Black Star Line Cigars was created by a Chicago fireman in 2019. Adetola "Aric" Wimberly-Bey got to work in his garage to bring his cigar company dream to life. With the help of childhood friend Derrick Bell and a lot of hitting the pavement, Black Star Line was born. With plenty of perseverance they've managed to charge to the front of the pack and continue to grow their industry presence. A perfect example of Aric's tenacity is that for a year he left messages with the secretary at El Titan de Bronze and even would send flowers to the owner, Sandy Cobas. Just like Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption finally got the library to send some books, Aric got Sandy to open the doors and the rest is history. The El Milagro Sun Grown Habano will be my first cigar from them. Let's fire it up and see where the bar lands for the rest of the brand.
The Deets
Cigar: Black Star Line El Milagro Sun Grown Habano
Origin: EstelÃ, Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacos Valle de Jalapa
Size: 6 x 46
Wrapper: Sun Grown Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan double binder
Filler: Nicaragua
Appearance 9/10
Just like the feather in Aric's hat, this cigar is a looker. The embossed band has textbook snugness, which I'm always a fan of. Underneath is a semi-rustic looking wrapper with beautiful lines that has a smooth leather feel. Light veins and the seams are flawless. There is a larger color contrast on a section of seam that always bugs me when I see it, but I know that's a little on the critical side. The triple cap is very clean with no complaints. I'm not one to write about pre-light aroma, but I do feel the need to share how upfront the "fresh outdoors" scent is when nestled up the nose.
Draw 8/10
The cold draw had me concerned that it'd be hard pulls, but it was still manageable. A couple light pokes made enough of a difference to not have to mess with it the whole time. Could be worse, could be better, but not too much here to throw my hands in the air over.
Burn/Construction 8/10
It was never a razor burn line, but it held its own. The 1st third did see a couple touchups, but after that it stayed within reason. Towards the end of the session there was some mild swelling which resulted in minor cracks. They never reached full explosion level though.
Taste 8/10
1/3 - The gate opens to an inviting combination of light cedar, vanilla, and buttered toast. Macadamia nuts fall into play with the habano vibes in the back. Retro is dry cedar with a dash of cream. Body is on the light side.
2/3 - Moving inward I pick up clean thin leather, warm nuts, and the butter toast is still present. Retro is now less dry with faint floral accenting the cedar. Spicy/sweet still lingers in the rear. Body has moved into medium.
3/3 - What started out light and pleasant is now becoming harsher. Lightly charred wood moves to the front and the toast has lost all its butter. Slightly bitter leather is on the retro. The habano spicy/sweet has made its way to the middle and brought along orange zest. Body ends at medium+.
Overall 8.3/10
This was a nice introduction into Black Star Line. There was nothing that screamed "needs attention", but I only found it to be a little above average overall. Had the body been fuller on the first two thirds and the flavors been bolder I would have liked it better. For being on the light side, it started out interesting. I wasn't a fan of how it tanked in the last third though. My recommendation is pick up a single and see how it goes.
**Number of cigars smoked for the review: 1