Blackbird Cactus Wren

Smoked: Blackbird Cactus Wren

Smoked at: Fairfield, Ohio

Blackbird Cactus Wren Robusto is made with Dominican Corojo, Criollo, Ligero filler, a Dominican binder, and covered in a toothy Mexican San Andres wrapper with fairly visible seams and almost no visible veins. The band is black script stating “Wren” on a yellow green background. So it kind of looks like the color scheme of the bird itself – although I doubt any of them have a tattoo claiming “Wren” on their feathers like the cigar.

Oak and hickory wood, earth, leather, mild spice, mild pepper, chocolate and hints of roasted mixed nuts. Second third begins with the inclusion of a backdrop of dark roast coffee with the wood and leather in the forefront. The flavors diminish during the second and especially the final third. It’s medium-full bodied and medium strength until a big increase during the final third. That is likely the culprit behind the diminished flavors.

Good open draw with a touch too much resistance, slight wrapper unravel during first third glued back in place, generous smoke production – though not adversely affecting net zero, and white ash that held to an inch – about the whitest ash I’ve seen on a cigar. OK, in deference to The Grateful Dead there was a “Touch of Grey.” Perhaps more accurately it’s “A Whiter Shade of Pale” with all due respect to Procol Harum.

The flavors of the Blackbird Cactus Wren were enjoyable during the first third but are inconsistent through the thirds. Overall, they never really developed, transitioned, and fully balanced past the initial flavors.