Initial Smoke

  Exotic baking and tea spices upon the nose, and sweet dark fruits across the tongue, Ruby wastes no time in telling you that she is here to have a good time. Puff a bit deeper, and you may even discover some hidden pockets of cedar and light soil, as a fiery pop of peppercorn punts spicy sensations straight to your sniffer. 

In true "foot lock" fashion, combustion is clean and incredibly aromatic, and initial light is a breeze to set in motion. GPC definitely made a good investment when it patented this folded, semi-closed foot design. 

1st Half

Sour cherry makes its strongest showing in the first third, and is perfectly balanced by a sticky serving of sappy cedar and some more topsoil. Inside, cinnamon-coated graham crackers and a plop of vanilla pudding push aside any spiciness from initial impressions, allowing the tongue and nose the ability to explore without trepidation. It's a creamy, crunchy, toasty, spiced, juicy start that brings its A-game every time. 

By the time the second third is reached, notes of darker terroir and leather have become key players, and with the return of that sour mash grain bill comes a side of the cigar that is a full notch above medium. Cigar flavor profiles of sun-grown leaf shine in this moment, and are best approached without any comparison to food, flower, forest, farm, or any other familiar form of analogy. Just sit back, relax, and embrace the cigar for what it truly is: A complex clump of heavily aged, deeply fermented plant leaves that were raised in direct sunlight for much of their life.

2nd Half

Halfway down the barrel, and the need for another analogy becomes apparent, as milk chocolate tastes and a chalkier, medium soil note have emerged. Met with equally lighter amounts of leather, along with macadamia nuts and a crust of dried toast, and an eddy in the whirlpool of tastes and aromas is exposed. 

However, this break from the continued ascent to medium-full status is short-lived, and before long, the cigar sucks you down into an even darker and deeper maelstrom of magnificence. There, you will surely find hidden levels of pepper spice, cedar, salt, and a nutty creaminess that gradually grows bitter in a most pleasant manner. Retrohales still manage to be silky soft on the nose hairs, and the more you puff, the more you may recognize milder secondary notes of herbal tinctures and licorice.

All of this makes for an outstanding center section and an even better close to the core of the barrel, which has, as advertised, elevated itself to medium-full status on every account. 

Parting Puffs

Darker in flavor and a fair deal heavier in body, the last of this blend is a bold one that refuses to relinquish its composure. Dark dried fruits from pre-light pile upon oily leather, as the cedar and salt mixture grows strong to balance these notes. The finish is sweet and long, and even with an increase in spiciness, the cigar's flavor profiles and aromatics remain incredibly clean, all the way up until it is time to set that nub down.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

The 1502 Ruby is just one more outstanding example of what a solid box-pressed cigar can offer. From first light to last puff, the blend burned with precision and purpose. Draws were consistent throughout, smoke quantities were medium-full, and the cone that was left exposed after each ash roll was picture-grade worthy. Zero complaints or concerns to be found here, so let's get around to a final assessment, eh?

Final Thoughts

Sweet upon the lips and longing to be tasted, the "everyman's cigar" from GPC truly does achieve its goal of offering medium-full amounts of everything. Fruity, spiced, leather-like, soil-strong, and undeniably sun-grown, this box-pressed gem is a real delight for anyone who found the 1502 Emerald to be a tad too tame.

Even when I was feeling that the cigar was shying away from its goal of going harder than before, it managed to do so, without compromising smoothness or balance in the process. So unlike its timid little brother, the middle child in the 1502 line does manage to pull off some utterly astounding transitional feats, and does a damn good job of behaving itself in the process. 

Now, I guess it is time to move onward to the next level in GPC's impressive 1502 lineup: The incredibly bold 1502 Black Gold. Let's get to it, shall we?