2012 By Oscar Barberpole Lancero

2012 By Oscar Barberpole Lancero uses a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan & Honduran filler but the intriguing aspect of this ciar is the barberpole San Andres Maduro & Candela wrapper – two leaves I could not have imagined intertwined. Small pigtail. You know my position on those things. Shallow V-cut it.

The opening flavors include an unusual sweetness and spice like something from a jar of barbecue sauce. That melds into a mild spice along with cedar, toasted bread, mild pepper, and mixed nuts – heavy on peanuts and hints of the candela notes of grass, hay, vegetal, tea and earth.

Coffee, cocoa and a creaminess emerge later during the first third. During the second third, there were occasional puffs of citrus, dried fruit and licorice. There’s also an additional sweet spice that jumps in – not quite cinnamon, maybe nutmeg and a caramel-vanilla taste. That may also be the candela at work. By the second third, the mixed nuts** a**re now peanuts and cashews. The 2012 is medium strength and medium bodied gaining to medium-full by the finish.

Give it an A-plus for construction. I often have erratic burn lines and relights with Lanceros. Neither were a problem with this stick. The draw was near perfect and the ash held quite well.

2012 by Oscar Barberpole Lancero is a solid everyday affordable smoke. I’m all in on unique flavors in cigars. This one fills the bill. Oscar Valladeras makes some good cigars…which reminds me it’s time to fire up a Leaf by Oscar and a Super Fly again soon.

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