Saint Luis Rey Serie G Belicoso

I enjoy 4-6 cigars a day; lightweights in the morning (Honduran, Dominican, and/or CSG wrappers), middleweights in the afternoon (Sumatran, Brazilian, Cameroon, and/or Nicaraguan wrappers) and Cubans in the evening...I love many different kinds of cigars, and am not biased; I don't criticize or negatively judge a stick for not satisfying me, because there are so many different kinds of wrappers out there, each with there own unique characteristics-and we all are in different moods throughout the day, and my theory is that there is a particular cigar for each moment, to suit such moods...however, if it is a bad stick, (one that wouldn't satisfy at any time)-I'll tell ya! that being said, here is my review:...I saw one reviewer call the wrapper oscuro...incorrect.....these are handmade in Honduras, with a Conneticut broadleaf maduro wrapper, Conneticut sweet-leaf binder, with Honduran and Nicaraguan longfiller tobaccos...the veiny wrappers won't win any beauty pagents, slightly oily, and spongey in the hand, with average construction, adequate draw...prelight aroma of bakers chocolate, and a decent prelight draw to match...I was pleasantly suprised to find no initial phase to this cigar! Instantly launched into the first phase after lighting-enjoyed the rich, unmistakeable flavor of bakers chocolate; not sweet-just cocoa...this graduated into the second phase and melded with very nice, slightly spicey woody notes, the wood was dominate, but the chocolate was still present...a most memorable finnish...the wood melded with rich leathery notes, and the spice built to a fantastic crescendo, though it never got acrid! A VERY complex three tiered journey that I will not soon forget...the finnish was reminiscent of the world beloved Cuban Hoyo double corona...that same morrocan leather-though at 1/3 the potency (flavor wise), and not quite as chewy...still, the likeness is distinct...one thing I loved about this stick: the 3 phases melted together, building in intensity...to something truely beautifull...more strength than I suspected at first, probably not fit for the golf course...a lovely after dinner, or after work cigar if you don't smoke as much as I do, for me, this is a satifying smoke after lunch... Highly recommend.

The look was nice and oily and very dark oscuro wrapper. The feel was somewhat spongey and the draw was very light. upon light up and the flavor was very mild and no real discernable flavor. the light draw and the non existant flavor made me throw it at about 1/4 the way I tryed three more with the same result. It is not the solid construction of the st. louie line up or the quality of tobacco. You can do much better for a lot less.

ATMOSPHERE: Smoked at my local B&M. Sat by myself in the corner so that I could give my full attention to the cigar. Paired with water.
PRE-SMOKE:
Scent: Both the wrapper and foot had a wonderful nutty, chocolate smell.
Appearance: Beautiful jet black wrapper that made me think it was going to be a strong smoke. One long medium sized vein but otherwise perfect construction
Feel: A bit more soft and spongy than I would prefer.
Pre-light draw: No tingling. Bitter chocolate taste.
SMOKE:
Flavor: very nice bitter chocolate and roasted nuts (similar to hazelnut) flavor. Leather taste appeared at about the half way point. Not a lot of sweetness. No harshness whatsoever. One of the most "nutty" cigars I have ever had.
Strength: Medium-bodied with no hint at all of being full. Much milder that its dark wrapper would suggest.
Feeling: a bit spongy in the mouth. I like to chew on cigars when I smoke them and this was a bit too soft for that.
Scent of Smoke: Suprisingly much sweeter than the taste. Smell of nuts, sweet chocolate and vanilla (I think). Very nice!
Heat: None on either fingers or mouth.
Draw: Perfect!!! Tons of smoke and even a good amount when not drawing. Razor sharp burn line that I did not need to correct at all.
Finish: Pretty short but not very dry...I did not feel a strong urge to constantly be reaching for my drink like with a lot of cigars.
OTHER:
Ash: nice speckled grey that was good and strong. Took a hard knock to ash at the 1.5" point.
Duration: Took me about 1.5 hrs to nub it...but I smoke fairly fast.
CONCLUSION:
Very good medium-bodied maduro that I could easily imagine pairing with a cup of coffee in the morning. Did not have as much cocoa/sweetness as a lot of maduros but the roasted nut taste came out more than I have experienced in other cigars. Smoke had a much sweeter smell than its taste which I have never experienced before. My only complaint was that it was a little more soft and spongy than I would prefer (although this had no effect on the draw). I am guessing that this had a lot to do with the fact that I smoked it right out of the B&M humidor. I find that many cigars smoke better when they are stored for awhile at a bit lower RH than the 70% used at most B&M's. I bought another one before I left to store in my own humidor for awhile and try again. I would definitely recommend this to any maduro fans out there.