Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan, Peruvian
Size: 7.325 x 57 Salomone
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: TBD ~ Release will occur early the week of March 19, 2018 from Small Batch Cigar. Tell Andrew the Katman sent you. I believe most of you shop with SBC so you know there are several 10% promo codes. I use DOJO. If you know more, please comment below.
Today we take a look at the Bespoke Cigars Daughters of the Wind Salomone.
Thanks to Vlada Stojanov. He’s my comrade.
I smoked one a couple days after receipt and it was wonderful. But now I’ve had the stick for a couple months and it should be rarin’ to go. Although, Bespoke is clearly New Breed style. None of these blends need months. It couldn’t hurt but these babies are so perfectly blended that there is no wringing of hands while trying to keep your hands off.
BACKGROUND:
From Vlada Stojanov of Bespoke:
“The Salomone is a 5 year old aged stick, part of our “aged stock release” slated to be presented at IPCPR (and if anyone is visiting in Vegas for the show, come visit us at booth 727!) and release to a wider audience in November.
“Only 2000 cigars will be released, specifically for the US market.”
From Bespoke Cigars:
“These cigars are hand crafted in Costa Rica by Don Olman Guzman. These blends being dominated by the rich flavours emanating from Peru, Ecuador, Cuba and Nicaragua. “The Daughters of the Wind“ is a famous Arabian poem written in the 6th century inspired by the beauty of Bedouin horses. In the early 1900s Demy & Alick Casdagli purchased the Sheikh Obeyd stables just outside Cairo and became celebrated breeders of Arabian race horses. They gaining particular success with breeding the Dahman strain with a famous mare called Bint Bint Durra. “The Dahman is a very rare breed famed for its strength, elegance and refinement. We wanted to celebrate this with the launching of a small production of cigars with these attributes.
“With emphasis on the lighero leaf this is a rich and strong bodied smoke. Being on the larger side of the vitola range delivering all the complex flavours a long smoke implies. This beautifully aesthetic, full bodied cigar delivering a deep smooth earthiness with peppery undertones. This is a perfect after dinner smoke.
“This cigar is blended especially for Bespoke cigars by master blender Olman Leon Guzman in the Vegas Santiago factory , Puriscal, Costa Rica.”
DESCRIPTION:
A tree trunk of a cigar. I’ve always admired the art of rolling a salomone. It shows off the skills of the best rollers.
Seams are near invisible. A whole lotta small and large veins permeate the stick. The wrapper is a hickory/gingerbread/espresso hued display. The bottom half feels overly packed but should loosen up by the time I get there. And no sign of tooth; perfectly smooth.
AROMAS AND COLD DRAW POINTS:
From the shaft, I can smell milk chocolate, malt, cedar, chocolate covered marzipan, cappuccino, a big dose of orange citrus…in fact almost like those candy orange slices, barnyard, steak sauce, black pepper, cumin, raisins, and lots of creaminess.
From the clipped cap and the foot, I can smell chocolate covered candied orange slices, very strong black pepper that causes a trifecta of quick sneezes, barnyard, cedar, banana, dried fruit, steak sauce, cumin, creaminess, malted milk balls, and espresso.
The cold draw presents flavors of milk chocolate, creaminess, malts, cedar, orange zest, barnyard, and espresso.
Very nice. Let’s see how the flavors keep up with that amazing list of aromas.
FIRST THIRD:
The draw requires my PerfecDraw cigar poker. There is a small plug near the foot that is impeding air flow. A couple swipes with the poker and all is well in Wonka land.
This is what I expect….a slow start as the nipple burns away and the cigar warms up. A cigar this big takes its time building to a crescendo the blender designed for the gargantuan salomone.
This is going to be a long haul. I expect a minimum of 2-1/2 hours. If I begin to transcript parts of the Constitution or Articles of Impeachment during the review, someone slap me. But then this is the magical Bespoke brand. I’ve never been let down by these guys. I don’t expect them to start now.
First up is a smattering of flavors: Creaminess, malt, espresso, chocolate, cedar, oodles of black pepper, lemon cake, and black licorice.
I can sense the Salomone is getting ready to break free of its earthly constraints.
Strength is medium+.
I’m amazed. The char line is perfect. This never happens when I light up a nippled foot cigar. This one has a razor sharp burn line. The draw is as it should be. Again, nice construction.
Complexity kicks in. Flavors feel like the last scene in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” I remember seeing the movie the day it came out at the Cinerama Cinedome in Hollywood. All the heads fought to get seats right up front where your neck is permanently bent in the up position. These first three rows were called the LSD Section. I sat in the middle. And after seeing this ground breaking film, I am so glad I went in sober.
Lawdy, lawdy, Miss Clawdy. The cigar blend is dazzling with flavors and character. Big fat, bold flavors. Nice finish.
This Bespoke blend is very different than the previous Bespoke cigars I’ve reviewed. A totally different approach seems to have been taken. I don’t mean it is either better or worse than other blends; I mean that this is a much heavier blend than the others. It is built for aficionados. Probably a little too much for newbies. It is a dense mélange of incredible tobacco flavors that dig deep to present even the dirt the plants were grown in.
Strength is now medium/full.
I should have eaten something. I might as well as put on a DVD of “2001.”
Once again, it’s all about the rollers. Same cold weather that has taken down so many of my cigars’ wrappers…but the arctic weather has no effect on the construction of the Bespoke Cigars Daughters of the Wind Salomone.
As I approach the second third, the ash has not moved. And the char line is on point.
