Felix Assouline Cigars – L.R. Something Special

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching with less than six days to go. I have already made a few trips to different shops around town to load up on my cigars for next Thursday. I look forward to lighting up some stogies with my step-dad, brother, and couple of my good buddies….yes, Tony is included in the good buddy part. Not sure if I will have time for a review next week but I will do my best. Now, onto this week’s review of the Limited Reserve Something Special by Felix Assouline Cigars.

As mentioned in last week’s review, Felix Assouline Cigars currently has four brands under their belt: EGO, Ringo, Something Special, and Havana Sunrise Reserve. The Limited Reserve Something special is produced in six vitolas at Felix Assouline’s factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Available vitolas include the Elegant (5 ½ by 44), Sublime ( 5 by 52), Phoenix (6 ½ by 54 Belicoso), Virtuoso (6 ½ by 54), Exquisite (6 ½ by 58 Torpedo), and Majestic (6 ½ by 58).

The Facts

Samples Provided by Felix Assouline Cigars
MSRP: $4.50
Vitola: Sublime
Size: 5 by 52
Wrapper: Habano Criollo 98
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
Drink: Water
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes

Pre-light

As I remove the Limited Reserve Something Special from the cellophane, I am greeted with a pungent aroma of musty earth and manure, with an underlying sweetness.  The color on the Habano Criollo 98 wrapper is mostly consistent in its rusty-brown color.  I do not encounter any soft spots as I press lightly down the stick.

The foot aroma reminds me of potpourri that is common around the winter holidays with a rich, warm, welcoming aroma of  cinnamon, nutmeg, and cedar. A shallow cut of the large double cap opens up a free draw.   The cold draw is much of the same flavors as the foot aroma and a spice can be felt on my lips.

First Third

The Limited Reserve Something Special opens with a beautiful, rich cedar flavor. The smoke has a slight tartness to it that is actually complimenting the richness quite nicely. Some mild spice can be felt in my mouth and bright, white pepper notes show-off on the retrohale. At the one inch point, a lot of sweetness has entered the mix but quickly fades. The cigar has a  clean cedar finish. The burn-line is thick and edgy but no need for a touch-up so far. The Something Special is burning slow with the first gray, flaky ash dropping at twenty-five minutes.

Middle Third

The cigar is producing a satisfying amount of smoke with each small draw. The cedar remains at the core of the smoke into the second third. The mustyness that I picked up during the pre-light inspection has found its way into the profile, along with some coffee. Wow, the cinnamon and spice have picked up a couple of notches making this one rich cigar. Once again the sweetness  that I experienced in the first third arrived and departed quickly. This sweetness is different than a chocolate or sugar-cane. To me, it tastes more artificial. The burn is mostly in-line as I put a close to the middle third.

Final Third

The spice feel in the mouth has changed from a peppery spice to more of a jalapeno heat that is somewhat acidic. The woodsy cedar notes have shifted to more of a hickory wood, especially in the room aroma.  Toasty bread-like notes , along with a faint chocolate sweetness are entering the mix as the cigar begins to wind down. The flavors are staying enjoyable to the end.  Only one  quick touch-up was required in the last third.

Wrap-up

This 5 by 52 cigar smoked incredibly slow and delivered some excellent flavors for one and a half hours. The woodsy cedar made up the core of the smoke with shifts and variations of the rich spice notes throughout the experience. Due to the richness in the Something Special, I could see this pairing incredibly well with a drink that would offset the richness……maybe some COFFEE! Prior to smoking the L.R. Something Special I was unaware of the price. Now knowing the $4.50 MSRP, this is an easy buy in my book.  I am not sure how readily available Felix Assouline cigars are, but if you happen to stumble across this stick, give it a whirl and let us know what you think.