Another month, another gem, which means another home run for the guys at Hidden Gem Cigars. We have just come to expect a great smoke from this brand. A limited run that you just have to get your hands on. It is almost a must. November (citrine) was very much anticipated. There were two surprises that came with the release. First, this will be the last gem in the series (for now). Hidden Gem Cigars will be moving towards a production run cigar (rumored). The second is this is a rerelease of my personal favorite gem which was Ruby (July). While this was very close I did have a few differences in flavor which was expected.
STATS:
Profile: Medium
Wrapper: Maduro
Shape: Sublime Vitola
Length: 6.5"
Gauge: 54
Country: Dominican Republic
Filler: Undisclosed
Binder: Undisclosed
Pricing: (Pack of 5): $56.00
First Impression:
I was prepped for greatness for two reasons. First, Hidden Gem Cigars has not put out a bad release. Second, I have smoked a few of the July (Ruby) releases. That sets the bar much higher in my mind.
Pre-Smoke Ritual:
I wasted zero time in the pre-smoke category. I knew what I was getting into. I got the cigar, made my cut, and prepared to toast the foot.
Lighting, Draw, and Burn:
Lighting was very easy as could be. No surprise here. The draw felt just right. Lots of smoke for just the right amount of work. Great burn line with no touch-ups needed.
Flavor:
This cigar was also very consistent just like the Ruby release. The entire smoke remained roughly the same with some changes in the notes and background flavors. From beginning to end this cigar A bold cedar flavor with notes of leather and a perfect sweetness was there from start to finish. The first third did have notes of chocolate and earth, The second third seemed ot have lost the earthy flavors while an espresso flavor moved into the picture to match up with the chocolate. The final third added a creamy flavor that made this a near flawless offering.
My Preference:
This cigar was ready to go on arrival. I did give it 5 days in the humidor just because I felt like it. A v-cut was made with a Colibri 1928 cutter. My source of fire was a brass Zippo with the duel butane flame insert.
Final Thoughts:
Another great limited cigar from Hidden Gem. I have been very disciplined with this brand. I have managed to save two of each release to age. If this is the last gem in the series I would like to thank them for bringing some amazing to the table. For those of you that have not tried one I would recommend reaching out to them directly to see if there are any left. As for this release it comes just as recommended as the ones before. I wish them well in whatever their next venture is in the cigar world. I will personally support every project they get into purely based on the products they have produced so far.
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