MAY 19, 2021 - PHIL KURUT, COMEDY - CIGARS - MUSIC
BANDOLERO PICAROS (5 1/2 x 54)
WRAPPER: PROTECTED BY A SECRET NINJA SOCIETY.
BINDER: LOST IN THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE.
FILLER: BURIED WITH JIMMY HOFFA.
The wrapper is smooth and dang near perfect. No hard spots and free of any blemishes worth noting. Fruit, dry hay, and cream off the foot and wrapper hit the nose prior to light up.
Earthy sweetness and fruit lead the way upon lighting. The draw is perfect, and the smoke output is generous but not overdone. The retrohale pours through with earth and a leather/coffee combo. The coffee and leather are like the couple in the mall that HAS to hold hands. They finally stop holding hands as the finish comes on. Leather hurries into the hat store, coffee follows, and spice lingers a bit…very quietly. The foot smoke aroma brings on some wood, spice, and a faint molasses. Molasses is more than welcome to hop into the party on the draw. Come on, bud.
The burn line appears to be doing just fine on its own. It doesn’t seem to mind single life at all. No holding hands with this one yet.
Question. Why do couples in the mall walk so slowly? On the other hand, why do mall walkers walk so quickly? Speed walking. Maybe one of the funniest things to watch. Well, maybe not the funniest, but close. You think mall walkers are listening to death metal or hard core rap? Maybe both.
There’s this wood print on the band that reminds me of the old Pledge commercials. For the younger crowd, we used to dust with Pledge and a rag of some sort. Anyway.
Well into the first third, and the burn line is dang near perfect. The ash is solid and clean. No flaky dandruff from the Bandolero. This guy is coming off mild, but it feels like he wants to kick it up a notch. Earth, a generic sweetness, and generic fruit are the base of the draw. Black pepper spice and ginger ale are peeking in but not making much noise. The retrohale is clean as a whistle, giving me just the slightest earth note.
The finish. Now, the finish is interesting. Maybe. Coffee, earth, hay, and very subtle spice. That doesn’t seem interesting. I know. The interesting part is how the finish leaves my mouth feeling. It’s like that sensation you have after you bite a lemon, but there’s no lemon. It’s a tart feeling without the tart. Trust me, it makes sense.
As you might have read above in regards to the components of this cigar, well that information was ascertained from a combination of me deep diving into the World Wide Web, my imagination, and pure lies. Mostly my imagination and lies. And, I’ve already said too much.
That molasses I was hoping for is now taking the driver’s seat in the second third. Subtle but there, and I dig it. Earth, sweetness, and that flavorless tartness, which is more of a mouth feel than a flavor (hence the word flavorless), is also there. Flavorless tartness. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Maybe.
Earth, wood, and a very watered down dark chocolate find their way through my nose, and the finish brings a subdued coffee note with that flavorless tartness still messing with my tongue. Keep it clean, folks.
The burn is drifting a little more on me here in the second third, but as I reach for my lighter to bring it back on course, the burn looks me in the eye and says, “Give me a shot. Let me correct myself.” Okay. Go ahead. What a go-getter.
That aroma continues singing a pleasant tune. Excellent.
Wood, earth, sweetness, toastiness, and dark chocolate close out the Bandolero. The retrohale stays clean with the slightest bit of earth. Leather has replaced coffee, and that flavorless tartness holds down the finish.
Honorable mention on the flavor would go to plain oatmeal. Not a major player whatsoever, but it peeked in a few times during the second and final thirds.
No complaints in the draw and smoke output department, and even though the burn strayed from time to time, it never requested assistance and shot down any offers to help. No hand holding. Dang it.
The Bandolero, while a little mild for me, ended up being pretty enjoyable overall.
RATING: 3 / 4 - We walked through the mall together and never made it awkward.
SMOKE TIME: 1 hr. 54 mins.
Click HERE to watch the video review.