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Initial Smoke

With a wallop of white pepper on the tongue and nose, and a salty rice cracker note following up on the palate, initiation is a zesty affair. These top notes are soon joined by the sweet, tart taste of dark berry preserves, and as they evolve, the finish grows longer, more oak-heavy, and delicious. Retrohales are intensely floral and cedar-backed, and when blended with what is being tasted, overall first impressions are profoundly potent. On a side note, there are these rogue waves of coffee grounds, which definitely don't belong, and thankfully are quarantined to this section of the cigar.  

1st Half

Stronger French oak flavors and dryness, and a powerful floral aromatic cause the first third to come alive with great gusto. Still tangy and dark berry-like, with just a sliver of sweetness, flavors begin to form a fresh array of tasting notes for the tongue to detect. Creamy, Connecticut Shade tastes expand and are supported by stronger tastes of raw pecans and a medium-bodied milkiness. 

Much of the cigar's spiciness is now confined to a handful of rye grain, which gradually grows as the white pepper recedes. Those salted rice crackers have returned, and they fit nicely alongside these grainy, spicier tastes. But that French oak is impossible to avoid, and it casts a long shadow over all of the subtler flavors, continuously drying them out. The only area it has little sway over is the retrohale, which continues to be milky, fruity, and flower-bouquet-based. Eventually, this turns into a combusted mixture that reminds me of a floral incense of some sort, and makes for some sensational aromatics. 

2nd Half

Teasing the tongue with tastes of vanilla, the wrapper on the cigar works hard to keep the stronger innards of the blend from taking over. To do so, all of those raw pecans get a bit of roasting, and with warm baking spices stirring inside, the taste buds start to salivate. Those fruity, dark berry compote notes are more brazen than before and have become sweeter, allowing sticky tastes and textures to strike the senses every other puff. 

By the time you get to the last third, the blend has formed a near-flawless cinnamon-coated graham cracker taste, and to balance this fiery baking spice, the brown sugar has moved toward the front. Retrohales have gotten buttery, and images of raw pie crust come to mind. That floral incense attribute has returned to its freshly cut flower bouquet roots, and continues to keep the strong oak flavors from overloading you with tannins. Hints of grassiness can be found here and there, which normally I would find undesirable, but in this blend it works, so I tally them up as a bonus.

Parting Puffs

Medium in body thanks to the smoke's texture becoming oilier in nature, parting puffs preps you for a delightful closure well ahead of its arrival. Although the cigar certainly is spicier here than in any other area, it is also rounder and sweeter, with those tart berry flavors prancing around inside each exhale. No char or bitterness. Just rich smoking pleasure and that phenomenal, floral finishing flurry of aromatics filling the air. 

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Ash drops in each third, and some uncoordinated burn lines near where that soft spot in the center of the cigar was located were my biggest burn issues with my review cigar. So, no touch-ups, but there were some unsightly combustion snags along the way for sure. I find the draw on these cigars to be overly fluid too, so a conservative cut or a punch is highly recommended. 

The ash itself is decent-looking enough when it does build, and beyond some cracks and flakes, it holds together pretty well, at least until it drops in your lap. As for the smoke's texture, that is an A+ element, as it sits right at medium body and has just the right amount of oiliness to make it feel lush upon the tongue and nose.

Final Thoughts

Although it most certainly is not a perfect cigar, I feel that the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 2 is a cut above the first generation of the blend. Yes, it most certainly is spicier and richer, but this second version is also sweeter, creamier, and far more floral. Those sweet-and-sour berry compote notes, which surely stem from the wine cask used, are absolutely amazing, and I liked how they built in presence as the cigar burned. 

Transitions were smooth and flowed without a hitch from one section to the next, smoke output was immense and finely textured, and the overall magnitude of those retrohales was borderline euphoric. Potent and well-planned, each area of the cigar brought its own layer of subtlety and strength to the tasting table, and I admire how the blend remained well-balanced from beginning to end.

My only main issues with the cigar were its rugged, unlit appearances, the ash drops that occurred time and time again, and the way in which the oak notes blanketed the senses, instead of adding nuance to the mix. Draw rates were also a concern, for I feared overheating the cigar every time that cone lit up. Thankfully, no char or bitterness came of it, but the threat did loom heavy overhead from first light.

Would I suggest smoking this blend if the first release rocked your world, or at the very least, left you with a favorable impression? In a heartbeat, yes, I would recommend this one. It may have come out a few years back, but the blend is still smoking extremely well, if not better than ever, and the balance it maintains is near-perfect as far as I am concerned. Just don't think that you are going to be getting a light smoking experience when you pick one up, because for all of its refinement, this cigar is anything but subdued.

Overall Balance & Repeatability