SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 - PHIL KURUT, COMEDY - CIGARS - MUSIC
MATILDE QUADRATA TORO BRAVO (6 1/2 x 54)
WRAPPER: ECUADORIAN HABANO
BINDER: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
FILLER: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, NICARAGUA
Quadrata. There has to be a movie, book, or something with that title. Not sure. Didn’t bother looking into it.
Mild spice, dark earth (slightly salty), and leather set the stage, later moving onto dark chocolate and smooth leather, which are anchored by a tangy barnyard core. It ends up holding on to that dark chocolate, which is joined by dark earth and a vegetal note that kind of dents the the door and chips some paint.
The retrohale leads with tangy leather. Coffee and dark chocolate swirl together in the nose around the halfway point. Harsh earth settles in to the ending retrohales.
Quadrata’s finish initially brings heavy spice that digs its spikes in on the palate, numbing some of the flatness brought on by leather and dry dirt. Several puffs later, dark chocolate and coffee add some interest to the waiting periods between draws. That vegetal note refuses to be cast aside as a forgettable and lucklaster note from the final draws and begins mingling with the dark chocolate and coffee I had been enjoying as a duo. Drats.
Throughout, Quadrata tiptoes on the edge of harshness and fizzles out during the finale, leaving me less than interested in taking it to the nub.
Its ash hangs on well, but the burn decides to go its own way several times. Must be a Fleetwood Mac fan. Three significant burn touch-ups and one minor make sure Quadrata takes its share of flesh via my lighter fluid. Needy. “Why haven’t you texted me back yet?”
An excellent draw and smoke output take the award for best performance, overwhelmingly deserving of all the bragging rights.
Quadrata started with some potential and ended up taking a detour, never getting back to the path I thought we might have been heading towards.
SMOKE TIME: 1 hr. 46 mins.
RATING: 2.25 / 4 - Where were we going?
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