Lars Tetens B2HM2 Toro | Cigar Reviews by the Katman

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Wrapper Grade Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Filler: Puerto Rican
Size: 6 x 50
Strength: Mild/Medium
Price: $26.00

Today we take a look at the Lars Tetens B2HM2 Toro.
Tetens makes both infused cigars and natural blends.
This is a straight ahead blend with no infusion.
I know what you’re thinking. $26.00!!!

At this price, I expect something along the lines of a Padron, Davidoff, Bespoke, Paul Garmirian, or Opus X. If it isn’t…well…you know me.

BACKGROUND:

DESCRIPTION:
The cigar has a gorgeous oily, coffee bean tinged wrapper. There is a slight rustic quality to the construction…seams are barely visible, it has some bumps and lumps, and a couple of big veins.
The triple cap is flawless. There is a nice toothiness. And the stick is packed solid but without hard or soft spots.
I don’t mention this often but the main cigar band is truly beautiful. Classy. There is a lot of art work on the footer band. I will try to lay them out and show the highlights.

AROMAS AND COLD DRAW NOTES:
From the shaft, I can smell a potent perfumey floral note along with honey, spice, cloves, chocolate, creaminess, coffee, and toffee.

From the clipped cap and the foot, I can smell fresh melon, spicy red pepper, honey, cream, dark chocolate, coffee, cloves, and pumpkin spice.

The cold draw presents notes of red pepper, chocolate, heavy duty malts, coffee, cream, cinnamon, honey, and toffee.

FIRST THIRD:
The draw is clean and pleasant. Smoke fills the room giving off strong aromas of chocolate malt.
Red pepper explodes in my face like the best Garcia blend. I’m digging it already.

Flavors begin to line up according to height: Chocolate, extreme creaminess, variety of malts, coffee, toffee, sweet fruit, and cloves.
Now this is exactly what I expected from this cigar. Starts off with a big blast of flavor and the transitions begin almost immediately.

And remember, this is not an infused cigar. While the aromas might lean towards an infused blend, once the art of smoking begins…it’s an all-natural blend…but super powerful in the flavor department.

Strength is mild/medium.
The burn line is unblemished.
In just the first half inch, complexity begins its journey.

So far, so good. The Bridge on the River Kwai seems safe.
As I’ve never smoked a Lars Tetens B2HM2 and had no idea what to expect…I’m pleased to report that at this point in the cigar experience, the blend meets all of my high standards for an expensive cigar.

I usually don’t care for mild strength cigars. For the most part, they concentrate on just a few flavors; usually the same from one to another: Creaminess, butter, spice, and caramel.
The Lars Tetens B2HM2 is so bountiful with complexity and transitions that the strength becomes quickly irrelevant.

Dried fruit appears: raisins and figs. Actually the figs are bi-polar. I can taste the sticky sweetness of a dried fig but I can also taste the incredible flavor of the fresh fig with its combo of tartness and sticky sweet elements.
Toffee transitions to caramel.

After all this ranting about how good this blend has become, I’m only 1-1/2” into it…and rightfully so; as a stick whose price is in the stratosphere should be a slow leisurely event.

Holy shit. This blend is blowing away my puny brain. While there is a constituency of bold flavors, there is also this long list of underlying enriched subtle notes. The combination of both makes this a helluva’ blend.

Creaminess wallops me in the face in the space of a nano second. The caramel looms large. It drags the array of malts with it…Cara Vienna malt, Coffee malt, Flaked Wheat malt, and Special B malt. (See Malt Chart).

I do believe the Lars Tetens B2HM2 meets the criteria of being in the same category as the aforementioned expensive cigars.

SECOND THIRD:
Smoke time is 35 minutes.

Candied lemon peel shows up with its opposite poles of attraction of tart and sweet.
The construction of this cigar is on point. No touch ups required. A perfect draw. No flapping of seams into the wind. Nice.
Strength is a solid medium.

Red pepper sneaks out from behind the long list of components and fires away at my palate. My nasal passages are clear enough to drive an 18 wheeler through.

The Lars Tetens B2HM2 cigar ain’t no $12 stick. I do wish it were less expensive than its current price point so more folks could try it…but it is shaping up to be a most impressive blend.
And what impresses me the most is the lightning fast movement of flavor transitions. The finish is a mile long. I can sit here for minutes and slobber away smacking my lips and still taste the nuanced elements.

The best way to describe the Lars Tetens B2HM2 is you are Chevy Chase going 90mph down a snowy slope on an oiled up snow toy.

This is odd. I’m getting a bean flavor at the back of my throat. I know this sounds nuts but I swear I can taste peppery refried beans. Oh my lord…I must be finally losing my mind. Yet, there it is. (I know…”I can taste chocolate but if I like the cigar I smoke it. I don’t believe you can taste all those flavors. You’re making that shit up”)

How do you train your palate? The same way you get to Carnegie Hall…Practice, Practice, Practice.

Flavors are now completely melded into one giant luxurious module.

I reach the halfway point in an hour.

This is a very special treat. Smoking it in a herf will cause you to miss out on all the little influences. Sitting in the dark, listening to your favorite band is how you should smoke it…and most definitely…make it the first cigar of your day. You don’t want your crispified palate to obstruct what the Lars Tetens B2HM2 has to offer.

There are some pretty good mild/medium strength blends out there. But compared to the Lars Tetens B2HM2, they are all heavy handed. This blend is light as air but with a killer flavor profile.
I have 3 other LT blends to review. Can’t wait.

Ray Powell gave me these cigars…a fellow bassist. Therefore, the perfect human being. And an aging hipster like me.

Ray, I believe, was a little disappointed that I didn’t review this blend sooner. I am confident that by waiting, I got a better picture of what this cigar should taste like. I’m sure Ray agrees.

New flavor: Very spicy beef jerky. That meaty component is delicious…and unexpected.
And what a pleasure it is not to worry about burn lines or construction going south.

LAST THIRD:
Smoke time is one hour 20 minutes.

As long as you can achieve the mindset that you are spending a lot of dough on a Padron or Opus X, you will understand why this blend is in the same category

I was totally prepared to do down with the ship and taking Ray with me…I am truly shocked at the quality and intricacies of the Lars Tetens B2HM2.

The last couple of inches are a game changer. First, strength moves to a very strong medium. Second, flavors intensify like a ball peen hammer to the nuts. Every little element I’ve described has gone from subtle to explosive. Even some nicotine at play.

It’s a shame that I didn’t have the opportunity to review this cigar in 2016. It would have made my top 25 list. But there is always 2017.

I’ve seen comments, from cigar smokers, that they have never heard of the brands or blends I put in that 2016 list. So this should befuddle them greatly.

Ahh…”In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” is playing on my classic rock channel. Released in 1968. It was a major requirement for gigs. Crowds went nuts. The extended drum solo gave the band a chance to step outside and do their thing.

This is the portion of the stick where a lot of cigars harsh your mellow. They get hot or rough to smoke. The B2HM2 is fresh as a daisy.

No shit…this is, by God, one of the most enjoyable blends I’ve smoked. Everyone should try the Lars Tetens B2HM2 at least once. Even if the price point makes it a bucket list purchase. Next time you are thinking of buying an expensive Padron or Opus X, do the B2HM2 instead.

This will be one of the few times I smoke a cigar down to its nub.
Final smoke time was an incredibly joyful one hour 50 minutes.

Lars Tetens cigars can be purchased at Lions of Luxury. Cigar prices vary quite a bit for all the different blends.
You can save 10% if you use promo code: pk10.
The Lars Tetens B2HM2 can be bought in singles.

RATING: 96