Video review HERE.
From the Torano press release on the new Vault D-042:
This latest “Blend from the Vault” combines select Central American tobaccos, but with an unusual addition. According to President Charlie Toraño, “My father and I discovered a rare Pennsylvania leaf, while on a 1998 tobacco trip. Extensive experimentation revealed it to be an excellent enhancement to the filler tobaccos in Blend D-042, which we recorded in the blend book in 2004. The Pennsylvania tobacco’s flavor perfectly balanced the Nicaraguan filler combination. The original blend had a Sumatra Ecuadorian wrapper which was a popular choice at the time and widely available. In making some small adjustments to the original blend, we added a Habano Ecuadorian wrapper and the result was impressive. Blend D-042 is a powerful smoke, but with long and lingering sweet spice notes, it is very rounded and flavorful. It’s a fitting addition to our Vault line, complementing our runaway top-seller and widely distributed Vault Blend A-008.”
The cigar has a nice feel in the hand. It is a reddish brown and very dense.
The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The initial flavors took quite awhile to pin down. There were a lot of flavors popping up everywhere! But...the initial flavors were sweet cedar with grapefruit citrus tones, leather, earth, coffee. The black pepper was rated at a 7. There are also caramel notes which follow the cedar/citrus and before the leather/earth/coffee notes. It sort of ties the two together. There were also some notes of nutmeg here and there. The finish was a creamy caramel-like flavor. There was a lot of lingering black pepper on the finish.
About 1 inch in the flavors have change a bit. I now get more of a nutmeg for the primary flavor followed by a low level sweetness that seems to be caramel and there is some richness. I'm not getting the cedar or citrus anymore. The leather, earth, and coffee notes are still there. Again, the lingering pepper on the finish is very, very nice. The finish is a cream with caramel characteristics, and lots of lingering pepper. The cigar is medium to full bodied at this point and it's burning very evenly.
About 2 1/2 inches in the front end flavors have changed again. Now it's gone back to a sweet cedar with some orange citrus notes. It's a very tangy flavor with some richness. There are now some dry oak notes. The leather is still around, the earth is subdued, and the coffee is holding the base. The finish is now more of a toasted cream. The lingering black pepper has backed down a bit. The cigar is still medium to full bodied. This is turning out to be a complex cigar.
With about 1 1/2 inches remaining. The front end flavors of cedar and orange citrus are still about the same but the leather has really backed down and almost gone. The dry oak notes have taken it's place. The earth is still subdued and the coffee is still holding the base. The finish is about the same but the lingering pepper is back elevated again. The cigar is now full bodied.
The cigar ended up about like it was in the last report. It's worth noting that the dry oak notes are very noticeable. The leather has gone away. The cigar is still full bodied. The finish is about the same. I was very impressed with this version of the Vault. It made numerous changes and I found the cigar to be complex. I do not know the influence of the Pennsylvania tobacco in this cigar but with all the numerous changes it has to have had a big influence. Score: 92
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