It is finally here. Hidden Gem Cigars has released their August cigar. I have my order in my possession. I literally cancelled things I had to do to write this review. If history repeats itself as people say this will be a very enjoyable experience.
Stats:
Profile: Medium/Full
Wrapper: Brazilian
Shape: Duke
Length: 5 1/2 inches
Gauge: 54
Country: Dominican Republic
Filler: Undisclosed
Binder: Undisclosed
Sweet: Subtle
Pricing: (Pack of 5) - $50.00
(per stick) - $10.00
First Impression:
I am slightly bias here. I am stilling all jacked up over the July Ruby release. It was an extremely smooth and tasty cigar. As always the cigars were packaged well and had great aroma. The wrappers were very clean with minimal to zero rough spots. The excitement hit another level when I got one in my hand.
Pre-Smoke Ritual:
These cigars do not come in a plastic wrapper so we get to skip thee opening. I got a solid smell of the cigar before doing anything. It had a creamy like smell to it, but ti was subtle. You definitely could sniff out the body of this cigar. I went with the Colibri 1928 v-cutter to make the cut with 6 holes around the cap courtesy of my Select Draw cigar cutter. The much anticipated cold draw followed. I was getting cream, chocolate, firm leather, and Earthy tones. Toasting to follow.
Lighting, Draw, and Burn:
Lighting this stick was a breeze. I did put some extra toasting on it to get it going. The first draw was stiff but pleasant. There was not any issue with getting air to pass through this at any point. The burn was very solid. In the first few minutes I had to do a minor touch up, but this is not a concern. It also produced a sweet aroma and good smoke with a solid grey ash.
Flavor:
So the normal review style is to smoke and let your taste buds figure out what is happening. While I did go with that model my taste buds has some easy work here. Semi-sweet dark chocolate flavored smoke fills your mouth and it is very clear. It stays throughout the entire smoke adding a creaminess to the cigar after the first third. I have to give credit to the blender and creator for the flavor. It is virtually perfect if you enjoy a good chocolate flavor. There is not much more to say here expect I hope you managed to get a five pack of this limited release.
My Preference:
I gave this cigar one week to rest in the humidor. I made my initial cut with a Colibri 1928 v-cutter and 6 holes around the cap with a Select Draw Cigar cutter. The toasting and lighting were done with a solid brass classic Zippo with a duel flame butane torch insert.
Final Thoughts:
Hidden Gem Cigars hit a home run with their July Ruby release. That is amazing for the cigar world. It is hard to follow something like that and keep moving forward. I think they bring their A game every time. While I will not say one release is better than the other I will say this. The Peridot is amazing, but totally different than the Ruby. The flavor is amazing. I could smoke these anytime, but find that I prefer it as a dessert cigar. There was only 100 made so if you can go get your 5 pack and enjoy. The only issue I see is now we have to wait until September for the next release.