Vault Cigars Series 1

Tasting Notes: The body and cold draw on this cigar are confusing. Some samples had an aroma of cinnamon, others floral, some both. The cold draws were even more dynamic ranging from nuttiness to black tea to simply floral and others had a cocoa butter note. The cigar starts off slightly underwhelming in the first puff or two…and then slowly creeping in, the flavor train leaves the station lol. Cashew butter, salt, fats, florals, and white pepper. These are then followed by white pepper ramping up and florals taking the center stage. Then comes bliss. Vanilla custard. This will be the dominant theme of the first half. Vanilla custard, powdered sugar, and candied nuts. sweet, cream, powdery, vanilla, and nutty all at once. WOW. The retro, on the other hand, is leather, salt, full white pepper, and florals to die for. The retro on this thing is PERFECTION. The vanilla custard starts to turn to creme brûlée as the flavors sear. This thing is a dessert dream. But it’s subtle, so smoke in a cool dry place. At the middle point, I start to notice Italian herbs in the retrohale as well. The vanilla umami and the sugary sweetness along with the white pepper and a caramel note make this the ultimate luxury cigar. In the final third the body kicks up a notch or two. The flavors mend together to become sweet, tangy, salty, leathery, and floral. Lemon, leather, and pepper are the things to look out for. In the end, it reminds me of an Opus X when they smoke well. Holy wow.
Pairing Notes: Creme Brûlée. Vanilla Custard. Vanilla Oreo. White teas. Wheat beers. Islay scotch. Brandy. Aged rum. Anything vanilla.