Torpedo, 6" x 52 ring gauge, $7.05Savinelli has been in the tobacco-purveying business since 1876. I first heard of them when my wife bought me a Savinelli briar pipe for Christmas several years ago, but I was unaware until recently that they even made cigars. Turns out they actually sell 7 lines of Premium Handmade cigars, most of which are highly rated. The Liga Especial is made for Savinelli by Oliva in Esteli, Nicaragua; it uses Nicaraguan filler and binder along with an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 wrapper.
The wrapper was beautifully smooth, silky and a cinnamon brown color. There was a crack about an inch and a half from the foot--something to watch for potential problems later on. The aroma from the body was hay and barnyard; from the foot there was some cocoa. There was a nice oiliness and medium firmness, without one fairly solid spot at about the same location as the crack. Prelight draw was great and gave up flavors of dried fruit with a lingering spicy tingle on the lips.
Initial puffs were smooth and creamy with a little black pepper and a little hay. It started right off as a medium-to-full-bodied stick. The pepper continued through the first third, but only at a muted state. There was a ton of other flavor, though--a bittersweet dark chocolate and cinnamon being the easiest things to pick out.
By the time I got to the second third, the smoke was trending toward the bottom end of what I would call full-bodied--thick, oily, slow-moving and fairly luxurious. I found myself double-checking the price because this tasted like a much more expensive cigar. There was still some dark chocolate and sweetness, and they were joined by a nice coffee note, all of which was still unpinned by a current of light pepper.
The last third saw more coffee and nuttiness and less chocolate. There was still a persistent peppery undercurrent and a very nice finish. I found the whole thing to be smooth and creamy, too. From shortly into the first third to the very end, the burn line on this Savinelli was perfectly straight. The draw was as good as you get. The ash held on for up to an inch before I tapped off. All in all, this was a fantastic stick with great flavors and enough complexity to keep it interesting. It had decent body, while not being overwhelming in any respect. I'll be buying more of these when I get the chance.
Body: 8/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 7/10
AFP Scale:
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 10/10
Wow! A 10! I think I have one of these in my humidor. I'll have to try it soon.
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