Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is medium brown with a few veins visible as they carry a slightly lighter color. The seams are visible but smooth. There are three caps with the top cap slightly lifting. The cigar has two bands, the standard company band and a foot band that carries the line name. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of leather and construction paper while the foot gives a nice mix of leather and hay. The pre-light draw is a mix of leather and tobacco sweetness.

Pre-light Experience

The Sacra Folium Fractal Prensado has an attractive, smooth wrapper. When seen in the light, the wrapper has a rustic red hue to it. Veins are for the most part well pressed with the exception of a couple minor veins. Seams are tight and visible. The head is finished off with a well applied, thick triple cap. Nosing the wrapper tells leather, fresh barnyard and faint cedar. Nosing the foot gives sweet and spicy cedar mixed with a rich nuttiness. Cold draw reveals cedar, balanced white pepper and dry nuts.

First Third

Initial draws bring a mix of slightly sweet cedar and mellow black pepper. After a few draws, the sweetness goes away and leaves an even mix of cedar and pepper. At a half inch in, some cream joins with the peppery cedar. The retrohale is primarily cedar with a slight bit of pepper in the background. At an inch in, the pepper recedes quite a bit making it just an accompanying note while the cedar takes front stage. At an inch and a quarter, the pepper increases a bit to just slightly below even with the cedar. As the third comes to a close, the pepper settles back down and the cream rejoins with the cedar. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

First Third

First third’s primary notes consist of oak wood paired with medium bodied sweet cream. I’m also picking up dry nuts and a layered, smooth, black pepper spice and heat. Through retrohaling, intensified and full flavored notes of black pepper, dry nuts, sweet cream and toast. The finish is my favorite part, providing lingering well mannered black pepper, sweet cream and toast. Body and strength is at the medium mark.

Second Third

As the third begins, the cream continues to increase as the cedar and pepper maintain their levels. At a quarter inch in, there is an even mix of cedar, cream and pepper with the pepper creating a tickle in the back of my throat. The retrohale consists of a slightly dry cedar. At a half inch in, the pepper and cream fade back leaving a slightly drying cedar up front. At an inch in, the cream increases slightly, but it is still primarily dry cedar up front. The retrohale is just straight cedar and no longer carrying a drying sensation. As the third comes to a close, the slightly drying cedar is still up front with some cream in the background. The strength in this third was medium-full.

Second Third

The second third shows less complexities, especially on the retrohale and finish. Mouth draw’s flavors are more oak and dry nuts based as compared to the first third’s wood and sweet cream based formula. The sweet cream has died down roughly 40% to 50%. The black pepper spice is still well balanced and layered. The retrohale loses it’s sweet cream and toast, and is now comprised of just rich black pepper and dry nuts. The finish is now generic oak and dry nuts focused. Strength and body continues to be at the medium levels.

Final Third

As this third begins, the cedar is no longer drying. There is still some cream in the background as well as some bitterness joining in as well. At a half inch in, the bitterness has slowly been increasing while the cedar remains up front supported by some cream. The retrohale has transitioned back to a slightly drying cedar. At three quarters of an inch in, the cedar transitions to oak and the bitterness continues to increase, pushing the cream out of the profile. At an inch in, some cream comes back which reduces the bitterness while the oak remains up front. This is the profile the cigar finishes with. The strength in this third was medium-full.

Final Third

The primary difference between second third and last third is the increase in black pepper spice. The spice is by no means dominant but a noticeable increase. Further, intermittent baking spices joins the profile. The remaining notes of oak, dry nuts and less distinguishable sweet cream still persists. The retrohale maintains the same richness in black pepper and dry nuts. The finish is made up of oak, dry nuts and a slight wooded bitterness. Strength and body finishes at the medium mark.

Burn

The burn alternated between being razor sharp and slightly wavy, never needing any attention from the lighter. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.

Burn

The only complaint I have on the burn was the ash being slightly flakey. Aside from that, the burn was great. Slow and cool burning with ash marks holding strong, averaging 1.5 inch increments.

Draw

The draw was just slightly tighter than I prefer.

Overall

The cigar started with a nice mix of flavors and transitions but soon settled into a standard creamy cedar profile. The strength was medium plus the whole way, so more experienced smokers would probably be more comfortable with this. The solid construction was a help to the cigar, but I just need more from the flavor profile to really keep me interested. It’s worth trying to see if it’s something you enjoy. If I was handed another, I would smoke it, but probably wouldn’t go searching for one.

Draw

The draw was ever so slightly snug for my liking but nonetheless, very good. No real complaints here.

Overall

From first draw up until the end of the first third, this cigar had a lot of promise. The mixture of oak, sweet cream, well balanced black pepper and toast like breadiness was nothing short of a delicious profile. Unfortunately, starting from the second third, the complexities and nuances were decreased, which ultimately yielded an average experience for me.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$1.70

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$1.70

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Sacra Folium Fractal Prensado