Unlit Impressions

I cannot recall the last time I smoked a panatela cigar that was this short. At just 5 inches long, this flag-capped, 38-ring-gauge stick is one of the smallest cigars Klaro has ever stocked, and outside of some unfermented chlorophyll forming near the foot, the little stick looks snazzy. Ok, so the satin blue band is a bit bulky, but at least it teaches you how to spell Rauchvergnügen properly.

Extremely soft to the touch, almost to the point of being spongy, the wrapper emits scents of hay roasting in the summer heat above all else. Beneath this aroma rests a light doughiness and a chunk or two of sweet candied ginger. Not much else can be found beyond that though, so I turn toward the foot.

Sweet smells of German brewing malts and spicy ginger ale join a landslide of loam and earth, only to plop down atop a big-ass slice of buttered toast. Mmm... breakfast cigars...

Unlit draws offer cookie dough and cedar at first tug and lend themselves to a slightly sweet, herbal aftertaste that seems to be a touch stale and completely devoid of spiciness. This is possibly due to the lack of long-filler leaves inside, so I would be curious to see how one of the larger vitolas tastes prelight. 

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Initial Smoke

Well, I take it back. This cigar is rather spicy, but only once lit. So much so, that I found myself slurping on my Japanese ginger ale far sooner than planned during my review. 

It's not just hot Szechuan peppers and excessive spins of the pepper grinder that are lighting the lips and larynx up though. A large amount of the heat seems to come from all of the baking spices that are being detected, with cinnamon and allspice being the top two. There's also some ginger strength in there, along with a fair deal of straw and baking dough upon retrohale, which leads to a sensational aromatic and delicate sweetness.

1st Half

Significantly stronger but not as spicy on the tongue, the whole experience transforms into finished culinary dishes and drinks swiftly. Mixed baking spices and a syrupy sweetness meld and transform into a craft cola, whereas the raw doughiness from the prior becomes a pretzel taste once heated up and mixed with some coarse sea salt.

Medium-bodied, but quite full-flavored and borderline full-strength, the smoke turns darker in complexity in the second third as the filler and binder bring soil forth. Fields of fermented hay and a lick of ginger spice continue to lighten the finish up just enough to make you feel that the cigar is smoking lighter than it actually is. The draw is fluid but burning hot, and after almost twenty minutes the ash has nearly hit the center of the barrel and it is almost time to remove the band. 

2nd Half

Still doughy and slightly salty, spice levels soar in the second half thanks to the arrival of black and red pepper. Maybe it is Szechuan like GEC says on its website, but with this much pepper on the tongue already it is hard to tell. Cedar finally arrives at this moment, and somehow it applies the brakes on that rapid burn rate. 

With a much slower combustion in effect, subtle tastes of minerals and stone are detectable... at least for a moment. The fiery finish on this cigar remains pretty damn intense and burns almost anything it touches, thus encouraging me to crack open a second can of ginger ale. 

Parting Puffs

Higher levels of alkalinity lend some grounding power to whatever is left over from the hay and straw from earlier but soon are overcome by physical heat and a fireball of peppery flavor. Too harsh to smoke, I set the nub down and returned to my Bucksaw Cigar Journal to jot down a few closing notes.  

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Perfect levels of resistance when drawn, accompanied by a marvelous amount of medium-bodied smoke each exhale could not keep me from disliking the level of care that was required to keep this tiny panatela vitola burning. Puff too fast and it gets hot. Go to slow and you run the risk of it going out. It's a constant guessing game of smoker's roulette with this one, all compounded by the need to puff not once but twice to get enough smoke flowing.

Further issues arose as the ash grew flakier further down, prompting a large touch-up in the second third. This likely caused the blend to taste even more intense than it should have and ultimately left my lips tingling.

Final Thoughts 

There is so much about the RVGN #21 blend that I enjoy, but this petite panatela vitola would not be my first choice. When the cigar flavor profiles and aromatics are spot on, it is a really intriguing and rather delicious smoke. However, when things get a bit hot, they get really hot. So consider this smoke, in the size seen here, as more of a fun novelty cigar than a true representation of what this blend can offer. 

Sure, the adorable size and flag cap are quirky and cute, but the heat intensity, burn rate, and general imbalance of spiciness found throughout were a bit off-putting. Remember, here at Klaro we always try to smoke at least one or two of the same vitola prior to reviewing a cigar, and both times I experienced the same burn issues and even more fiery flavors during the actual on-screen review process.

Therefore, my suggestion is to opt for the robusto vitola instead so that you can get a much more balanced, slow-burning, minty cool smoke session as advertised. Chances are all of those doughy pretzel notes will be even more abundant, and the construction, smoke production, and slow burn rate that made the utterly delightful Raumzeit so ridiculously good will surely shine in this equally unique offering from GEC.  

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