On the heals of a review of Weller by Cohiba, I wanted to see how Buffalo Trace measured up. They're both part of a collaboration between Scandinavian Tobacco Group & Sazerac. Unlike the previous version, Special F uses a binder aged in Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels for 6 months. In the past I haven't been a huge fan of barrel aged flavors. Weller was much more tolerable than Camacho Barrel Aged for example. How did Buffalo Trace hold up? Let's peel this banana and see.
The Deets
Cigar: Buffalo Trace Special F Torpedo
Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana
Size: 6x60
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Brazilian Arapiraca aged 6 months in Buffalo Trace barrels
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Appearance 7/10
While I do like the figurado torpedo vitola, it was poorly done. Extreme valleys & bumps over the profile make for a rocky feel. There were some wrapper cracks before it was even cut. Bands always sit funny on these vitolas. Using a large band cut the same way as the other vitolas will never stay put on a conical shape. That holds true here too. I still want to smoke it though.
Draw 7/10
This cigar starts at a 9 for draw and ends at 7. The beginning was borderline open, then it stiffened up to be near perfect, then it got pretty tight and I needed an additional cut, and by the end I was pulling stuff out. Nobody wants to fiddle with the draw the whole time. It could have been much better.
Burn/Construction 8/10
A couple of minor touchups to keep things in order, but the burn for the most part was fine. There were times I went to dump a 2" ash and it still needed persuading. As much as I didn't like the up n down curvy durvy profile, it still burned fairly well.
Taste 9/10
1/3 - Espresso, leather, and a natural tobacco flavor cut the ribbon. Oak shows up fashionably late and there is some lavender in the back. Hints of nutmeg. There is a soft sensation on the palate. The finish is rich, but rather short. I keep wanting it to stay.
2/3 - A subtle transition into the 2nd third brings dark chocolate and baking cocoa to the mix. Those gradually take over as dominant notes.
3/3 - It has maintained the straight forwardness of baking cocoa and cool earth for the finale. Much of this cigar is very one dimensional, but it's Light+ body keep it on the inviting side.
Overall 7.5/10
Nothing over the top impressive here. For being a 1 trick pony, it was pleasant. It certainly didn't have the complexity of Weller, but at the end of the day, I still think I liked Buffalo Trace Special F better. Find yourself a deal somewhere and give this one a go.
**Number of cigars smoked for the review: 1