The year of 2018 was full of Limited Edition cigars from RoMaCraft cigars with releases such as the Firecracker, Craft 2018, Black Irish, Mastadon, Sabertooth and so many more. In addition to that the company saw the release of limited production sizes such as the Cromagnon Breuil, as well as the Aquitaine Blockhead, Epoch and Venus, Intemperance BA AWS, BA Revenge, BA Vanity, and EC Humility. Today I was able to weasel the Aquitaine Venus and decided to throw it up for a review.
Cigar: RoMaCraft Aquitaine
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano Ligero
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua (Esteli, Condega and Pueblo Nuevo)
Length: 6.5″
Ring Gauge: 56
Size: Salomon
The Look: Like most of the limited production sizes from Skip Martin and Mike Rosales the Aquitaine Venus comes in 10 count boxes packaged in two rows of five. The box opens up like a gift box revealing the cigars in cello. The cigar is showcased with a brown band with the word Aquitaine embossed and a secondary ivory band that is the hardest to remove in the industry featuring hieroglyphics. The wrapper has a nice amount of oils and a brindle like effect on the wrapper. In the hand the cigar is firm with no soft spots and is seamlessly rolled.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Aquitaine Venus is very earthy with a subtle sweetness in the form of cedar. The cedar is enhanced on the aroma of the wrapper. After we light the nipple of the salomon shaped cigar the first profile is cedar and black pepper.
As we smoke the first third the dominant notes are earth as the cedar slides into the background. The black pepper remains strong on the retrohale of the cigar. Once we get past the nipple and into the full ring gauge of the stick things change up. There is a subtle caramel sweetness that lingers in the background, with cedar becoming dominant and a subtle vanilla.
In the second third, the caramel notes begin to show up a bit more frequently with cedar remaining dominant. Around the halfway point a subtle black cherry sweetness begins appear replacing the caramel notes. The retrohale continues to serve up notes of black pepper and the cigar has a long leathery finish.
As we conclude our Aquitaine Venus the black pepper remains on the retrohale, and the finish has a leathery feel to it. As the cigar closes out there are notes of cedar, with a subtle sweetness and a hint of coffee.
The Finish: Perfectos, Figurados and Salomon are not for people with OCD. The chances of a cigar burning perfect from first light are very unlikely due to the shape of the cigar. But if you stick with it, and fight the urge to touch it up 9 times out of 10 they self correct, and that was the case with the Venus. The size and shape of the cigar provided a nice change on the flavors of the Aquitaine and this 10 count box is a must have for any fan of the brand.
Score: 93
Price: $98.99 (Box of 10)
