Last spring, I was able to purchase a bundle of some Warped Osiris habano PCs. When my order arrived, I found that Kyle had generously thrown in 3 body guards... one of which was this stick.
It has been hiding in my humi since, waiting for the perfect day. Today was that day.
Since I knew nothing about the stick itself, I contacted Kyle for what information he could provide... and he promptly replied with this.
Smoking conditions: ~40 with a strong breeze that comes and goes. Hopefully it shouldn’t be an issue.
Drink: Orange Fanta. If it’s good enough for Pete Johnson, it’s good enough for me.
Appearance:
This is a rather nice looking stick. No obvious seams, and has a nice sheen across the wrapper. I love the band, but that’s personal preference. More importantly, I LOVE the date being included on the band, and wish more companies did the same thing. Packed firm with just a slight squeeze to it.
Aroma:
Smelling the foot, I’m struck by an initial scent that reminds me of Cajun dining… perhaps paprika? There’s a slight sweetness of honey.
Cut it with my Palio.
Cold draw is pretty close to perfect for me, just a slight resistance.
Light it up with some no name soft flame, and away we go…
Start Time: 1:15
First third:
The first thing I notice is that this stick is just pouring out smoke like it’s getting paid to do it.
It’s starting off fairly mild. No spice to be seen yet. But there is this savory, smoked meat as the dominant flavor. The finish seems to be rather short and clean.
Oddly enough, the smoke coming off the foot when letting the stick rest comes off with a slight ammonia smell, but none is detected on the draw. Hmm.
Burn is about 90% of where I want it to be.
Those Cajun spices from earlier are finally working their way to my palate, and the smoked meat is taking on a BBQ flavor. There’s also a mix of sweet & acidic following up. Think caramelized onions. While I was expecting a heavy, syrupy sweetness like caramel or honey… what I’m finding is something far more bright like a non-roasted marshmallow.
I stand corrected on the caramelized onions, they come and go. As they disappear, a subtle fruit takes it place. Perhaps plum. The burn has also improved. I’d put the body and strength on the low end of medium right now, but I anticipate it increasing.
2/3
Entering the second third, the Cajun spices are the stars of the show. The meatiness has gone, and has transitioned into a sweet, smokey BBQ sauce. I am still greeted with the marshmallow, but the finish is dominated by bread dough with a hint of yeast.
The big chunk of ash is still clinging on. It’s very much remarkable how cool the smoke is.
At the halfway point, the ash takes a dive and the spice and body really step up. I’d say Medium Plus. The syrupy sweetness I was expecting has arrived. I’m still torn between honey and caramel. Can it be both?
Odd note: The aroma coming off the stick now has lost all of the ammonia. Honestly, if you blindfolded me and asked me what the smoke was based on the aroma… my guess would be T-52 without a second guess. Also, this Fanta is freaking awesome as a palate cleanser.
Red pepper flakes are coming through at the front of the mouth. Neat.
3/3
Entering the final third, the wrapper is starting some minor cracks. There has been a drastic shift in flavors and there is A LOT of berry. Hints of roasted corn, with a tiny amount of cinnamon on the finish. We are still at a Medium Plus, maybe on the low end of Full.
Despite my hatred of retrohaling, I did it for those of you who do: The roasted corn is really there. Makes me excited for the state fair.
I’m letting it die with about 1.5 inches left. It’s going out with a couple strong blasts of pepper. Ended at 2:45, for exactly 90 minutes of smoking.
Overall:
This is one of the most interesting, most complex smokes I’ve had in a long time. It was a TON of flavor without a lot of strength. For me, that is the ideal combination.
If that sounds like your style, I would recommend buying as many as you could IF you were able to find them… which I assume is highly unlikely. My guess is that this is one of the last of these sticks. Even if you like a stronger smoke, I’d recommend it as a change of pace smoke for you.
I’d really like to know what these were like 5 years ago, how they smoked fresh.
A huge THANK YOU to Kyle for including this with my order many moons ago.
