Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a very consistent dark brown and has a couple of slightly raised veins. The seams are barely visible as they wrap around the box press design. The head is finished well with what appears to be a double cap, but it’s hard to see clearly. There are two bands, the first being primarily gray with three black keys and the cigar name while the band below it is a strip band and has the initials of the three people associated with the cigar. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of milk chocolate and earth while the foot brings a mix of wood and slight white pepper. The pre-light draw brings wood and a slight raisin sweetness. There is also a mild spicy tingle on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The T Short Churchill has a maduro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and a well applied thick cap. Aromas from the wrapper tell strong cedar and strong barnyard. Aromas from the foot tell rich roasted nuttiness and assertive white pepper. Cold draw gives hay and cedar.

First Third

Talk about a heavy profile, the cigar begins with a heavy mix of dark wood, cocoa and baking spice. At a half inch in, the intensity of the profile has mellowed slightly, but it is still very heavy and full. The cocoa has faded back while the dark wood and baking spice are up front. The retrohale is very potent with the dark wood and a hint of baking spice. At an inch and a quarter, things have really mellowed and the wood is no longer dark and the baking spice is very mellow allowing a bit of the cocoa to shine through again. As the third comes to a close the wood is up front and the baking spice is very faint with some cocoa undertones. The strength in this third started medium-full but settled in at medium.

First Third

The first third consists of a semi-dry mouthfeel. Flavors of cedar, dry barnyard, hay, dried vegetables and natural sweet tobacco notes. Retrohaling brings spice into focus (minerals and black pepper). The finish is medium in length with namely cedar and dry earth. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the cocoa increases slightly while the wood is still up front. There is a slight creaminess present in the background while the baking spice is just present on the finish. The retrohale is a warm wood note. At a half inch in, a slight bitterness joins the profile which knocks the cocoa note out. At an inch in, a slight cocoa returns even though the slight bitterness remains. The strength in this third remained at medium.

Second Third

The second third’s profile becomes dryer. The dryness is a bit tough to get over as I find myself reaching for more and more sips of water. The flavors are still pretty similar as the first third. Notes of cedar, dry barnyard, hay, dried vegetables and natural sweet tobacco. Strength and body is still medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the wood remains up front as a fair amount of mustiness has joined the profile. A slight amount of bitterness remains while the cocoa has again left the profile. At a half inch in, the bitterness increases slightly while the wood and mustiness remain up front. The retrohale provides a mix of musty and creamy wood. At three quarters of an inch in, some cream joins the profile which lessens the bitterness slightly. At an inch and a quarter the cigar heats up a bit, bringing some mintiness to the profile. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

The last third has pockets where the drying effect is slightly tapered namely due to tasting more sharper minerals but overall it’s still pretty much the same as the second third. Dryness runs the palate with flavors of cedar, dry barnyard, hay, dried vegetables and natural sweet tobacco notes. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was slightly wavy but never needed any attention. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.

Burn

As expected, another cigar produced out of AJ’s factory that has stellar construction. Even burn, cool, solid tight ashes wraps up the perfection.

Draw

The draw was a bit snug through the first two thirds and then tightened up a bit more in the final third.

Overall

This cigar was a tale of two profiles. The first inch or so was very full in flavor and strength with a lot of dark wood, cocoa and baking spice. After that, things mellowed significantly, centered around wood with a bit of cocoa. There was some mustiness present from the halfway point on. The draw was a bit snug with a slightly wavy burn. The first portion reminded me of the original Diesel’s and after that became an average profile found in any number of cigars. I would have liked to see the first portion keep its core and transition from there to see what it could have become. As it is, I’d like to smoke another to see if this is what the cigar was meant to be or if there is something I missed.

Draw

Great airflow and resistance. Perfect draw.

Overall

The palate drying aspect of this cigar is my main issue. Taking countless sips of water to hydrate the palate is a hindrance to tasting the flavors. The flavor in itself was nice (cedar, dry barnyard, hay, dried vegetables, natural sweet tobacco notes) but too bad it dried out my palate. This isn’t the best collaboration out there but worth a try to see what Robert Caldwell, Matt Booth and AJ think is a cigar worth putting out.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.70

Cost/Point

$2.11

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.97

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: The T Short Churchill