Black Label Trading Co. Memento Mori

By Tony Casas | August 1, 2022

I’ve been looking forward to this one. This week’s review is Black Label Trading Co.’s Memento Mori paired with Foam Brewing’s Spelled in Bones imperial stout beer.

The Good Stuff:

Created at Black Label Trading Co.’s Fabrica Oveja Negra factory in Nicaragua, the Memento Mori is created using a Pennsylvanian Broadleaf wrapper over A Ecuadorian Habano binder and all Nicaraguan fillers. The Memento Mori is offered in three sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Corona (5 1/2 x 42), and Lonsdale (6 1/2 x 46). Each comes packaged in boxes of 20 running between $10.50 and $12 a stick and is limited to only 850 boxes being released in the U.S.

• Size: 5 x 50
• Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Body: Full
• Strength: Medium/Full
• Price: $11
• Pairing: Foam Brewers Spelled in Bones (Imperial Stout 10% ABV)

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co. Memento Mori starts out with a crazy dark, almost black consistent wrapper. The wrapper’s texture is slightly toothy with a whole ton of oils coating it. The wrapper is laid perfectly over itself while sporting a few larger veins. The wrapper’s foot is inclosed as it lays over the filler tobacco. The Memento Mori sports a sharp, pointed cap and a black and white band with a skull and the Memento Mori logo across the front. The cigar feels very hard and tightly packed with absolutely no soft-spots to be found.

The wrapper on the Memento Mori gives off mostly sweet honey, cocoa, and musk. The foot of the cigar is much of the same since the filler is enclosed by the wrapper leaf. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces a ton of spice and pepper over sweet chocolate and natural tobacco.

First Third:

The Black Label Trading Co. starts out with a black of cayenne pepper which left my lips tingling. This faded very quickly allowing the cigar to release bold honey sweetness, milk chocolate, vanilla, black pepper, musk, and black cherry. While the cigar is packed tightly, the draw was effortless. Each little puff kicked out a great amount of thick, white smoke which hung out for a very long time before dissipating while the cigar releases only a small amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is ultra thin and dead even leaving behind a trail of white, compacted ash which held on for an inch before giving way.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Memento Mori and the milk chocolate mixed with black cherry flavors are leading the charge backed by soft vanilla, sweet honey, musk, and an awesome black licorice that keeps popping in and out. The retrohale brings some of the pepper back into the mix. The cigar is still burning perfectly and I close out the second third with only a tiny little nicotine kick.

Finish:

The final third is much of the same. Lots of milk chocolate and black cherry with notes of black licorice, sweet honey, and musk. In the final inch and a half a really badass colonge/floral flavor started to take over the profile. I just with this happened sooner in the experience. The cigar took about an hour and half to smoke down to the nub. There was no harshness, no extended heat, and I finish out with only a small nicotine kick. I didn’t want this one to end.

Overview:

The Memento Mori is a great example of the rich flavors, complexity, and great profile that I have grown to love with Black Label Trading Co. The cigar kept me on my toes from start to finish and delivered in every aspect. These may be sold in out most cases, but I will be chasing a few more down to keep in my rotation when I am craving a more complex cigar that won’t knock me on my ass.

Pairing:

Spelled in Bones is a 10% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with vanilla bean, ancho chili peppers, cinnamon and lactose by Foam Brewers in Vermont. The beer starts with a blast of vanilla sweetness, roasted malt, mild cinnamon, and a great mile burst piloncillo with a lighter mouthfeel before finishing with more chocolate, bolder cinnamon and just a touch of pepper on the aftertaste. The alcohol is crazy-well hidden as this beer is super crushable for a 10% ABV stout. The pepper from the chili, the sweet chocolate and vanilla paired so well with the flavors in the Black Label Trading Co. Memento Mori making for a sweet pairing.