Chunky Dominican firepower comes in this 5¾"x60 box-pressed beast celebrating two decades of Don Lucas craftsmanship. At $162/box of 10, these limited-run stogies pack aged Dominican tobaccos rolled in oily Ecuadorian Habano wrappers - no mild morning smoke here. Feels heavier than my ex's emotional baggage with that signature box-press sharpness cutting into your palm. Let's see if the flavor matches the muscle.
Pre-light sniff gives barnyard funk - think moist tobacco barn meets leather workshop. Cold draw's tighter than a new Tupperdor's seal, needing multiple punches. Initial puffs hit with black pepper retrohale that'll clear sinuses faster than a Neti pot. Settles into cedar planks and bitter cocoa by the half-inch mark. Burn line's waving like a drunk driver, needing two touch-ups already.
Core shifts to coffee grounds swimming in melted 70% dark chocolate. Retrohale now carries cashew butter smoothness beneath the lingering pepper. Ash holds firm past two inches - surprising for 60-ring gauge. Watch that nicotine creep though; my forehead's sweating like a gym towel by the midway point. Strength matches the specs sheet's "full" warning.
Last third brings cinnamon-dusted espresso beans with burnt caramel undertones. Tar builds up faster than rush hour traffic - keep the cutter handy for purging. Wrapper starts cracking at the band point, typical for thicker Dominican blends. Called it quits at 75-minute mark with fingers stained like a mechanic's shirt. Gordo fans'll dig the marathon smoke time, newbies might tap out early.
Rolled in Don Lucas's Punta Cana factory just 15 minutes from the airport tourist traps. Uses Cibao Valley fillers aged in Caribbean humidity - you can taste the 90% RH in every earthy puff. Their "tour first, smoke later" philosophy shows in the tightly-packed triple cap. Fun fact: Phillipe's son Gregory insists on Friday-only box pressings using antique wooden molds. Quirky? Sure. Gimmicky? Maybe. Works? Hell yes.
