Black Label Trading Co. Morphine

Another beautiful spring-style Sunday here in good ol’ El Paso comforts me as I retreat to my backyard with a Black Label Trading Co’s Morphine in one hand and a can of The Bruery’s So Happens It’s a Tuesday with Coffee in the other. 

The Good Stuff:

Mophine was created to celebrate Black Label Trading’s 5th anniversary and was the company’s first limited edition cigar ever released. Morphine is created at Black Label Trading Co.’s own factory in Esteli, Nicaragua the Fabrica Oveja Negra. The Morphine is composed of a Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper and Nicaraguan Habano wrapper over all Nicaraguan fillers. The cigar is offered if 3 sizes: Corona 5.5 x 42, Lancero Double Wrapper (7.25 x 42) and Short Corona or Robusto (4.5 x 50) running between $10.50 and $11.50 a stick. I got this one for my buddy Andrew over at Lucas Tobacco in Las Cruces, New Mexico who always carries the greatest boutique blends including tons of Black Label Trading Co.’s goodies. 

Size: 4.5 x 50
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Price: $10.50
Pairing: The Bruery So Happens It’s a Tuesday w/ Coffee (Imperial Stout 14.7% ABV)

Prelight:

The Black Label Trading Co.’s Morphine starts out with a crazy dark, beautiful, consistently dark brown wrapper. The color is about as dark brown as you can get before the color turns black. The wrapper itself is very smooth and silky with a good amount of oils coating it as it’s laid seamlessly over itself exposing almost not veins or webbing leading up tot the cigar’s round, pigtail style cap. The Morphine sports two bands and black and white foot band with the word “Morphine” printed accross the front as well as a bigger back with a crowned skull over a butterfly as well as Black Label Trading Co’s crest. 

The wrapper on the Black Label Trading Co’s Morphine gives off bold aromas of deep oak, strong tobacco, and vanilla while the foot of the cigar carries more spice, pepper, and earthiness. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO cutter. The cold draw produces some great black cherry, strong tobacco, and deep oak flavors. 

First Half:

The Black Label Trading Co.’s Morphine lets loose a flurry of black and cayenne pepper when it’s first lit up leaving my tongue and lips tingling. After the first few puffs the pepper starts to drop off and I am left with some really bold oak, black cherry, vanilla, spice, and bold tobacco. This cigar already starts off in the full arena and I doubt the body will dip down very much. The draw is flawless as each and every little puff kicks out a great amount of thick, white smoke while the cigar releases just a slight amount of thin stationary smoke as it rests in my ashtray. The burn line has some slight waves, but there is also breezy out so that may be adding to the affect. The ash left behind is bright white and tightly compacted holding on for about 3/4 of an inch before giving way. 

Second Half:

Into the second half of The Black Label Trading Co.’s Morphine and the cigar hasn’t let up one bit in the body department pouring out gobs of oak, black cherry, vanilla, spice, bold tobacco and dark coffee with some soft pepper and floral flavors. The retrohale kills me with spice and pepper so I don’t find myself doing it too much. I am definitely feeling the nicotine in this little beast as well. I took me an hour to smoke the Morphine down to the nub and I experienced no harshness nor extended heat. While there was some wavy moments I never once had to reach for my lighter to tough up or relight the cigar. 

Overview:

I’ve said it time and time again, I am a huge fan of Black Label Trading Co’s portfolio and the Morphine is no exception. Its an incredibly bold cigar in both body and strength with a complex profile that could easily kick a novice cigar smoker’s ass. That being said this wasn’t my favorite cigar by them. It’s fantastic, don’t get me wrong, but at times I felt the experience was just overpowering my palate and I wished it would have just been a bit more tame for my personal liking. The price is very modest from this company and since its a limited edition I’d be surprised if these are still out there in circulation, but if you see them and aren’t afraid of a strong cigar I’d urge you to pick them up. 

Pairing:

Brewed in California, The Bruery’s So it Happens it’s a Tuesday with Coffee is a 14.7% ABV Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with Coffee added. The beer wakes you right up with bold notes of strong espresso, vanilla, malt, dark chocolate and brown sugar with a very heavy mouthfeel. As the beer warms more vanilla comes through along with some of the bourbon barrel. It’s boozy and you taste all 14.7% of it with every sip. The coffee, vanilla, and barrel married up wonderfully with the flavors in the Morphine will adding some missing sweetness creating a perfect pairing.