CigarSasquatch
Cigar Sasquatch Review of the La Flor Dominicana Chisel (6×54)
by , 08-01-2010 at 10:06 PM (15756 Views)
See the full original review here.
The strength of a honey bee is not in the sting but in the wing.
Bees appear to be aerodynamically incapable of flight. But they don’t let that bother them. They overcome gravity, not just with furious flapping of their undersized wings, but with a tiny, nearly imperceptible flourish at the peak of each wing stroke that shifts the balance of air pressure just enough to send them airborne.
There’s a lot of talk about the distinction between strength and power. Power comes from position or influence, strength comes from effort and sacrifice, from willpower and drive. Of course, such platitudes are the stuff of motivational posters and army recruitment videos. But there’s a reason for that. There is strength in might, but also in tenderness. There’s strength in passion and in subtlety. And there’s strength in control. A car’s power comes from the engine, but where would we be without brakes?
The La Flor Dominicana Chisel (6×54) exemplifies strength in cigars, with power and control. There’s no doubt, this is an intense cigar, but there’s more there than just power. There are subtlety and nuance, and the acknowledgement that power is not enough.
The Chisel features LFD’s signature all-ligero blend, with Dominican fillers and binder, and a dark oily Ecuadorian wrapper. I selected the dark natural, but it’s also available in a maduro. The most notable initial feature of the Chisel is its shape. It’s, well, a chisel, tapering to a half-inch wide point designed for a pleasant embouchure.
There is some debate about the proper way to open the Chisel, whether to cut a notch across the “blade” or to use a punch to open a hole in the flat “face” near the end. Don’t do either of these. The Chisel can be opened by simply pinching the head of the cigar parallel to the axis of tip, creating a perfect slit opening. If you’re worried about the wrapper splitting or some other problem, don’t. It works perfectly every time. The draw from the pinch is open and light, with no cracking or splitting. The head can also be moistened, softening the capa, and further simplifying the procedure.
The initial flavors are of intense dark tobacco, with heavy roasted earth and leather, and a hint of tangy bourbon. Pace yourself: you can feel a nicotine tingle from the heady ligeros. The burn wanders persistently, and requires regular maintenance, producing a gray ash which is flat and generally not well-formed.
Within the second inch, the flavors developed a thick layer of dark caramelized wood, with an extraordinary deep, rich character which continues to darken and intensify throughout the long slow burn. The finish is long and oaky.
I rate this cigar 8.6. It’s a unique figurado, with intensity and depth, strength and flavor. It loses points for persistent burn issues, which might improve with slightly drier aging.
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