Saint Luis Rey Rothchilde Maduro

Saint Luis Rey Reserva Especial Rothchilde Maduro. 5x50. Dark dry wrap with pronounced veins and uneven surface. Cut was terrible, requiring several passes to get clean across. Draw was poor pre-light, but much better down the stick. Burn was poor, with the filler burning far faster than the binder or wrap. I had to relight the wrap to get it back on track. Aromas of hard wood, walnut, rich leaf. Ash clung a good two inches before the fall, dark gray at first, becoming cleaner mid-way. Taste of sweated tobacco in the first third. More rich, creamy tastes moving the second. Some pepper notes toward the band. By the final third, it was finally a proper, enjoyable smoke.

Normally, I'd blame all these shortcomings on improper storage. However, looking at the cut crown at the start, it's clear that the cigar was packed unevenly, resulting in the poor cut, inconsistent draw, and abysmal first-third burn. As the ash reached its first inch, empty pockets appeared, further revealing its poor construction. The ingredients are clearly here, just not the build. Because I've had good smokes from SLR before, my bet is that this was constructed by a rookie at the plantation.

Technically, a Rothchild(e) cigar is 4.5x48. This cigar is actually a Toro, even after factoring in the crown and foot, so even that was not correct. Some apprentice messed this up this otherwise fine cigar. They need to shadow their masters a little longer.

From the company:

"Looking for a great cigar? Look no further than the Saint Luis Rey Maduro. Expertly crafted in Honduras, these exquisite cigars are beautifully packaged in lovely semi-boite nature boxes. Saint Luis Rey cigars achieve their exceptional full flavor and enticing aroma through a unique blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian long filler tobaccos, a Nicaraguan binder and a San Andrés Morrón wrapper. It is a bold, full-bodied smoke with rich tastes of coffee and tobacco that will please the experienced cigar smoker."

This cigar was problematic from the start, but got better mid-way.

Pockets in the ash from the poor build. I'll have to revisit this one.