Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a very dark brown leather color. There are some lighter colors around the thin patchwork of veins. The seams are pretty well blended and smooth and the caps are applied nicely. This has the standard Four Kicks band on it with a secondary band that designates the Black Belt Buckle. It’s not of the same quality as the primary band, but looks okay from a distance, The aroma from the wrapper is a slight barnyard. The foot is sweet and reminiscent of prunes. The pre-light draw brings the prune flavor that I smelled from the foot.

Pre-light Experience

The Four Kicks Black Belt Buckle has a smooth and slick maduro wrapper. The veins on the wrapper are well pressed and seams very tight. The head has a well adhered triple cap. The bunching and rolling feels subpar, as the cigar is not entirely uniform with various minor lumps and divots. Pre-light wrapper aroma gives fresh barnyard, aged cedar, slight flowers and chestnuts. Foot aroma provides white pepper, dried nuts and cocoa. Cold draw tells white pepper on the lips, aged cedar and cardboard.

First Third

The cigar begins with a very oily spiciness and cedar. After a couple of draws, the oiliness fades away and leaves the spicy cedar. About a half inch in, the spice settles down a bit and lets the cedar take center stage. The retrohale is a very similar profile. Nearing the inch mark, the spice really mellows out, but is slightly oily as it coats my tongue. The cedar is still the primary flavor and the retrohale has become smoother. As it passes the one inch mark, the cedar drops back and the profile becomes very earthy. The retrohale follows suit. An inch and a half in, the earthiness mellows some and a light coffee mixes in. The retrohale is nice and smooth. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

First thirds flavor profile captures rich, oily, and tongue sticking tannins. The dominant note capturing my palate is sweet and creamy bread in spades. In conjunction to the bread notes, tame white pepper spice, charred wood and bitterness and chocolate. On the retrohale, intensified (and just the right amount of) white pepper spice, dried nuts and sweet and creamy bread. The finish is a long and lingering charred wood and bitterness, white pepper and dried nuts. Body, typical of Connecticut Broadleaf, is a medium plus. Strength is a solid medium.

Second Third

This third begins the way the last finished, some earthiness and coffee with a nice creamy retrohale. About a half inch in, the coffee becomes a bit brighter almost like a slightly greener coffee. A little further in, the brightness goes away and gets back to the original coffee flavor it had previously. An inch in and the profile hasn’t changed much, still earthy with some coffee. An inch and a half in, some oak comes in to play with the earthiness and coffee. The retrohale is primarily oak with a little earthiness in the background but no coffee. The strength in this third remained medium.

Second Third

Second thirds flavor profile is, for the most part, a continuation of the first thirds profile. Still sweet and creamy bread in spades, charred wood and bitterness and chocolate. The white pepper is no longer tame and is thankfully more prominent. Further, a sharp minerality enters, combining well with the oily and tongue sticking tannins. On the retrohale, still just the right amount white pepper, dried nuts and sweet creamy bread. The finish is still a long and lingering charred wood and bitterness, white pepper and dried nuts. Towards the middle of the second third, intermittent stewed stone fruits enter. I loved this note but too bad it wasn’t consistent. Body and strength continues to be medium full and medium, respectively.

Final Third

This third begins with the oak and earthiness, but also with a bit of mintiness. There is still a slight bit of coffee in the background. About a quarter inch in, the mintiness goes away. The profile is now primarily oak with a bit of earthiness on the finish. About a half inch in, the mintiness returns. An inch in and the mintiness has gone away again. Some pepper comes in to mix with the earthiness and oak. The cigar finishes with the profile of earthiness and oak. The strength in this third was medium.

Final Third

Last thirds flavor profile mimics the second third. Palate layered by sharp and oily minerality, still providing sweet and creamy bread in spades, charred wood and bitterness, white pepper and intermittent stewed stone fruits. On the retrohale, still just the right amount of white pepper, dried nuts and sweet creamy bread. The finish still is of a long and lingering charred wood and bitterness, white pepper and dried nuts. Body and strength continues to be medium full and medium, respectively.

Burn

The burn was really good. A little wavy at times but always kept up with itself. Ash held on in 1 inch plus increments.

Burn

A burn worth the likes of Instagram. The cigar burned slow and cool for a total smoking time of 128 minutes. The ash held on strong and tight averaging 2 inch ash marks. Gorgeous.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but still very good. It produced a ton of smoke on each draw.

Overall

This wasn’t a very complex cigar in terms of transitions, but that’s OK because the flavors were good. The first third was my favorite and then it tapered off some. The performance was very good, so no attention was taken away from enjoying what the cigar was giving me. This would be approachable to most smokers. It has some darker flavors with the earthiness, so those that don’t enjoy that may want to stay away. I think this cigar would pair very well with coffee as a late morning or early afternoon smoke. I’d recommend picking some up to give it a try.

Draw

The draw although good, was a bit on the tighter side. Not a real issue as I was able to get all of the nuances of the cigar with no major issues.

Overall

A simple and straight forward tasty cigar. This cigar did not have many transitions or complexities but had all the components of a tasty cigar; sweetness, spice, wood, body and good construction. Not my favorite iteration of Connecticut broadleaf (Tatuaje 2015 TAA still reigns supreme) but $9 for a sublime size is a no brainer in picking up a fiver.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

7.00

Cost/Point

$1.28

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.73

Cost/Point

$1.33

Scoring System