Cigar Reviews
Black Works Studio Intergalactic
As the weather begins to let up I expect to find myself out back much more often. Joining me out back today is a Black Works Studio Intergalactic paired with a bottle of Bottle Logic / Voodoo Brewing Company’s Deprecophobia beer.
The Good Stuff:
Black Works Studio, a branch off Black Label Trading company, releases it’s first drop earlier this year: The Intergalactic. The Intergalactic is a limited edition cigar created at the company’s Fabrica Oveja Negra facility in Nicaragua. The cigar features an Indonesian Sumatra wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The cigar is offered in two sizes: Robusto (5 1/2 x 50) and the Corona Larga (6 1/4 x 46). Both come packaged in boxes of 20 and both run $10.50 per stick. I nabbed mine over at Fox Cigar Bar.
- Size: 6 1/4 x 46
- Wrapper: Indonesian Sumatra
- Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Body: Medium/Full
- Strength: Medium/Full
- Price: $10.50
- Pairing: Bottle Logic / Voodoo brewing Deprecophobia (Imperial Stout 13.61% ABV)
Prelight:
The Black Works Studio Intergalactic starts out with a medium brown wrapper with lots of both darker and lighter areas scattered throughout. The wrapper itself is slightly toothy with only a small amount of oils coating it. There are a few larger veins running from the cigar’s semi-enclosed foot up to it’s round, triple-wrapped, pigtail style cap. The cigar as a whole feels well packed with some softer areas around the center of the cigar. The cigar is ploished off with a great black, silver, and blue band with a skull in a space helmet as well as the Intergalactic and Black Works Studio logos on the back. P.S. those black embossed stars on the band are an incredible touch.
The wrapper gives off some light herbal aromas while the foot of the cigar carries lots of spice and natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw draw produces notes of date, cedar, and natural tobacco with some light spices.
First Third:
The Black Works Studio Intergalactic starts out with a burst of black pepper which faded extremely quickly allowing the cigar to release some great herbal notes of black tea and light floral over raisin, cedar, natural tobacco, pecan, and spice. The draw is flawless and every little puff kicks out a good amount of white smoke which dissipates very quickly while the cigar releases only a minor amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is as thin as it gets and extremely consistent as it leaves behind a trail of compacted white ash which held on for a little over a half inch before falling into my lap.
Second Third:
Into the second third of the Black Works Studio Intergalactic the cedar flavor really takes hold of the profile and it’s fantastic. Backed by bold black tea and pecan over lighter earthy notes and spice. The retrohale only brings out more of that great cedar flavor. The burn line is still perfect as I haven’t had to reach for my torch. I close out the second third with no signs of nicotine.
Finish:
The profile final third of the Black Works Studio Intergalactic was very similar to the second. Cedar and black tea lead the charge backed by pecan, chocolate, earthy notes and spice. The burn line got a little wild in the last third, but again, I never once had to touchup and relight the cigar so no marks taken there. It took me an hour and a half to take the cigar down the nub and I experienced no harshness nor extended heat. I closed out with only a very light amount of nicotine.
Overview:
The Black Works Studio Intergalactic is a solid cigar, yet is a bit of a departure from what I normally expect from the brand. In the past, most of the Black Works offerings have been bold, unique, and in your face while the Intergalactic is much more calm and nuanced while still having a bit of the Black Works flare. Because of this, I think the cigar is better suited for the community as a whole since the experience isn’t aimed nearly as narrow as the rest of the cigars in the portfolio. I can easily see this being a staple in a good amount of the cigar community’s regular rotation and even the perfect cigar to bring new smokers to the brand. Now did I still enjoy it? Yes I did. I just think for my personal profile I would normally gravitate to other cigars in the Black Works portfolio before one of these.
Pairing:
Deprecophobia is a collaboration between Bottle Logic Brewing and Voodoo Brewing Company. The Double Mash imperial stout is aged in bourbon barrels for two years before being bottled resulting in a 13.6% ABV beer. The Deprecophobia starts out with a ton of sweet molasses, caramel, chocolate, raisin, and lots of bourbon with a very heavy, sticky mouthfeel before finishing with more molasses and chocolate over lighter raisin and coffee as well as really light malt. This syrup-like beer is fantastic if you like heavily bourbon barrel aged stouts. The chocolate, raisin, and coffee paired beautifully with the flavors in the Black Works Studio Intergalactic.
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