by Tim Rollins
The Dona Flor CC Bahia blend is the only cigar that uses tobacco from outside of Brazil. This cigar utilizes a Connecticut shade wrapper imported from Connecticut in the USA. The binder is Mata Fina and the filler is Mata Fina and Mata Norte. The cigar is quite light, as you would expect from a Connecticut shade cigar. The cap has a small pigtail.
And the cigar has a nice density. It fells somewhat weighty in the hand.
The test draw, after cutting the cap, was a little firm but it will do nicely. I expect this cigar to be mild but I hope it is flavorful. The initial flavors indicate it will be mild. I decided to let it rest a minute before continuing.
The flavors settled down into cedar and a little light almond. There was no significant pepper. The finish was a light cream and no lingering pepper. This cigar is quite mild and lacks intense flavors at this point.
At about the 1/3 point the cigar continues to be extremely mild. The Connecticut shade wrapper is obviously having a huge impact on this cigar. The almond notes have given way to a light vanilla. The finish is a light cream. The pepper is quite low on the front end and not on the back end at all. This may be a good cigar to have with coffee in the morning.
With about 1 1/2 inches remaining there is a little coffee now on the back end of the spice. So, you have cedar, cream, and coffee. There is also some bitterness in the cigar and I do not know where it comes from. Perhaps from the Connecticut shade wrapper.
As the cigar ended it was much the same as it was fromt he very beginning, very mild. The cigar lacked sweetness and richness. It also lacked pepper. The cream notes on the front end were replaced with wood. So it finished with cedar, wood, and coffee, and very little pepper. In my opinion the Dona Flor folks are trying to span the entire spectrum of cigar strengths with this cigar. One of the others I reviewed was full bodied and flavorful and got a nice score. This cigar was too mild for me. If you like mild cigars you might like to try this one.