Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a light brown with some darker marbling which is only present below the bands. There are some visible veins. The seams are mildly visible due to the color variations on the wrapper but smooth. Appears to just be well applied single cap with a pig tail wrapped in a bun. There are three bands. The primary has the company name and logo and the secondary reads Amadeus. Both of these bands are red and silver. The foot band is just silver and I think it meant to look like cloth, but I don’t think it is. The wrapper has a light manure and leather note. The foot gives a light tobacco sweetness. The pre-light draw brings a nice plum sweetness.

Pre-light Experience

The Recluse Amadeus Habano Reserva Lancero has a velvety, tan brown wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed and seams tight. The pigtail appears to have only a shallow single cap. Bunch and roll feels well done, as there is a nice, uniformed give throughout the entire cigar. Wrapper aromas provide namely dry black pepper and pungent barnyard. Foot smells of cedar, dry white pepper and barnyard. Cold draw tells black pepper lingering on the tongue and dry cardboard.

First Third

Initial draws bring a good dose of creamy cedar. The cigar is burning fast and before I know it I’m a half inch in with the same creamy cedar profile. The retrohale is just a general woodiness. At an inch in, the cream is up front and the cedar is in the background while a little sweetness joins in. At an inch and a half, the profile is a nice mix of slightly sweet cream and cedar. The retrohale is now more defined as cedar. At two inches in, the sweetness goes away and the cedar moves slightly ahead of the cream in terms of the primary flavor. The retrohale becomes much fuller with cedar and cream. The strength in this third was mild-medium.

First Third

First third has concentrated notes of leather, oak, creamy bread, medium bodied sweet cream and an oily cinnamon zing. An inch in, tasty dark roasted coffee enters into the mix. Through the nose, dry black pepper, baking spice, cedar and medium bodied sweet cream. The finish lingers with tamed black pepper, baking spice and slight charred oak. Body and strength is at the medium mark the entire first third.

Second Third

As this third begins, cedar is the primary flavor with cream in the background. There is also a slight hint of a green mintiness. Three quarters of an inch in, the cream increases to match up with the level of cedar with the mintiness still in the background. On the retrohale, the creamy cedar remains, but a bit of the mintiness has joined in here as well. At an inch in, the mintiness leaves both the mouth and retrohale and is replaced by a mild spice which is a nice addition to the creamy cedar. At an inch and a quarter, the flavors are becoming very full and pronounced. At two inches in, some mustiness joins in with the creamy cedar and mild spice. The retrohale is now a creamy mustiness. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Second Third

Second thirds profile becomes more spice dominant in black pepper and baking spice. These notes are followed by leather, oak, medium bodied sweet cream and an oily cinnamon zing. The retrohale remains unchanged, still providing dry black pepper, baking spice, cedar and medium bodied sweet cream. The finish lingers with tamed black pepper, baking spice and dry oak. Body and strength continues to be medium.

Final Third

As this third begins, cedar is up front with the creaminess in the background and a little mintiness is present. At a half inch in, the cream really increases and comes to the forefront with the cedar now in the background. The mintiness has a really long finish. At an inch in, the cream and cedar even up again and the minty finish remains. At an inch and a half in, the cedar takes over the cream as the primary flavor while the mintiness fades back a bit. This is how the cigar finishes. The strength in this third was medium.

Final Third

The final third comes in with medium bodied sweet cream, tamed black pepper, dry oak and baking spices. There is now a generic oily zing as compared to the once distinctive cinnamon zing. Halfway through the last third, the black pepper amplifies, in addition to the dry oak, moving the sweet cream to the background. Through the nose, dry black pepper, baking spice, cedar and bread. The finish lingering with tamed black pepper, baking spice and dry oak. Body and strength remains unchanged at the medium mark.

Burn

The burn, especially for a lancero was fantastic. The burn line stayed even the entire time and the ash held in in just about two inch segments.

Burn

Superb burn. A tough feat for any cigar, let alone a lancero. Total smoking time clocked in at 2 hours. Burn line was razor sharp. Ashes held on tight, averaging 1 inch increments.

Draw

The draw started out very tight which worried me due to this being a lancero and the options to correct that are slim. Luckily, at an inch and three quarters in, the draw loosened up a fair amount but was still tighter than I prefer.

Overall

A very good cigar, but I feel the very tight draw for most of the first third held the flavor profile back in that third. When things loosened up, the flavors became much fuller and distinct. If the profile that was presented in the second third would have been present from the start, this cigar would have scored even better. With a low strength level and the flavors, this cigar can be enjoyed by just about anyone. I am anxious to give this cigar another go to see if I get a better draw and thus an increase in enjoyment. I definitely advise seeking these out to see what you think.

Draw

Draw was fantastic. It was ever so snug for my tastes but I prefer that over a loose draw any day, especially on a thin lancero.

Overall

This is the Recluse that I know based on sampling a small portion of its portfolio; cigars focused on balance, full flavors and great construction. Apparently, the countless times I heard Scott talking about the entubado method of bunching for his cigars creates an “A” grade. The loud voice but small population of lancero fanboys will love this one, and is not to be missed.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

7.27

Cost/Point

$1.23

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

8.13

Cost/Point

$1.10

Scoring System