Not sure why this last shot is so fuzzy, sorry guys. It appeared better on my phone when I took it.
It has been hiding in my humi since, waiting for the perfect day. Today was that day.
Since I knew nothing about the stick itself, I contacted Kyle for what information he could provide... and he promptly replied with this.
Apparently these were created on 8/27/08, according to the band.
Smoking conditions: ~40 with a strong breeze that comes and goes. Hopefully it shouldn’t be an issue.
Drink: Orange Fanta. If it’s good enough for Pete Johnson, it’s good enough for me.
Appearance:
This is a rather nice looking stick. No obvious seams, and has a nice sheen across the wrapper. I love the band, but that’s personal preference. More importantly, I LOVE the date being included on the band, and wish more companies did the same thing. Packed firm with just a slight squeeze to it.
Aroma:
Smelling the foot, I’m struck by an initial scent that reminds me of Cajun dining… perhaps paprika? There’s a slight sweetness of honey.
Cut it with my Palio.
Cold draw is pretty close to perfect for me, just a slight resistance.
Light it up with some no name soft flame, and away we go…
Start Time: 1:15
First third:
The first thing I notice is that this stick is just pouring out smoke like it’s getting paid to do it.
It’s starting off fairly mild. No spice to be seen yet. But there is this savory, smoked meat as the dominant flavor. The finish seems to be rather short and clean.
Oddly enough, the smoke coming off the foot when letting the stick rest comes off with a slight ammonia smell, but none is detected on the draw. Hmm.
Burn is about 90% of where I want it to be.
Those Cajun spices from earlier are finally working their way to my palate, and the smoked meat is taking on a BBQ flavor. There’s also a mix of sweet & acidic following up. Think caramelized onions. While I was expecting a heavy, syrupy sweetness like caramel or honey… what I’m finding is something far more bright like a non-roasted marshmallow.
I stand corrected on the caramelized onions, they come and go. As they disappear, a subtle fruit takes it place. Perhaps plum. The burn has also improved. I’d put the body and strength on the low end of medium right now, but I anticipate it increasing.
2/3
Entering the second third, the Cajun spices are the stars of the show. The meatiness has gone, and has transitioned into a sweet, smokey BBQ sauce. I am still greeted with the marshmallow, but the finish is dominated by bread dough with a hint of yeast.
The big chunk of ash is still clinging on. It’s very much remarkable how cool the smoke is.
At the halfway point, the ash takes a dive and the spice and body really step up. I’d say Medium Plus. The syrupy sweetness I was expecting has arrived. I’m still torn between honey and caramel. Can it be both?
Odd note: The aroma coming off the stick now has lost all of the ammonia. Honestly, if you blindfolded me and asked me what the smoke was based on the aroma… my guess would be T-52 without a second guess. Also, this Fanta is freaking awesome as a palate cleanser.
Red pepper flakes are coming through at the front of the mouth. Neat.
3/3
Entering the final third, the wrapper is starting some minor cracks. There has been a drastic shift in flavors and there is A LOT of berry. Hints of roasted corn, with a tiny amount of cinnamon on the finish. We are still at a Medium Plus, maybe on the low end of Full.
Despite my hatred of retrohaling, I did it for those of you who do: The roasted corn is really there. Makes me excited for the state fair.
I’m letting it die with about 1.5 inches left. It’s going out with a couple strong blasts of pepper. Ended at 2:45, for exactly 90 minutes of smoking.
Overall:
This is one of the most interesting, most complex smokes I’ve had in a long time. It was a TON of flavor without a lot of strength. For me, that is the ideal combination.
If that sounds like your style, I would recommend buying as many as you could IF you were able to find them… which I assume is highly unlikely. My guess is that this is one of the last of these sticks. Even if you like a stronger smoke, I’d recommend it as a change of pace smoke for you.
I’d really like to know what these were like 5 years ago, how they smoked fresh.
A huge THANK YOU to Kyle for including this with my order many moons ago.
Not sure why this last shot is so fuzzy, sorry guys. It appeared better on my phone when I took it.
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