Paradigm 262

Paradigm 262

• Bit bumpy exterior
• Minimal veins
• Nice oily wrapper
• Solid feel
• Nice, even coloration on wrapper
• Easy dry draw
• Sweet, maply flavor in dry draw
• Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper
• Honduran binder
• Nicaraguan, Colombian filler
• 2 weeks in personal humi

Background: In February of 1962, the last thing President Kennedy did before he signed the Cuban Trade Embargo was to buy 1200 of his favorite Cuban cigars. It sounds like an urban legend, but it’s a true story. Now you can smoke the legacy with 262 Cigars, post-revolution seed with pre-revolution flavor. (www.smoketherevolution.com)

1st Third: The sweetness that I was so looking forward to during the dry draw was no where to be found. The first few puffs of this cigar tasted like charred leaves. It took me back for a moment but luckily this flavor passed. What followed was a heavy leather taste that dominated this cigars flavor profile. A hint of coffee danced in the background but not much more other then a few drops of pepper here and there. The draw of this cigar is very, very easy; rather effortless. Moreover, I was very impressed by the amount of smoke billowing out of this cigar. It has been a while since this much thick smoke has enveloped my area during a smoke. Very nice. The ash, however, very weak. It fell off after the first inch or so of this cigar, moreover, the burn of this cigar has not been very even.

2nd Third: Much of the same as the first third of this cigar. Leather flavors truly seem to dominate.  I can taste a very modest wood hint but it is not enough to add to the lack of complexity of this cigar. The spice has slightly picked up and any semblance of coffee or sweet hints has diminished. Although overall, this third of cigar has become a bit more mellow, however, i would not describe it as creamy by any means. During this third, the ash seems to be staying strong after its original fall-off. I am still impressed with the smoke, the intensity of the billow has not let up. The burn has not improved, still very un-even.

Final Third: The last third of this cigar burned rather hot. Towards the final inch and a half it damn near burned my tongue and finger tips. Not enjoyable! Overall, during this third of the cigar the cigar began to burn a little rough in regards to flavor. Every category diminished including the flavor. Much more spice and burn enveloped my pallet and less good genuine flavors. The construction fell apart in a way that the cigar became very mushy. Smoke still billowed well however the ash became very weak again.

Final Thoughts: Not very impressed from this cigar which slogan is the smoke revolution. If this is what drives the revolution......I'm on the fence. The flavor complexity is non existent, it just is not a very broad flavor pallet; leather and wood. It had a poor burn, first it was not even and two i felt like my smoke lasted 5 minutes. It burned unusually fast and I would not say that it was dry at all when I took it from my humidor. Moreover, the hot burning cigar really deterred me from ever smoking this cigar again. It was very unpleasant. Overall I feel this was simply an average cigar. An average cigar is a 5/10 in my book.