Esteban Carreras Habano Maduro Rothman

Although I've known about Esteban Carreras for a while, it wasn't until recently that I tried EC due to being  admonished that I should try their well-rated cigars.  So I figured I'd oblige and pick some up to review.  I grabbed a couple of the Rothman sized Habano Maduro to enjoy while I was with some friends at a local cigar lounge. 

This dark brown, oily, Nicaraguan Puro smelled very earthy with a hint of sweetness.  The veins were consistently small and it was well wrapped with a nice cap and foot.  And unfortunately, this is where all the goodness stopped.  But in all fairness, and with how poorly this thing burned and tasted, I felt this was a bum stick.  I would try another one a couple of days later in the serenity of my backyard for a second opportunity for a good review.

Like the first stick, this second Rothman looked and smelled tantalizing.  Lighting was much easier this time around and the first initial notes were of earth and leather.  The smoke was pretty smooth and plentiful.  Ending the 1st third revealed hints of coffee.

The 2nd third produced more leather while everything else faded away.  The ash would only grow to about an inch and a half before falling.  I needed to touch up a couple of times, but overall the cigar burned pretty evenly.  Going into the last third, the creaminess of the smoke had left, and unfortunately only leather and a bit of bitterness remained.

Overall, I wasn't impressed with this smoke, and less so with the first.  The appearance of the EC Habano Maduro was spot on, and it's smoking characteristics were good as well.  However, it definitely lost points in flavor and in overall impression.  I refuse to rate the first one. The 2nd one I give an 80.