J Fuego Gran Reserva Corojo No.1
5x44 Original
It starts off with what you expect from an all corojo cigar. It is earth, spice, leather, black pepper and tobacco for the first few puffs. Then it surprises with hints of anise, coffee, and black cherry through the first third.
The second third loses the cherry and coffee. The anise slides back and becomes transitory. The earth is some where dead center between dark Nicaraguan and the light clay of Dominican corojo. The wood becomes something between spruce and cedar. The occasional sweetness comes and goes. The spice turns to white pepper.
The last third is all about the corojo flavor again. The earth gets darker, the spice turns towards black pepper, and the wood returns to cedar. A sweetness comes back in and the body jumps from medium-plus to full body. Nicotine rears its head and I realize that this isn't a morning smoke. I had to ash it with about 5/8 of an inch left.
This cigar serves a particular niche and you will either "get it" or you won't.