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Initial Smoke

Cracked mixed peppercorns and spicy cedar swerve across the palate, while a pithy citrus aftertaste and retrohale bite back, making for one intense initiation stage. It only lasts for a few minutes, but there is no ignoring the potency of this section of the cigar prior to it settling into a smoother, creamier rhythm. When the blend does calm down, it's primarily thanks to some creamy, earthy walnut notes, which are backed by some latte foam and a secondary sprinkling of nutmeg. The draw is fluid without being too open, and smoke textures are already hitting medium, with flavor riding right alongside.

1st Half

Oh look, there's a splash of medium-roast coffee and some strong hardwood notes in the first third. What a pleasant unexpected surprise. Isn't it wonderful how it plays perfectly off those tangy and sweet cream cheese icing flavors? Are those effervescent Belgian golden ale attributes bubbling beneath the surface? I believe they are. Oh my... what a slapper of a first third this is.

Eventually, smoke flow performs a transition that allows sweet cedar and a far creamier, mellower series of tastes and textures to step forward. Nutty, milky, and slightly meaty in an umami sense of the word, this shift takes the taste buds on a splendid little side quest that's 100% worth exploring. Retrohales are still citrus-strong and sweet, allowing each exhale to reset the palate prior to the next puff. If only more Connecticut-seed cigars had this sort of concoction, or, at the very least, were able to maintain it for such lengthy periods of time.

2nd Half

Tastes of cranberry-studded pound cake hit my taste buds with all the power of... well... a pound of cake. Tart, fruity, fluffy, yogurt-loaded, and coated in tangerine-zest-infused icing, this fleeting moment of dessert bliss is without a doubt one of the greatest moments within the cigar. Some sticks allow it to linger a little longer within the second third; others keep it brief, giving you just a half-dozen puffs of the sweet stuff. Whichever it may be, it is best to appreciate it for all that it is, and retrohale heavily to bring those fruit notes forward.

As your taste buds wave farewell to that delightful slice of cake, spicy cedar and split hardwood start to steal its spot, with toasted oak staves being particularly prominent. Retrohales remain smooth and keep your nostrils firmly planted in the kitchen, with clove and cinnamon backing those aromatic nutmeg notes. With the texture and taste of the smoke remaining cream-tastic, a medium-sweet finish soon follows that, when combined with a partial retrohale, reminds me of a spiced horchata made with almond milk. Hot damn, what a way to finish out a final third...

Parting Puffs

Although the creamy texture of the smoke persists, there is some dryness associated with those increasingly strong wood top notes. But instead of turning into a bed of charred timber like certain blends, Numero Uno decides to go floral on you, with retrohales being the only area where a substantial amount of spiciness or heat can be felt. Nutty, smooth, and floral in an odd vegetal sense of the word, this tiny smoke is one that you will want to break out the poker or toothpick for so as to keep going for as long as possible.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

This has to be one of the best-burning slim cigars I have ever reviewed for Klaro. It may feel delicate in the hand, but this petit corona can hold one hell of an ash, which, once discarded, always reveals a perfect little cone hiding underneath. Unlike many skinny smokes, this one is a very slow burner, and it will not go out on you if you allow it to sit for a few minutes while you whip up another drink. Smoke textures are flat medium all the way through, and the draw never seems to be more or less than it should be, earning this one extra performance points.

Final Thoughts

Strange men sitting at booths, distributing cigars, is no basis for a system of stogie superiority. However, that's exactly what happened here, and suffice it to say, the hype is real with this blend. 

Not only is the Numero Uno one of the best Connecticut shade cigars I have sampled and reviewed since I started my tenure at Klaro, but this little L’Attache vitola dials the whole experience in perfectly by offering it all in concentrate form. As a stickler for performance perks and memorable aesthetics, I also found myself marveling over how this blend looked both before it was lit and the way in which it combusted. 

If I were to voice some petty complaints, which I shall do in my best peasant accent, they would start with that bite on the back of the throat in the last third that was equal parts sharp and spicy. Nothing to the point where it would blast a rabid rabbit to smithereens, but it was enough to make me reach for my flagon of mead to cool things down a tad. Oh, and I so wish those floral notes did not hold back until the last moment before showing themselves, for they would have added a whole other level of complexity to the final third, when cedar and toasted oak dominated the cigar flavor profile.

But hey, you can't have it all. Hell, if we did, this whole quest to find "the perfect cigar" would come to a close, and I would be out of a job, while you, the cigar smoker, would only puff one blend for the rest of your life.

And thus, with the holy hand grenade of utmost olfactory-pleasing power extinguished, I turn toward my next task, for tomorrow, the search for the holy grail of stogies begins anew. With my trusty, coconut-clacking squire by my side, and adventure looming inside the darkened caverns of the cigar humidor, my next fermented tobacco-based crusade awaits. But for now, I require rest. It not only provides me with some much-needed reprieve from this arduous journey, but also allows me to dream of a small side quest that will go down in the annals of history as "Number One."