The 2019 HVC Black Friday quickly received a cult following, especially from where I sit in New Hampshire. The cigars crazy popularity quickly led to David Garofalo having Reinier Lorenzo produce a Black Friday Firecracker for 2020 which will be released on November 16th. In the meantime the company has continued with their yearly release, this time going with a Corona Gorda in a new blend. Th Black Friday 2020 relies on tobaccos from the Jalapa valley in the filler which in theory should make the cigar sweeter than last years rendition.
Cigar Review: HVC Black Friday 2020
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano Cafe
Binder: Dual (Nicaragua Corojo ’99 & Nicaragua Criollo ’98)
Filler: Nicragua (Jalapa & Esteli)
Size: 5 5/8
Ring Guage: 46
Size: Corona Gorda
The Look: Once again the Black Friday comes packaged in boxes of 50 featuring 5 rows of 10 cigars. Featuring a simple black and white band denoting the brand name, the cigar has a fairly dark Habano Cafe wrapper that is loaded with oils. In the hand the cigar is firm with no voids of tobacco. While the packaging and bands are no frills, I enjoin the simplicity of it for this yearly release.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Black Friday 2020 has a cocoa sweetness alongside hints of graham and prune while the aroma off the foot is subtle cedar and earth. Once the foot of the cigar is toasted the initial draw serves up a touch of apricots with a quick burst of pepper.
As we smoke the first third that pepper quickly pulls back as notes of apricots and cocoa are dominant over the first few puffs. As the Black Friday 2020 progresses, a rich chocolate note begins to develop. The retrohale brings black pepper early in the cigar but it subsides considerably as the first third comes to a close. The finish is moderate with a hint of cloves and continues sweetness from the cocoa.
As we slide into the second third the cigar becomes a bit strong with a subtle plum sweetness and charred meat. The retrohale sees continues hints of clove, dark chocolate and a touch of leather which makes its way on to the palate around the half way point.
As we finish out Black Friday 2020 the cigar has a dominant note of leather, with the occasional sweetness that doesn’t materialize as much as the first two thirds. It’s a little rough on the finish, but still enjoyable with leather and black coffee that linger on the now long finish.
The Finish: The Black Friday 2020 from HVC is great cigar, but I am partial to last year which was more balanced. At times, the Black Friday 2020 comes off as a little harsh in the last third, but I believe that this makes the cigar a prime candidate for aging. These are definitely worth a box purchase. Half to smoke now and another half to age.
Score: 92
Price: $7.69 / $337.99
HVC Black Friday 2020 Corona Gorda
HVC Black Friday 2020 Corona Gorda Foot
HVC Black Friday 2020 Corona Gorda Burn
