Initial Smoke 

After getting popped with a rather sizable peppery punch upon light (which is not present in every stick), slices of fruitcake studded with walnuts and a sweet mixture of mulled wine and mixed licorice settle in. As expected, the draw is superb, and the smoke formation that follows is fluid and medium.

1st Half

Chestnuts roasting over the smoldering bones of evil oligarchs, and that classic German spelt bread flavor, when the dough has been fortified with dark ale, make Father Krampus grin every time the first third begins. A touch of chocolate milk here, some roasted coconut shavings there, and a hint of coffee bitterness behind them both make for an impressive after-dinner cigar flavor profile.

Settling into a steady groove of roasted coffee retrohales, leading to a sweet, creamy, rather lengthy, leather-like finish, gives the pudgy midsection of this little smoke all the right gifts. Mellower in texture and balance, but also bolder in flavor, the blend builds to almost medium-full, but manages to remain a few jingles behind this threshold.  

2nd Half

In the second half, herbal cough drop medicinal herbal notes make a brief appearance, surely stemming from the licorice and leather mixture. Roasty and steadily growing richer every third puff, the taste of brewer's malts continues to steer the sleigh toward an even more flavorful final third.

Strong oak flavors and a touch of creosote from the chimney land right where the middle of the cigar band once sat. Retrohales have grown lighter in texture, but tastes upon the tongue have significantly jumped in potency and presentation. Black patent and coffee brewer's malts replace caramel and Munich varietals from earlier, and eventually transform into an espresso bean flavor profile. Body continues to toy with the idea of going full, but stays medium to medium-full in texture, while a darker, stronger, more sinister finish leads to the finale that is to follow.

Parting Puffs

For but a brief moment there, the taste of roasted coconut and chocolate milk returns. Only to be punched in the privates by a dry, bittersweet cocoa and coffee bean mixture that is more bitter than sweet. Still medium in body, but slightly more medicinal in flavor and growing in acidity and char, Father Krampus claims that the final moments of the review smoke he assessed was not nearly as smooth as the other two Devil Crab blends he burned before it. 

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Construction and combustion continue to be a consistent strong suit for this stogie. That winning combo of squat and fat, with a taper to both ends, really does a lot for the ash's formation and hold. Evenly spaced carbon ring draw lines, prickles of tooth surfacing in the reindeer bone white ash, and a rounded cone after each discard prove that this cigar really has the chops to compete with the best burners on the market. Neither Father Krampus nor I have ever felt the need to augment or assist the burn on one of these sticks.

Back on the palate, the draw is balanced, and somewhere between fluid and medium-firm, and the feel of the medium to medium-full smoke is astoundingly good. All together, this makes for a near-perfect score. The only issues are this cigar's tendency to allow its burn lines to roam a bit in the first third, and the intense heat that could be felt at times in the second half, both in the hand and on the tongue.

Final Thoughts

Father Krampus sure did find a kick-ass blend for puffing on in his lair this year, as he patiently waits for that big night to come. Devil Crab is both fruity and festive at times, dark and brooding at others, rich and oily most certainly, and surprisingly metered when it comes to darkness, bitterness, and body.

Personally, I could give two shits as to whether or not West Tampa's founder and master blender, Rick Rodriguez, is on the naughty list or not this year. As long as he keeps cranking out unique little medium-powered smokes such as this, I think he's going to secure a massive cigar cult following. Which makes me wonder...

If Rick leaves a box of these stubby bad boys under the tree for Father Krampus, would that finally get him off the naughty list? Ha! Not likely.

Happy holidays, ya'll. We'll catch you in the next review.