Tabacalera Falto Invicto

Sorry for my absence of late. I, indeed, did get my degree in Chemical Engineering on Sunday. Since then I've been in a mode of stunned disbelief. Oh, and unpacking. That too. As soon as I got home the days got pretty crappy (rainy and chilly) so I spent most of my day drinking cranberry lime seltzer and playing video games. But today was gorgeous. Sunny, low 80s with a slight breeze, and a touch humid. I like it slightly humid now, after having the joyous experience of rolling, unending nosebleeds during the Rochester winters. So at about 3pm I went outside to smoke and then I realized.

Aw horseshit. My mom still has my camera.

At the zero hour before graduation the battery on my mom's camera crapped out so she had to borrow my Kodak. For the past few days it's been bopping around in my mom's purse. Since she was out getting coffee with a friend...it was back to seltzer and video games for a few more hours. Got the little green bastard back, piled some chicken fried steak into my tummy, and then settled out on the porch for a smoke.

Tonight's smoke was another of the Tabacalera Falto cigars. I still have a few vitolas to go through because, well, I smoked all the short ones already so I had to wait until better weather and a more hospitable atmosphere before I could lay into the big mamma-jammas. As I've said so many times before, go big or go home; so I saddled up the Invicto. A belicoso size (about 6.25 by 52). My preferential sizes are coronas and robustos so this was a treat for me. Clipped it with my new Palio (more on this later) and lit her up.

First quarter: If there's one thing I can say it's this: CHOCOLATE. It was almost startling how chocolatey this cigar was. Hints of brown sugar, dark chocolate, and fresh pulled espresso. Burn was sharp and even. Slightly creamy and medium-full.

 Half-way: At this point the chocolate was still present but it turned into more along the lines of inhaling Ovaltine. Which was -awesome-. However, the aftertaste started to get weird. I can't quite place it but it was an intensely sooty taste with a bit of bitterness. I kept going on because it was still pretty tasty.

Three-quarters: Still tasted of chocolate and coffee, with hazelnut. It was like a Nutella-gar. But the aftertaste intensified and it was getting to me. I smoked it to a bit before the band and then put it down.

This cigar would be pretty damn good if it wasn't for that odd aftertaste. It was a real unpleasant woody, bitter leather, and soot taste. The bitterness/soot may be due to the rather conservative cut I made on the tapered end but the intense wood and unpleasant leather traits kinda ruined it for me. I'll try another just to make sure but for now this is a pass for me.