Regius of London Small Batch Black Label

Purchased: 10-pack Gran Toro (6.5 X 56) Box Pressed
Store: Atlantic Cigars
Price: $54.95
Buy Again: Yes
Box Worthy: Yes, but I can only find them in a 10-pack
Experience Raging: 94

I’m gonna come clean. I just received these a couple of days ago along with a 10-pack of the Small Batch Blue Label. If I was patient, I’d let them sit for at least a month, but curiosity got the best of me, and I smoked one of each. The Blue Label was really tasty, but needs at least another month or two of rest. Flavors were great, but I have a feeling that with a little age, the cigar will open up.

This Black Label on the other hand was ready to smoke. I can see how it will benefit from some age, but where the Blue had a little harshness that wasn’t present at all in the Black. I love it when I can smoke one ROTT. But that said, I will let the rest age before I smoke another. That’ll also buy me some time to get a few more 10-packs. I’m stocking up!

This is such a well-balanced cigar. Though it’s a Nic puro, it smokes a lot like a Dominican with a little more strength. But make no mistake, this has the classic Nicaraguan flavors: Black pepper, baking spices, white pepper on the finish, cream, chocolate, a hint of espresso, leather, and surprisingly enough, some floral notes. Though chocolate is present, I don’t get much sweetness from the cigar, though in a couple of transitions, I did get some salt. So, this cigar – at least to me – leans towards the savory rather than the sweet.

As far as complexity is concerned, it’s a shifting palate of the flavors I mentioned. Halfway through the cigar I picked up some cedar some exotic spices being added to the mix. Katman called it Indian curry, but for me, my palate doesn’t equate it to that. It’s kind of a mix of spices, like a masala. Quite delicious!

Strength is a solid medium and ramps up to medium/medium+ into the final third. There’s nicotine, but not enough to bowl me over. That said, it’s not something I’d give to a newbie. It would kick their ass and to be honest, they wouldn’t appreciate complexity of flavors in the cigar.

So, let’s talk about construction. Construction is solid. The cigar is packed due to the box-press. The wrapper is just a little toothy, but feels silky smooth. It’s a weird juxtaposition. The burn line stayed straight throughout the smoke, and I only made a single correction after a wind picked up and made one side burn a little faster. But since that correction, I haven’t had to do a thing. That’s a testament to how well-constructed this stick is!

Yup, I’m going to be getting a lot more of these!