So rich and balanced. Like a warm blanket on a cold night. I’m enveloped in a cocoon of kohkoon of well-being.
Flavor bomb status has appeared. I don’t know where to start….Creamy, black pepper, citrus, licorice, cocoa, coffee, malt, allspice, black walnuts, and a fine pork sausage concoction of spices. I can taste fennel, cumin, caraway, and Mexican mole.
Bespoke described this blend as refined and elegant. Damn straight.
SECOND THIRD:
Smoke time is 45 minutes.
I was right. Instead of instant sweet spot, the Bespoke Cigars Daughters of the Wind Salomone builds beautifully. Like climbing a ladder in slow motion.
Transitions are different than other great blends. There is no gravity exploring whirlwind of a ride.
It is deliberate and calculated. Transitions are playing peek-a-boo. One moment, I get a slashing display of cream, chocolate, malt, black pepper, and a smoky meatiness. The next is all about the sweet factors: Sweet butter, chocolate covered marzipan, licorice, gingerbread, honey roasted almonds, and sweet tea.
This is a whole different ball of wax. I wasn’t expecting this. This makes the most expensive Padron taste like a Torano. Such a deep richness that I find hard to explain as I’ve not come across it before. Imagine the best AJ, Nomad, Ezra Zion, or Pepin Garcia blend you’ve ever smoked. Roll them up and you get the Bespoke Cigars Daughters of the Wind Salomone.
The cigars are being shipped to SBC on Monday, March 19, 2018. No idea the price. Warning Will Robinson. These cigars will not be inexpensive. But as in all Bespoke blends; worth it.
For such a long smoke, the high level of intensity has kept my interest without once feeling like it’s never going to end. I just want more.
Back in the 90’s, we lived in Mesa, AZ. I played in several blues bands. Good ones. I remember playing up in Flagstaff. That’s a college town in the mountains about two hours north of Phoenix. We played the hip gig. And they gave us rooms to stay in overnight as winters up there were brutal. No way were we going to ride down the mountain in snowy conditions. This one night…who walks in? Alice Cooper. He lives in the Paradise Valley suburb of Phoenix. A very upscale part.
He dug what we were playing and during a break, we spoke to him and he asked if he could play a couple tunes with us. Hell yeah. He didn’t ask us to play his songs. He did a beautiful job of singing on some very tough blues songs. That story was a flashback I could not control.
The halfway point arrives at one hour 10 minutes.
Strength hits full.
This is one of the smoothest full strength cigars I’ve smoked. Again, balance and continuity rule the day.
You ever wonder why some cigar manufacturers just nail it out of the park with every release? And why there are so many blends that just fall so short that they insult your smoking I.Q.? Every one claims to have the best blenders at their disposal. I guess that’s a subjective declarative statement.
I have only a single criticism. And it’s on me. The other Bespoke blends I’ve reviewed were not large cigars. This baby is Rodan. This blend requires a little more time than the others. Still, one would naturally assume that if you have Gordos in your humidor.
The flavors gently waft from soft, nuanced and subtle instruments to big, bold and flashy elements. It’s like a box of Cracker Jack with 3 prizes. And not one is a fake tattoo.
Back in the 1950’s, Cracker Jack prizes included zip guns, knives, condoms, and razor blades. How things change.
Bam. Quantum leap time. This rocket heads for the heavens. My oh my. Big grin. The blend has taken leave of its senses and explodes with new ferocity.
Complexity is triple dog dared to be even more intense. Transitions go bat shit crazy. The finish is without end. I stick my tongue on a metal light standard out front just to make sure I’m in the right movie.
This is just such a fine, fine cigar blend. Honestly, I keep waiting to find a Bespoke I don’t love and it just doesn’t materialize.
LAST THIRD:
Smoke time is one hour 40 minutes.
Strength is lethal. Nicotine pulls itself from the black lagoon.
I put my seat belt on. I’m ready.
The Bespoke Cigars Daughters of the Wind Salomone is perfect for herfing. Flavors are so exotic and intense that they can survive any amount of not paying attention on your part. The flavor profile cuts through any lack of focus and bitch slaps your palate to attention.
Regardless of the price point, it feels like I’m getting two cigars for the price of one. 2-1/2 hours is a big investment. Luckily, the Bespoke Salomone never lets up leaving you wanting more. It satiates every craving you have for a good time with your pants on.
Not a single construction issue.
Last drive by of flavors: Black pepper, cinnamon, malts, cocoa, coffee, creamy, meat gently smoked, licorice, citrus, sweet tea, hazelnuts, and cedar.
The provocation of extended strength does not take me down as I expected. The cigar corrects itself and brings it back to super smooth and balanced. Even the nicotine dies down. Nice.
The Bespoke Cigars Daughters of the Wind Salomone is a one way trip. It doesn’t let go as the smoke first enters your giant open maw. It took me on a long fun ride that did not allow my senses to falter or seek attention elsewhere. It has a lock on your palate from start to finish.
Vlada of Bespoke told me they will ship these sticks on Monday…plus other blends, to SBC and therefore should be in Andrew’s hands for sale sometime next week.
With hardly any cigar left, it is still pumping out new flavors and surprises. It doesn’t let up. No harshness or bitterness as the end approaches. Smooth as your dog’s tush. (You do shave your dog’s ass…right?)
Well over two hours in and I’m not bored one bit. This dashes my theory about giant cigars not having the intense flavor of smaller cigars. At least in this case, the point is made loud and clear.
Damn. If you can, try this masterpiece.
Final smoke time is two hours and 35 minutes.
RATING: 95