Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda is a marbled medium brown with some lightly raised veins. The seams are raised in some areas and the uniquely shaped tapered head is well finished. The band is black, silver and green and denotes the brand and line along with a graffiti frog on the back. The aroma from the wrapper is earth with light cocoa powder while the foot brings breadiness and a light mushroom mustiness. The pre-light draw brings a mix of cedar and floral perfume along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: This Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda is boutique/craft packaging. Beautiful band over a nice chocolate colored wrapper. Medium sized veins, though not many, scattered throughout. Some marbled coloring. Colorado Maduro. Coarse in texture. Aromas of chocolate, rich earth, tobacco, stone fruit and spices.
John: The Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker on the main cellophane body to remain intact when opened. For additional artisanal complications, the cigar has a pointed cap. The cigar weighed in at 10.7 grams, and the humidity as measured with a HumidiMeter Pro was 61.9%. Aromas from the wrapper were a dark, earthy and sweet tobacco. From the foot, there were similar aromas with some mild barnyard and hay.
Jiunn: The Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda has a hearty, near Colorado Maduro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the tapered head is well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper tell of rich cedar and anise. Aromas from the foot reveal strong dried red pepper spice. Cold draw gives minerals, cedar and dried grass.

Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted oak, earth and black pepper. At a half inch in, the toasted oak and earth are even, with the black pepper a bit behind, but having a long finish. The retrohale is lightly musty oak, earth and mild black pepper zing. At an inch in, the black pepper mellows a fair amount. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak and earth remain even up front, with the black pepper a fair bit behind. The smoke has a very chewy characteristic. The strength is right at medium.
Seth: The Poison Dart starts out strong. Lots of black pepper, black coffee and oak. This cigar is screaming Surgeon at me. Full in strength and body. Some earthy and mineral qualities on the finish.
John: My first few puffs are strong black pepper, followed by earthy tobacco. A creamy graham cracker mixes with full strength pepper on the retrohale. That pepper calms down significantly by a quarter inch into the first third. The pepper is almost completely a background note by the halfway point, and creaminess with mild citrus sweetness is at the front of the profile.
Jiunn: The first third gives medium-full strength and body. Flavors are fairly dense with cocoa, leather and oak tannins. Retrohaling gives a nice dose of dried red pepper spice. The finish lathers the entire palate with oak and associated oak tannins.

Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, mustiness joins in, and the oak takes on a bit of a young/green profile. At a half inch in, the black pepper is now very light and the oak no longer has the young/green profile. The retrohale is now musty oak and earth. At an inch in, the black pepper has departed. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak and earth are even, with the mustiness right behind. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: Dude, I’ve got a f*^&#%@ dart in my neck. Is this bad? Lots of pepper, earth, black coffee, oak and minerals. Full in strength and body.
John: Creamy sweetness and citrus sweetness start the second third with a mild, dry wood into the post draw. Medium strength earth lingers on the finish as it continues.
Jiunn: The second third has more dried red pepper spice and oak tannins through the mouth draws. The strength is now starting to get to me a bit, creating a head rush. But I’m not phased by that because the flavor profile is still delicious. Body remains medium.

Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level increases a bit. The retrohale remains musty oak and earth. The profile remains consistent the rest of the way with the toasted oak and earth even up front and mustiness right behind. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: Man down. Lots of strength and body on the finish. Solid full full. Black pepper, leather, oak, tobacco, earth and mineral spices.
John: Creamy earth is the initial flavor impression here with an earth and wood pairing on the finish. As the last third progresses, lingering earth is at the front of the profile.
Jiunn: The final third shows a bit too much oak tannins, also creating a wood bitterness, which makes the flavor profile less enjoyable. This and the head rush from the nicotine is not a winning combination at all.

Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda

Burn

Aaron: The burn became a bit uneven in the second third and the cigar went out once, requiring a re-light. The ash held on in one inch increments.
Seth: Great burn throughout.
John: The burn started uneven in the first third, stalling out, requiring a re-light. The burn was uneven through the second third, requiring a touch-up.
Jiunn: Burn performance was nearly perfect. The cigar went out randomly within the second third.

Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Very good draw from start to finish.
John: The draw was at most one notch towards the open spectrum, still putting it in the ideal range between open and resistant.
Jiunn: Draw performance was on point, providing the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted oak, earth and black pepper. The second third saw mustiness join in and the black pepper departed. The final third saw the toast level increase a bit. The Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda had a pretty average flavor profile throughout. The second third had some good moments, but not effecting the third as a whole. Not a cigar that I found all that exciting and probably not something I’d return to.
Seth: The Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda is a solid cigar and one of the strongest cigars I have had recently. Lots of strength and body, but flavors to back it all up. Well constructed, this was a powerful and enjoyable corona gorda. Even with the strength, smoked cool to the end. Might be too strong for me to smoke often, but this is probably Surgeon’s bread and butter.
John: The Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda started out with aggressive pepper but settled into an enjoyable creamy and citrus sweet combination for the first third. As the cigar continued, the profile maintained an earth forward profile for the remainder of the review which was pleasant but not as dynamic as the first third. The draw was perfect while the burn had some issues with one re-light and a touch-up. I found the start of the cigar good, but overall it wasn’t a profile that I particularly enjoyed or stood out for me from the great line up of Black Works Studio options. This might be something I will try out in the Robusto format to see if it performs differently. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 39 minutes.
Jiunn: Like many Black Works Studio offerings, this cigar showed deepness in flavors as well as a good head spin with it’s higher nicotine delivery. Being rich and rustic in flavors, this Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda will please any existing fans of the brand as well as welcome new smokers willing to smoke the darker side.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.55

Cost/Point

$2.16

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.57

Cost/Point

$1.83

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.90

Cost/Point

$2.03

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.72

Cost/Point

$1.79

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Black Works Studio Poison Dart Corona Gorda